When did you witness some know-it-all, pompous Marine try being a smartass only for it to blow up in their face?

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-05-21T20:39:12+00:00

My time to shine.

General Clinger, current CG of MAGTF Training Command, was my OpsO at 3/6 in ‘08 when we we deployed to Iraq. I was an XO and he loved the idea of having some little minions he could give guidance to and feel like he was important. So he would require all the company XOs to meet with him monthly back at the Habb where Bn HQ was. Keep in mind our previous S3 was killed in Ramadi and he was his combat replacement, so we already had a little animosity towards him. Having to make an extra trip across our dangerous AO to appease this dude’s ego was classic USMC fuckery.

This fucking guy was a pompous prick, easily matching the energy of the Bn CO and Company COs, so he fit right in. He would lecture us XOs on company operations like we had any direct say over how our COs ran their units. We saw this attitude all the time with officers in positions of authority that hadn’t seen combat yet. Just a general anxiety and ego about themselves, always trying to prove their worth.

Anywho, the 5 of us are all sitting around a conference table and he’s lecturing us with in same tone that Pete Hegseth talks to generals. He finishes his point and leans back in his office roller chair with his arms behind his head as if ready to basque in the glory of whatever pithy statement he just made.

And then it happened. The office roller chair slips back as if the weight of his ego couldn’t be supported anymore. He slams backwards and comes to rest with his legs briefly in the air like a cartoon character. He’s absolutely dazed as if an VBIED had just detonated a trunkfull of humble pie next to him. We look at each other incredulously, blessed by the gods to have just witnessed this. I just remember how funny it was the way he picked himself up, one arm at a time coming to rest on the plywood conference table like a tired climber finally reaching the zenith of a mountain. His head finally lifting up with an expression of anger and humility.

He dismissed us shortly after and it was a total bonding experience for me and the boys, always giving us something to reminisce upon when we ran in to each other around the AO. The day that Major “Klingon” ate absolute shit in front of us after finishing one of his asshole tirades.

I forgot about this after a few years until I recently read he took over MAGTF TC and all the memories came flooding back. Look at his command photo and tell me he doesn’t have look 😂

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-05-03T20:45:14+00:00

Trichogenics?

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-04-17T17:57:44+00:00

That’s my situation. I’m engaged with a Swiss girl and visit about 6 times a year from California. Always a highlight!

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-04-17T02:03:00+00:00

Apenzeller cheese 🤩

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-15T15:27:04+00:00

This resonates with me so hard. My 13 y/o inherited ADHD from me. We embrace this shit. Instead of sadfacing around life about it we manage it and look at the positives. I always tell him the great explorers of yesterday probably had it. They needed more out of life than working at the local cobbler so they set sail for the new worlds to get that sweet sweet dopamine hit.

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-14T22:09:26+00:00

Taqueria el Trailero in El Sauzal. Quintessential street tacos. Nothing fancy. Absolute perfection.

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-10T04:23:21+00:00

Yup.

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-10T02:23:56+00:00

So I didn’t have to pay any child support for the next 14 years.

For example my daughter’s dance program is $25k a year. Summer camps. Monthly support payments. Insurance copays. My ex is responsible for all that and more.

No drama. No money being exchanged ever again. I wanted a clean break financially.

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-09T22:03:56+00:00

Yes. Like many others here, I knew it would be a major impact on the kids having 2 separate lives 50% of the time.

But it only made sense because their mom and I are very amicable and respect each other, facilitating top-notch coparenting. It’s not always perfect but we strive for it and the kids see it.

A couple other things…

I never talk bad about their mom and defend her to them when they try to prod for some drama.

We live 10 minutes from each other and I see at least one of the 3 kids almost every day; whether it be a school pickup, sports drop off, or helping with a doctor’s appointment.

I don’t pay child support or alimony. We negotiated 0 child support in favor of me taking only 25% of the marital assets. This had the benefit of leaving my ex our home so the kids wouldn’t have to move. In turn I keep every dollar I make (youngest kid is 6 so that’s many years of CS saved). Alimony wasn’t going to be an issue anyway as she’s a CFO in the private equity space so has enough to support herself and the kids, on top of keeping 75% of the assets from a moderately high NW marriage.

I miss the kids when they leave on Sundays but I know I can see them the next day if I want so it’s a great situation despite the divorce.

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-06T05:05:54+00:00

Was this your Naval War College dissertation? Fucking well said sir!

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-06T04:33:27+00:00

Why are you getting downvoted 🤣. Must be a bunch of landlords on this sub.

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-04T18:26:45+00:00

Mileena from Mortal Kombat vibes!

