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Not really looking here for confessions about (ahem) serious matters. I'll lead off with a couple of my wuss dental officer whines. On Okinawa, in 1974-5 there had been some serious incidents in Kin Ville outside the gate of Camp Hansen. We had a dental 4-striper Navy captain in charge of the 3rd Dental Company and the story was he was in a meeting with the General where they were discussing the "Ville Patrol" which was an officer and two NCOs (usually one was a staff sergeant or above) who went out to keep the peace in an alcohol and racially charged environment. Well basically our commander volunteered the dental officers (the hospital comany was certainly not volunteering the M.D.'s). So we had all these young dental LTs right out of dental school most of whom barely knew how to salute and they decided to make MPs out of them. Did I mention we were unarmed? It never bothered me THAT much and I always had real good Marine NCOs with me. Also I wanted to shoot in the intramurals so I did not complain too much. But some of the other young dentists were pretty upset about it - worried they'd get busted up in a fight with some drunks and lose an eye and not be able to use their education.
The other incident (also dental) was at Camp Pendleton. In those days the system for dental was when you got out, you had a year in which (if you knew or cared) you could get all of your dentistry completed. All you had to do was go to the VA, get them to identify the areas left unfinished, they'd verify you had a need then you could go to your dentist and he'd make a treatment plan which was then approved. Most dentists took it since the fees were OK, just slow-pay. The thing we dentists tried to do was make the troops AWARE of this so they could take advantage of it. So we were telling the kids, "You have these large amalgam buildups and you need a crown..." or "...you need a bridge... so use your VA BENEFITS when you get out!"
Well our 4-striper Captain held a mass meeting and told us NOT to tell the troops of unmet needs because that implied we were not taking proper care of them. I guess they had had some complaints? Anyway I thought both of these incidents were a little shady.
The other incident (also dental) was at Camp Pendleton. In those days the system for dental was when you got out, you had a year in which (if you knew or cared) you could get all of your dentistry completed. All you had to do was go to the VA, get them to identify the areas left unfinished, they'd verify you had a need then you could go to your dentist and he'd make a treatment plan which was then approved. Most dentists took it since the fees were OK, just slow-pay. The thing we dentists tried to do was make the troops AWARE of this so they could take advantage of it. So we were telling the kids, "You have these large amalgam buildups and you need a crown..." or "...you need a bridge... so use your VA BENEFITS when you get out!"
Well our 4-striper Captain held a mass meeting and told us NOT to tell the troops of unmet needs because that implied we were not taking proper care of them. I guess they had had some complaints? Anyway I thought both of these incidents were a little shady.
That little stand for flying safety cost me my job but the airplanes stayed grounded until the back-up radar system was turned on so I guess it was worth it.
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