Day 30: Tuesday, 9 January 2007

So many things I could titled this page! Last Minute Fun with the MPs. or perhaps: Counting Sand Grains at POV Inspection. maybe: Guess you didn't Know About that Other ID?

For someone who has the best of intensions at rejecting anger, it seems to be instead my rather constant companion these days.  The pettiness, silliness, time and resource wasting efforts of a few people is both relentless and childish. I don't mind playing along -- that is not what makes me angry -- it is the public abuse of position that is evidently ignored by those in command. That is unethical, immoral, and speaks to individual integrity.

As my regular readers know, today I shipped my car. I had it detailed last week.  Cost just over $200 because there was a dog hair fee (and well earned too!). The detailing took the entire day. The car looked great.  I drove it in a very limited fashion over the weekend and only to finish up the last few errands like a last load of laundry and a last load to recycle.  This morning I stopped at the quarter-car-wash just outside POV shipping on Graf and spent another $5 hosing down the light accumulation of road grime.  I had kept towels on the floorboards to pick up the dirt and grit from all the rain pouring down on Vilseck for the last couple days.  Nonetheless, a few grains of sand peppered the floor. Sure enough, on inspection I was instructed to vaccuum out the few visible grains of sand. Now imagine what would have happened if I had just tried to vaccuum it out "really well" myself and run it through a quick car wash?  I'd still be at POV shipping picking the dog hair out of seats.  But the Bavaria District HR people insisted the Trans Car people had told them I could do just exactly that -- a quick wash and a good vaccuum!  Somebody is hearing things.

I received a call from the District office on Friday telling me I wouldn't be getting TQSA after that day because I "didn't even try" to ship my car on the 27th.  You'll recall I couldn't get it detailed on such short notice... The games "they" want to play.

So, speaking of games.  After I shipped my car, I packed my suitcases, son, and remaining dog into a rental car and headed on to post at Vilseck to turn in my ID card. I pull into the gate and the Pond guard says, "Just a minute, there is a problem with your ID." I wait. He scans it again. A supervisor comes over and they scan it again. Then the supervisor tells me the scan returns a message saying "Hold. Call Law Enforcement." Who would have guessed!?  Just one little problem.  The ID being scanned wasn't my DOD-issues civilian ID card from my DODDS job. It was my dependent spouse ID card because my former-husband is a retired Coast Guardsman.  whoops -- didn't know about that ID card did ya' boys? And you had no right what so ever to put a hold on my access to post under that ID card's post access authority. My "loss" of logistical support does not carry over to denying me access to post under other DoD affiliations. Sure did confuse the MPs though -- way to go Mr. Sennett and Mr. Werner!

A polite, competent, and savvy MP, Sergeant Worthy, showed up at the gate and asked me if I had reported a stolen or lost ID. Well, of course not.  She's looking at my dependent ID card and wondering what this is all about. She asked me for another form of ID and I hand her my civilian ID.  Why is there a security flag on my dependent ID? she wonders.  I don't know and can't be much help there.  She asks if my civilian ID is in the IACS system. No, it is not. I took it out of the system the active date of my termination. I tell her I am on my way to building 700 to turn in the civilian ID. Sgt. Worthy dutifully calls this information into the desk sergeant.  Comes the tense and terse response to "escort her to turn in the ID cards." Wow! I get a police escort to building 700? How cool is that? Lights and siren? Sadly no. If I speed will she chase me? Yes? Ah, but I am a law abiding and non-violent citizen, so at a resolute 50kph I drive to building 700. Sgt. Worthy has to hang on to my civilian ID card though.... I suppose I could have, ummm, let me think.... eaten it (?) before I got there?

Into building 700 I march with Sgt. Worthy appropriately on my heels.  The ID card office is closed (raise your hand if that has happened to you!), but the IACS people are there.  They cannot explain how or why there is a security flag on my dependent ID. Nor are they authorized to remove it. Sgt. Worthy calls the MP desk back. They don't really know what is happening either.     I do.     Once again, people in a position of power who don't feel like they are being cowed to and bowed to enough have decided to further abuse their positions of public trust and authority to needlessly harrass and inconvenience me and anyone else who gets in their way.  Sgt. Worthy is on the phone with the MP desk now. She passes along an inquiry about when I plan to leave the country? I'd have been on the road to the airport an hour earlier had the MP-games not been set in motion..... But, ya' know? It's no one's business but my own, and the German government's, when I leave the country.  I am no longer here on SOFA status... I have a valid tourist passport. I have committed no crimes. I can stay for 90 days if I want to!

Eventually a Ms. Dickson, or Dickerson, comes out from the Customs office. On her say-so the MP desk drops the security flag on my dependent ID. But, I'm told I can't turn in the ID cards at building 700 -- I have to take them to Graf and turn them in there at building 244. Now that is a problem.  I can't be trusted with that ID card any more -- clearly someone reported it as "stolen." So, is Sgt. Worthy going to follow me all the way to Graf? She must have better things to do than play along with the school-harrassment games.

Come to think of it, when I got that call on Friday from the DSO telling me I should have tried to ship my car right after Christmas, the DSO HR person, Rebecca Sousa asked me, "You'll be turning in your ID card on Monday then?" I told her, "No. On Tuesday, after I ship my car." So the "players" all knew my plans. I guess I made it easy for them. Fortunately, between Sgt. Worthy, the IACS people, and the Customs representative they were able to figure out that I could indeed leave my ID and my son's ID at that office and somehow the transfer to Graf could take place without me. Whew! What a relief.  I once got a letter from the federal government telling me I had violated the Paperwork Reduction Act by using a non-government-approved printer for publishing a government document, but being in possession of stolen government property is a whole new level of federal crime for me!