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Lestat Umarov

On Rank, Promotions, and Humility

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I felt compelled to write this, based on my own personal experience in the U.S. Army and my time in the Ordo from Cadet to where I stand now. Think of it as food for thought, something to read up on if you're new to ordo, or a seasoned veteran.

The first thing I want to bring up is the issue of rank. While rank plays a large role in the command and control of an SL military when it all comes down to it it's nothing more than a title and a texture on your chest. The lack of rank should be no excuse for your inability to do good in this organization. Even an E-1 can have a brilliant idea that could change the very foundations of the Ordo. I for example, started work on the Terra Handbook when I was an E-2. My compatriot Centurion Sosarin Demar started work to bring Astra to it's feet again, which was largely successful, when he was an E-1. Don't sell yourself short just because of your rank. Everyone is on equal ground in Ordo and all ideas are looked into.

The second topic I'd like to bring up is promotions. I've seen it time and time again where a former officer from either an allied or enemy army joins the Ordo and quits several weeks later because he "didn't rank up fast enough". It's ironic, because more often than not the person will return to thier former army and recieve a lesser rank than what they had before they left. In the real world gaining rank is somewhat of a competition in the Armed Forces. Those who show up to work on time, score the highest on thier PT tests, and kiss the most ass usually gets promoted faster than those who just meet the standard. This is not the case with SL militaries. While the kissing ass part might rampant in some militaries, this is not the case in Ordo. In fact, a majority of the Administratio despise people who kiss ass for favors, including myself. When you look at gaining rank as a competition you lose sight of the objective at hand. Which is, of course, to have fun. I myself was guilty in my earlier days in the Ordo of viewing the contructiveness of my peers as competition, which drove me to work harder but also caused me a lot of stress. When I stopped being focusing on others and solely on the work at hand I got a lot more done, and felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. Another thing to remember is to never ask for a promotion. For one, it's annoying, and it puts you on the fast track to not get promoted. So when promotion time comes around and Milites Bob gets promoted to Discens, and you're still a Milites, don't sit around and mope about it. Take a look in the mirror and ask yourself what you can do to better the Ordo, and yourself.

And last but not least, is the topic of Humility. While this is largely an unspoken character trait it's immensely important, especially if you're an officer. Do not flaunt your rank like a trophy. You were placed in the position you were as a loyal follower of the imperator. That should be enough in itself to tell you why you shouldn't try to throw your rank around like some sort of status symbol. Also, you should treat your subordinates with kindness and understanding. Show favoritism to noone and impartiality to all. If you treat your subordinates unfairly and cruely you're just hurting yourself. As the great Erwin Rommel once put it:

"Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare

yourself, and let the troops see that you don't in your endurance of fatigue

and privation. Always be tactful and well-mannered and teach your

subordinates to do the same. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of

voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to

hide."

If you respect your men they'll respect you right back and follow you to the ends of the earth. In closing, I hope these thoughts are of some use to anyone reading this. If you have any questions, by all means feel free to contact me.

Glory to the Imperium. Pro patria.

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