I’ve got more from the Angry Staff Officer for you.
What other pop culture phenomena—besides Star Wars—could he compare to military life?
The Office, that’s what.
This should come as no surprise:
Everything we do in the Army seems somehow dehumanizing. We remove individual identity at basic training, in order to meld individuals into a cohesive group. […] While this is often best for the team, it can make it hard to relate the military experience to civilians.
This becomes even harder when you are serving on battalion staff […] battle staff is complicated and annoying, and that’s just for the folks who are working on staff; explaining the concept to civilians is even more difficult.
In order to save us all a headache and make comprehension simple, I have developed this handy comparison tool. Share it with your civilian friends if you happen to be on staff. They will immediately understand your pain.
I won’t quote his whole post—that would merely detract from its brilliance.
I will share this bit, however:
Battalion Command Sergeant Major ¶
The standard bearer for the battalion’s noncommissioned officers (or as I heard one CSM call it, “standard barriers”). The commander’s bulldog. Enforcer of all policies, such as the wear of the reflective belt and the length of the grass within the battalion’s area of operations. They often antagonize people just to assert their perceived authority. If you’re thinking of Dwight Schrute right now, you’re entirely accurate.
You should go read the whole thing.