Prerogrative, property, & authority

Yesterday there was a big dust up in the FLE concerning what missions the Australians could have us do.

Originally it was a simple misunderstanding. The Australian captain that assigns us missions asked if we could provide another unit with two "flatracks" -- the things that a 20' container rests on. That wasn't a big deal -- we've got enough of those that it wouldn't be a problem.

It was only when he said I wouldn't need to provide crews with them that I found out he wanted the *trucks* carrying the flatracks. It was like asking for a taillight, and then once you get it, saying you wanted the car to be attached.

That sort of thing is beyond my authority, so when the field grade commander of the Australian unit called me in, I tried to explain to him that sort of thing's not within the intent of our presence here. I can't just sign over mission essential property to some other unit for several weeks without higher authorization.

Then it became an issue of him being able to task us. If we wouldn't sign over the trucks, he'd order us to provide the crews, too. I resisted this as well, saying it would mess up our time frame for redeployment -- we're supposed to pack up our containers soon, and whoever would be out won't be able to certify their boxes to customs.

But that didn't work, either -- if he couldn't task us, then what were we doing out here? I said the only orders I've seen were to provide a forward logistics element, but I've never seen anything defining relationship with the Australians.

In the end, I told him I'd get things ready and that I'd inform my commander of his decision; he said that unless he heard from my battalion commander the mission would go forward.

A short while afterward, my commander and the "officer, commanding" (what Australian Army calls company commanders) had a long discussion.

When that was over, the "sign over" option was off the table, but it still left the possibility of us sending out crews. However, the guys we were to go out with nixed that idea -- they didn't want outisde people they hadn't trained with potentially messing up their plan.

So in the end, all this conflict was for naught. And though it turns out we went with my plan after all -- no signover and no mission -- no one acknowledged that it really was the best one all along.

But hey, I'm just a lieutenant.