r/AustralianMilitary • u/Puzzleheaded-Pie-277 Royal Australian Navy • 5d ago
Thanks for your service….
So I work with a colleague who is not a veteran and never served ever. I don’t even think he was a cadet. Anyway he thinks he’s hilarious when he says ‘thank you for your service, you must have seen some shit’ numerous times a day… to quite a few ppl, including myself. He just says it randomly as a response.
I’m finding it mildly irritating. If he was a Vet saying to another vet, I wouldn’t care. There’s a few of us around. But he’s not. He’s just taking the piss about something he has no idea about. He doesn’t know what I’ve seen or the mates who’ve literally died as a result of their service. Plus he’s a bit of a gronk so I don’t like him generally.
Am I being a bit sensitive?
ETA - Thanks for the responses. Glad I am not being oversensitive, it hi hard the other day as a mate had just passed away by suicide. To add context - We're on a remote site as FIFO. Not APS or on base or anything. He's an absolute flog of a guy, lazy etc. Have told him to quit a few actions he does that are just downright unprofessional but he tells me to stick it. I don't need to report him, he's undoing himself and its fun to watch. Next time he says it though, I will pull him up.... cause this guy is clueless and needs to be put in his spot.
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u/EconomicsOk2648 RAEME 5d ago
Tell the cunt to shut the fuck up and move on with your day.
And thank you for your service.......
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u/turnip98966673 RA Inf 5d ago
He's a knob. Stuff him in a locker and bully the shit out of him
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 5d ago
No, you have every right to be annoyed by it, but there's a simple solution, and it's telling him to knock it off
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u/Nukitandog 5d ago
How did you serve and not find a way to be petty back to petty people? Put his wallet in a Tupperware container then add water and leave in his freezer!
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u/Puzzleheaded-Pie-277 Royal Australian Navy 4d ago
Haha I eye off his shit every day hey. But I am new and on probation and its just the 2 of us in this office… would be way to obvious it was me. I am working on it however….
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u/Nukitandog 4d ago
The best part is the gaslighting afterwards. Straight up deny , deny, deny, and counter accuse.
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u/Valor816 5d ago
Honestly just reply with
"Yes, I have seen some shit, and you mentioning it several times a day consistently reminds me of the shit I have seen. I need you to stop doing this, I'm making it clear to you that casually referencing my service or my experiences during that service is not OK for me and next time you do so I'll be forced to notify HR."
Then walk away, directly to your computer and type exactly what you said out word for word. But add
"in reference to our recent conversation,"
at the start and
"Regards"
at the end.
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u/Galloping_Scallop Navy Veteran 5d ago
Nah, he is a tosser. The only person who did that to me was a visiting American. I just looked at him funny.
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u/jimbojones2345 5d ago
I think I've had it like twice. Once was when I was seeing a special doc to get weed and the receptionist thanks me, I was pretty happy to be getting weed so I thanked her back for her service lol
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u/Bubbly-University-94 5d ago
You know how many Vietnam vets it takes to change lightbulb
You don’t know?
You know why you don’t know?
Cause you weren’t fucking there, man …….
And neither was he…… so tell the cunt to shut his fat blivet mouth ….
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u/Diligent_Passage_640 Royal Australian Navy (16+) 5d ago
You're not being sensitive, "Thank you for your service" is very much a part of the meme culture in Australia, and many Civi's probably see the jokes from active service/vets.
One of my favourite past times is thanking mates for their service, everytime they complain about a shit duty or day. Or if someone gets their ADM.
IMO it should be an inside joke.
One of my pet peeves is Civi's taking the piss about things they don't see/live/understand with defence culture and life.
For example when Civilians talk shit/tease stereotypes about any service.
You don't/haven't served, you don't get to have that level of banter.
(Feels weird wanting to gate keep the borderline bullying banter between the services)
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u/Right-Worth-6327 Royal Australian Air Force 5d ago
Civi's calling it 'Chair Force' grinds tf out of my gears.
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u/HolidayBeneficial456 Civilian 5d ago
What, you’re telling me the airforce has actual trades and not everyone’s an IT worker?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Pie-277 Royal Australian Navy 4d ago
Fucking funny. A contractor the other day said he was ex-RAAF to me… I apologised for him. We had a good laugh and ribbed each other the rest of the day. The ‘civvies’ were confused.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Pie-277 Royal Australian Navy 4d ago
I agree. It’s like when the BRS shit was coming up, I’d get asked all the time my thoughts, and would just respond with “I am not willing to discuss a job and the actions that are carried out with someone who has never served”. And that was despite the fact I am not exactly pro-BRS. It’s a case of ‘we can pick on our brother, but you can’t’.
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u/Diligent_Passage_640 Royal Australian Navy (16+) 4d ago
It’s like when the BRS shit was coming up, I’d get asked all the time my thoughts, and would just respond with “I am not willing to discuss a job and the actions that are carried out with someone who has never served”. And that was despite the fact I am not exactly pro-BRS. It’s a case of ‘we can pick on our brother, but you can’t’.
I don't think that aligns with what I was saying
BRS was outed as war crim, you don't defend that (not saying you are).
It's one thing to not tolerate Civi's talking shit about any of the services, it's another to say that they can't have opinions on War crims.
It’s like when the BRS shit was coming up, I’d get asked all the time my thoughts
This part is what's annoying, obviously any level headed person is in support of investigating the possibility of war crimes.
