The caveman who carves the brontosaurus never eats the a**hole

In writing this book, did you realize that it could offend Italians, Mexicans, whites, blacks, Chinese, Indians, Jews, Frenchmen, chemical warfare specialists, defense contractors, women, gays, bulk fuelers, corpsmen, Pashtuns, Shiites, Sunnis, Germans, Blackfeet, bakers, journalists, Afghanis, Saudis, Iraqis, Mormons, Catholics, Protestants, Koreans, VA doctors, the Dixie Chicks, male quilters, gym majors, Chicagoans, rotary wing pilots, sailors, Yaquis, Shoshones, psychologists, soldiers, food service Marines, admin Marines, Jacksonvillians, Harrier pilots, Navy doctors, infantrymen, goats, supply officers, Arabs, deans, New Yorkers, New Orleanians, Algerians, Sicilians and professors?

Yes, but I only intended to offend admin Marines.

So you buy into the stereotype that admins are selfish and lazy?

As well as the stereotypes that the sky is blue and that the ocean is wet.

Including civilians, there's about one admin for each squad of thirteen Marines, but remember that each is doing the work that four people used to do. If not admins, who would retype all your records each year, introducing new errors? Who would randomly change the spelling of your SGLI beneficiary's name? Who would send you to war as a machine gunner based on his own typographic error? Who would lose your paycheck? Who would deny your travel claim? Who would take all the athletic tickets and flowers that were donated to the unit?

Nobody.

Oh. Okay, what about the other groups?

I wish the world would lighten up. Marines kid around a lot, use inappropriate language, etc. First, remember that the typical Marine is twenty years old. I certainly did and said stupid things at that age. More importantly, watch Marines in battle. You'll see guys who were using ethnic slurs against each other five minutes before giving their lives for each other.

I don't want to go to Afghanistan just to see that.

Don't take Full Metal Jacket as gospel, but it's pretty accurate in what I just described. Compare the racial banter in the barracks to the actions of Marines in battle. Anyway, back to admins, consider this passage from Stepping Off, 1/1/90.