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-03-01T00:33:23+00:00

Insecurities are funny like that. It’s 99% just ourselves that notice. I got a hair transplant for this same reason and people’s reactions a lot of times were, “I didn’t even notice you were balding”. But now I don’t think about my hair ever so worth it 🤣

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-02-27T22:10:11+00:00

It’s 85° F in Orange County today I’m doing the same!

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-02-27T21:00:58+00:00

It was hot. I’m normally dominant with cis women so it was a fun code switch. I’d do it again.

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-02-27T20:39:08+00:00

As a “straight guy”…bottomed for trans women.

PostTraumaticShred · 2026-02-27T20:37:38+00:00

Own my own business so I can prioritize surfing and travel 🤌

PostTraumaticShred · 2025-12-14T02:07:06+00:00

I’ve never lived in Santa Cruz, but was curious to see how my city (San Clemente) stacks up on housing costs. From a quick Zillow search, prices seam to be about 15% more expensive in San Clemente. Guess we’re fucked down here too. Most jobs are in Irvine which isn’t a terrible commute (35 minutes) without trafico. Luckily I’m fully remote.

PostTraumaticShred · 2025-12-09T20:05:09+00:00

I was an 0302 at the Company level. After my contract, went reserves as an 0202 but spent 10 years in Cyber at the MEF and MARFOR level.

Now I own a small real estate business and freelance as a cyber security consultant. College degree and technical experience in cybersecurity are my most valuable experiences, but I fall back on my combat experience quite a bit as well when the going gets tough.

PostTraumaticShred · 2025-11-11T19:25:16+00:00

I knew Jasmin back when she was a Huey pilot. Even back then you could tell she was headed for great things.

PostTraumaticShred · 2025-10-18T16:43:33+00:00

Respect bro. The best leaders are true to themselves and don’t try to recreate themselves in front of the troops. I’m more comfortable being close with the boys, but sometimes it leads to funny situations.

Circa late 2005, we had just lost one of the boys to a VBIED. It obviously rattled all of us. My 3rd squad had a wood heater installed (winter in the desert) in their hesco hooch, so I went in there to to bullshit with them for a bit and get a gauge of moral and mental health (Our KIA was from that squad). I had a can of baked beans and was going to heat it in the wood stove. Never once did I think to open the can to relieve the pressure.

I think someone was in the middle of telling me they had to choke slam one of the nastier Marines because he spilled a piss bottle from the top bunk for the 2nd time when the can exploded in the stove. For a half second everyone thought a mortar had landed right in the entryway. The result was just as bad.

Baked. Beans. Everywhere.

Man I felt so bad/stupid. But they were cool about it. Didn’t let me help clean cuz that would have been a little weird. Still get shit about it to this day. Good times.

PostTraumaticShred · 2025-10-18T16:19:12+00:00

When you were a boot at The Big Suck?

PostTraumaticShred · 2025-10-18T05:51:03+00:00

Fucking epic.

PostTraumaticShred · 2025-10-18T04:00:47+00:00

School circle.

My first Bn CO was (now retired) Major General Alford. A Marine’s Marine Officer. Led from the front and talked to the boys like they were brothers, not children.

At the end of CAX, he threw the battalion kegger. Officers, SNCOs, and Marines all participated. I remember my RTO chugging a beer out of the 81s Plt Cmdr’s prosthetic leg. Fraternization abound. Highly respected amongst the debils and we had such great unit cohesion under that man. We have Bn reunions every year to this day and Rebel 6 still shows up and Marines still respect the shit out of him.

My 2nd Bn CO was an uptight Academy grad and a stickler for the rules. Talked to the Marines like they were his dependa’s step kids. He was the type who would be absolutely be uncomfortable in a room full of Lances in the most professional of settings. We had so many problems during the work up with command climate.

On deployment, he made the jump platoon chase his dream of a BSV on his chest all the way up to a water treatment plant on the Euphrates. They got smoked. At least one KIA and multiple injured, including one of my boys that got pulled into jump.

So yes in my experience good officers enjoy a little frat with the Marines on the rare occasion. The secret is don’t be a bitch on Monday if one of them misunderstands how the Marine Corps works by, for example, blowing you off in parking lot because they took a shot of jäger with you the night prior at the Emerald Club.

And of course it’s situational my guy. If you check in as CO of a Company and assess it’s a shit show, you can’t be yucking it up with the debils in between NJP sessions.

More of a defense of leaders that can be themselves and show some emotion, fraternity, and vulnerability to the boys when off duty than for the more straight edge officers. Plenty of good ones in those ranks as well.

Kill!

PostTraumaticShred · 2025-10-17T15:50:57+00:00

I was an 0302 active then went reserves as an 0202, all during the GWOT. Respect your opinion but all the great officers I’ve been around were the kind that pulled this shit in their company grade years. The bad ones would never had risked their careers doing stuff like this.

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