So I've become an instructor in the National Guard -- we prepare the new enlistees to ship to basic training or return to AIT. The goal is to prepare them mentally and physically for the training environment they'll be in at the training installation.
Turns out, some of them don't like me too well!
They're angry with me because I tell them to do things like...I don't know...TURN THEIR CELL PHONES OFF DURING FORMATION AND LIGHTS OUT! Or...for telling them not to move or talk at the position of attention. Or for telling them to be quiet when they come into the room talking loudly while people are trying to sleep already. You know...pretty basic things. (BTW, they are not allowed to have cell phones at all during basic training...under penalty of UCMJ. If it were up to me, it'd be the same way here -- they need to focus on training -- not flirting with their recruiter over the phone.)
If they hate me now, they will have quite the awakening once they ship to basic training. I noticed this a lot when I was in basic training and AIT. The vast majority of the 17-21 year-olds I was in training with were just the most undisciplined, spoiled brats you've ever seen -- but that was corrected during the first week or so of basic.
Maybe I'm old-fashioned (or just OLD) but when I misbehaved as a child, my dad beat my $## with a belt -- and I turned out fine. Never smoked, drank, touched drugs, etc. These kids get pissed over just about anything! I guess people's parents just let them get away with anything now?
Not all of them are this way...just most of them.
I think I'm just going to quit asking nicely and just start PT'ing the crap out of them from now on when they're disrespectful. That seems to be the only thing they understand. We are not drill sergeants and we do not act in that role...but I have been tasked as the "disciplinarian"...to keep them in line...
Sorry...just ranting...I'm trying to help these people and they don't seem to give a crap about anyone else but themselves.
JM-99