There's something you don't see every day

On character:
I once heard character defined as having the discipline to perform a task at 0200 when no one else was around to watch. I've also hear it described as doing what's right for no other reason than the fact that it's the right thing to do.
I must say I was quite disappointed to hear a captain announce to his subordinates that he didn't feel compelled to attend a meeting with his subordinates because the colonel wasn't going to attend. So the captain needed the colonel to hold his hand through the meeting with the troops? I guess so. So who was there with the troops? Not the captain, not the colonel, no, just the sergeant major who has no choice but either pass the buck to the colonel or just say "I have no idea what you're talking about." And he probably had no idea. No senior administrator or commander wants to believe anything that comes out of meetings about unethical medical practices. The military puts its doctors in a pretty safe bubble - Feres.
Where does character fit into all this? Well, that's the problem -- it doesn't. I haven't seen many leaders of character since I left the line. If a company commander needs a colonel's direct line of sight to do the right thing then our military is just falling to pieces. Captains shouldn't need that kind of supervision, and soldiers should never have reason to worry that their captain is only getting pulled along by the colonel on a tight leash, taking every opportunity to dodge some irksome duty.

-- Ragin' Ranger OUT