Rogue's Gallery: 0008 The Lost Boys

In my time here I have met a lot of different people. One good thing, for me at least, is that they have all been professional people. They’ve been quirky no doubt but all and all they have been good people. My favorite group of Marines has to be the Lost Boys. They are stationed in a location not to far from where I am. This group includes fan favorites like Schroeder and Coot. There are a host of others in the Lost Boys’ unit that probably deserve a Rogue’s Gallery entry but for now this will do.

One thing about their unit is where they are stationed there are no women. Now then I know what your first thought is but, it’s not like that. The fact that there are no women around the unit changes the dynamic of the place, I mean the are men true enough but, it’s more about how they bond. Think about what happens when you get about ten 5-year-old boys together in a room or on a playground and just let them have at it. The vibe over there has a real Peter Pan and the Lost Boys or Lord of the Flies or Outsiders feel if you will. That’s the vibe I get with them. The unit is what I think most people think of when they think Marine. The guys over there are constantly training and are always sharp they are always and I mean always working on hand-to-hand combat. I think that’s what keeps everyone chill they have an outlet to work out any stress or aggression.

But, what I like most about the Lost Boys is that they get it. These guys are professionals they know how to work together as a team, they know how to keep each other in the loop; each member of that team is as qualified as the next. Schroeder is really a brilliant leader of the data shop over there. The thing about them that makes the difference is that they want to work together and that they want to learn the system. As anyone can tell you it’s easier to work with people that want to learn rather than seeing it as an obligation. On top of that there isn’t that information hoarding that you can get with people. Schroeder makes sure that everyone on his team knows what he knows. Any member of that data team can work on any part of the system. And if something goes wrong then I know that they can give me detailed descriptions of the problem. Anyone that has been in support knows how anger inducing it can be when some one calls you and says, “My computer is broken.”

“Broken? What the hell does that mean? Did someone put a bullet in the hard drive?”

I can call over there or email anyone and they all will know what is going on and what is the latest status to me that’s being on the ball. I think it shows real leadership when you can trust people under you to run the place. The best thing is I get regular calls and emails from them about status it’s easy to help them because you know exactly where they are from week to week. Every now and again they’ll hip me to something that I didn’t know about the system.

I think the final thing is that they all naturally like each other. They tend to look at me in awe because I’m the “tech/computer guy contractor” and at the same time I look at them in awe. To me they are so young and I look at what they are really doing they are in a war a war where people that they know can die. I'm in awe of them becasue they have really made the best of a bad situation and they are growing from it in all aspects. I know when I was in my late teens and early 20s I had nowhere near the focus these guys have. It’s good to see people that aren’t as overtly concerned about their station in the world but are concerned with doing a good job and insuring those around them do a good job. These guys are the type of people I could see getting together once a year after this war thing is over.