Dale's Retirement

[1stLt (Ret) Schram]

I honestly don't know if my words will be worth anything or not. 

Dale was the first officer I interacted with as a PV2 when I checked aboard Havoc 2-1-B as a grenadier. He was cordial and engaging and took the time to meet me. I've served under him ever since in just about every level of leadership. I've did some rough calculations and estimate that I've probably spent around 1800 hours talking to him. In that time I would estimate 80% of that conversation was unit related. I've seen him lead or do unit business when he was tired to the point of exhaustion, sick with a fever that should have sent him to hospital, grieving, angry, working, or missing things that were going on in his own life. I've seen him slip to conference rooms at work to talk unit business instead of taking lunch. I can't count the number of hours that I've spent debating unit policy or best courses of action or what a change to the SOP would mean for people in our CoC.

There is no one in this unit I've seen put in more work. There is no one I've seen who takes the health of this unit as personally except possibly SgtMaj DeLeo. I've never in all the time I've known him, even once, say anything unsupportive of anyone above him in the CoC. I've heard him argue for other sections for thing that would benefit them to the detriment of his own section because it was best for the unit. I've heard him support many people that almost other's have written off. I am certain that if I'm not the person that most butted heads with him over policy, I'm close.

I didn't post my retirement because Dale is my friend, I did it because he's the most caring officer in this unit and he'd have done it for me. All I asked for was for that he be given the respect to have his removal put to a vote because I knew this was the best for the unit and also in keeping with our own regulations.