The military is a whole other world. There’s a chain of command, and if you’re toward the bottom of it, there’s nothing like feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place/

OP’s friend was new to the military but happy with her placement in the Colonel’s office.

So over the past few days, I’ve become friends with a retired Army officer that I’ll call Belle. She’s been delighting me with stories of her service and she shared this wonderful story that I think you all will enjoy. Names and some details have been changed to protect the innocent.

Belle was a young 2nd LT at her first posting. As she put it, “my college diploma hadn’t even arrived in the mail and I was scared as hell.” Fortunately, she got on the NCOs’ good side and settled in pretty nicely.

Until one day when a major’s wife came in and demanded to see him.

One afternoon, she was at work when in storms an officer’s wife, “looking like she was in the mood to cause Hell”. Belle keeps her head down, trying to stay busy when she hears the dreaded words.

“I’m talking to you, soldier.”

Belle looked up and saw the woman (let’s call her Karen because why not), standing in front of her.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” Belle asked.

“Yeah. I’m Major McImSOImportant’s Wife and I need to speak to Colonel Stone.”

“Do you have an appointment? He’s busy.” Belle asked.

“Just go get him. I’ll stand right here until you do.”

She tried to deflect, but the woman was having none of it.

Belle looks around, wondering what the Hell she’s supposed to do. She didn’t want to risk her job because Colonel Stone was known around the base for having a fierce temper.

“I’ll have you knocked back down to Private if you don’t do as I say!” Karen shouts. “Now move!”

Wanting to get away, Belle got up and walked towards the Colonel’s office, intending to get away for a long enough coffee break that Karen will forget. When she looked back, she sees Karen is watching her like a hawk, so there goes that plan.

So, she knocked on the door.

Colonel Stone’s door is closed and Belle knocks on the door.

“Yes?!” Colonel Stone barked.

“Sir. It’s 2nd LT Belle Smith.” She said.

“Come in.” Belle opens the door, does the customary salute and he immediately notices how nervous she is. “What is it?”

“Major McImSoImportant’s wife is here and she wants to speak to you.” Belle said, her voice squeaking.

“Does she have an appointment?”

“She just said to go get you and she wouldn’t leave until you saw her.”

“I see. Did she threaten to knock you down to Private?”

“She did.”

The colonel handled it.

Colonel Stone nodded and then said in a voice that scared Belle. “Send her in.”

Belle salutes and then goes back to Karen. Karen looks absolutely smug.

“He’ll see you now.” Belle said.

“See? Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Karen said, strolling over to the Colonel’s office.

It’s at this point that a First Sergeant named Sanders comes in. He just sits down and as the office door closes, he counts down in a low voice “Three…Two…One…”

“WHAT THE H— WERE YOU THINKING?!” Colonel Stone shouted.

For a good five minutes, he proceeded to tear Karen a new butthole, telling her that she *isn’t* permitted to wear her husband’s rank and that if she tries pulling anything like that ever again, HER husband will be busted down to Private faster than he could sneeze.

Karen left the office “like a bat out of H—“, white as a sheet and quaking. Belle never saw her again but she and the Major got divorced shortly afterwards.

According to Belle, “he realized what a liability she’d be to his career.”

No one enjoys spouses like this.

Most families know not to take advantage.

Kids don’t always notice things.

I can’t believe this is such a widespread thing.

Not everything is joint property.

I mean, she did it to herself.

That would have been one satisfying yelling match to overhear.

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