More of the same

Yea, so I'm elbow deep(and that's pretty deep, considering I'm 5'3") in writing this whole package arguing why I'm not a referral 2 EPR. I'm polishing it all up, backing up my statements with documented facts, the whole nine yards, right? Everything is going swimmingly.........cue the JAWS music right about now. Well, before I can go talk to TheMan(squadron Commander) about it, pitch him my side of the situation, I have to go see 2 key people, a first seargent(hard to explain his function, other than a go-between for the enlisted corps to the officers), and the Chief of the squadron. The Chief is even harder to explain, since by his own definition, he's not in the chain of command. Ima leave that statement alone and continue with the days' events. So, like a good little Airman following the protocol, I troop into the Chief's office, folder of evidence in hand, ready to pitch my whole side to this man. I don't get the chance to open my mouth before I am told, and I am going to summarize here, that he is very loyal to TheTroll, who is a retired Chief himself, and that he fully supports anything that TheTroll has said, authorized, etc. He then goes on to tell me that pregnancy is a choice, that I wasn't hired to have kids, on and on. And then he drops the other shoe, saying in a nutshell, that nothing I can justify with all my documentation is going to change anything he already thinks. So, I sit back and let that rattle around in my head a moment, and then I ask him straight out if I'm understanding him correctly, that nothing I can say or show will change anything with the EPR outcome. According to Ziggy, I have, at that point, just called the man out on his own statement. All of a sudden, it's as though his whole mindset changed. He starts asking me questions about time frames and why I am doing such and such, and what the hold-ups are that are keeping certain things from happening, etc, etc. He starts giving me suggestions as to what to say to TheMan, what to show him, all of these things that 30 seconds beforehand, I am being told are null and void to the situation. All of a sudden, he's all helpfulness. I'm sitting there rather stunned, actually, at his transformation, all the while, trying not to let my thoughts cross my face.

So I walk out of the office and get my appointment to see TheMan tomorrow afternoon. Lunchtime goes by and I am on the phone with Ziggy, recounting the conversation with the Chief. Ziggy tells me that the Chief is one of those senior enlisteds(he's the highest paygrade that an enlisted can get to in the Air Force, the top 1% of the enlisted force) that is very used to people bowing to his stripes and not questioning what he says, regardless of if he's blowing smoke or not. From what Ziggy said, in my questioning him, it told him that I was really paying attention and saw through his smoke and mirrors, putting him into a position where he had to do something of substance rather than the company diatribe. I'm still a bit shocked by the encounter.

Then the bomb hits me after lunch, about 1PM. I get an email from the personnell agency of the Air Force, stating that my Commander has already recommended that I be disapproved for retraining, before I can get to see him and plead my case. So there goes my chance at retraining, straight down the toilet, more or less. It pretty much seals the coffin on my chances that I'll get it. Which has me rather down, since I was rather hopeful at the idea of pleading my case, having him hear my side of the story, etc. And here I am with this appointment to see TheMan tomorrow afternoon. Why am I still going to see him? The EPR, mainly, since the retraining bit has gone to hell in a handbag for the most part. Maybe I can fight that and come out a little better.