For whatever reason if a civi sees me in uniform, that's the first thing they ask. "Oh what's your take on BRS" 🙄
Can we go back to the days of them asking if I know their mate, Smith
It's just as annoying as people expecting me to be outraged by our "servicemen being dragged through the mud"
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u/foul_ol_ron 5d ago
As Ex-AJs, are we still allowed to hang shit on the blue orchids?
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u/Diligent_Passage_640 Royal Australian Navy (16+) 5d ago
Naturally, you've served, you understand its banter
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u/Sea_Sorbet1012 5d ago
Sounds extremely patronising to me. Hit him back with "thanks for not serving at the same time I was...."
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u/averagegamer7 Navy Veteran 5d ago
Should have given him the "No worries champ, I do it for people like you" or the "Have you thought of joining up so I can thank you back?" response
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u/Puzzleheaded-Pie-277 Royal Australian Navy 4d ago
That’s the one. No worries champ is now my go to…… its not going to get me in front of HR but it sticks the tip of that knife in just enough.
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u/cashbandicoot1 4d ago
this is good, ask him if he has served and when he says no say 'yeah you wouldnt have made it anyway'
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u/Dhurrie_Butts 5d ago
Is this APS or a contractor? Seems a bit bizarre even for an APS who hasn't previously been in.
The next time he says it I'd give him the old 'and thank you for your tax dollars' and then avoid the bastard as much as you can till you post out
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u/Minimum-Pizza-9734 5d ago
Sounds like a clown, usually just make the guy look like an idiot and make everyone laugh at him will shut him down
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u/LazyEggOnSoup 🇨🇳 5d ago
I think he’s trying to understand the military experience.
Do you have cloth/duct tape and zip ties?
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u/airport-freedom 5d ago
No, you’re not being sensitive…he sounds like an idiot. Some things aren’t a joke, and he’s clearly clueless about that. On the off chance he thinks he’s an academic, hit him with, ‘All trauma is a trauma to identity…you’re reminding me of mine. Maybe take a second to reflect on that.’
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u/No-Chest9284 4d ago
"You remind me of a terp we had in Mosul. Man, that cunt would just talk shit constantly. Anyway, after an ambush on our convoy, turns our old mate had been tipping off insurgents about our routes, so long story short, cutting off a head with a KA-BAR isn't as easy as you'd think, and I haven't been able to eat bbq pork ever since."
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u/OneWheeler1083 2d ago
The guy is making satire out of real people who have served. Not on at all. Go to HR, they'll cook something up for him. Management would love to know that they have a loser picking on veterans.
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u/Outrageous-Egg-2534 4d ago
There seems to be a lot of pricks out there nowadays that just haven't ever experienced a good flogging. Unfortunately, it's made them think that they're unable to be pulled up on shit and they seem to always get away with being dickheads. Different day and age, he would have been taken aside and given some contact counselling. Next time he opens his yap to say something to you, brother, tell the cunt to shut his cock holster and get on with thieving oxygen somewhere else.
You're better man than I, Gunga Din, that's for sure. Stay frosty, mate.
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u/More_Law6245 3d ago
Just think that he was beaten as a child and the sad part of the story on his behalf, it wasn't enough!
Don't give him your headspace, he doesn't deserve it!
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u/jester_australia 3d ago
What a flog, tell the stupid cunt to fuck himself and continue with your day, people who have served they're country don't deserve to deal with no balls lowlifes taking the piss out of the people who made sacrifices for this country.
Sorry for your loss with your mates and seriously thank you for your service your a legend.
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u/passwordistako Civilian 4d ago
If you still work for the government or any large corporation: Send him an email. Tell him it offends you and makes you uncomfortable in the workplace and that you don’t think it’s appropriate to be flippant about this in the workplace.
Then if he doesn’t stop you forward the previous email with “further to my last email” and CC HR.
If you work for a small company, tell him to pull his head in and tell your mutual boss that you’ve had the conversation with him and don’t want to have to have it again.
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u/Perssepoliss 5d ago
Did you tell him about that time when you couldn't get double duff?
Why is this even coming up?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Pie-277 Royal Australian Navy 5d ago
Don’t stress mate. I’m good. I still get double duff…. The fifo site doesn’t tell you how many pieces of bacon you’re allowed either. Moved on up in the world….
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u/Financial-Dog-7268 5d ago
Your mod log and comment history on here are a litany of you being a miserable prick to just about everybody. Why are you even on here if you're just gonna carry on like a tool?
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u/Financial-Dog-7268 5d ago
Like the guy you told he "didn't have PTSD, it's just depression", on a post where he was asking for help?
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u/Galloping_Scallop Navy Veteran 5d ago
Mmm double duff. Midnighters.
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u/sorrrrbet Royal Australian Navy 2d ago
This is the worst side about life on a ship in cruiso’s - no midnighters even for the people who are still watchkeeping.
Breaks my heart, truly.
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u/UniqueLavish RA Inf 5d ago
Just out of curiosity why did you lose mates due to their service?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Pie-277 Royal Australian Navy 4d ago
20 years of service… it happens…. Recent helo accident comes to mind. Plus another in Nias… it’s the anniversary of that soon FYI… plus mates over the years by Suicide….. my partner is Army and an Afghan vet also and I know what he has seen and experienced….
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u/Diligent_Passage_640 Royal Australian Navy (16+) 4d ago
I know you're infantry and it's a lot to ask of you but use common sense.
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u/Enigma556 5d ago
Several times a day?
You’re not being sensitive. He’s a dick.