‘You don't have any authority here': Military officer's wife tries to use her husband's rank to boss one of the soldiers around; it backfires

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Dec 15, 2023 7:00 PM EST

Serving in the military often gains you a lot of respect in the form of ogling eyes, desperately whispered 'Thank you's, and the occasional 'No man is a man until he has been a soldier' speech, usually given by people who never served a day in their life.

Many of the soldier's spouses take a lot of pride in the fact their partner is in the military, and I get it, I do, but I don't get when they take pride in themselves, as if they did the country a favor by marrying a person in the army. It's all hoohaa, look at me! My husband is so great, and by extension, that makes me great! No, it doesn't, ladies and gents! Better know your place.

The woman in this story earned her title as a Karen, actually, after everything she did to one of the poor soldiers who was, at the time, serving under her husband's rank. She basically stormed into the office the soldier, OP, was working at and unleashed her demands. After stuttering a bit, the soldier went to call her superior, who put an end to all the nonsense Karen brought with her. Scroll down to read all about it, and then for more stories like this one, check out this inconsiderate husband who bought his wife a vacuum cleaner for Christmas.

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    You Want Me To Get The Attention Of Your Husband's CO? It's Your Funeral! MOC So over the past few days, I've become friends with a retired Army officer that I'll call Belle. She's been delighting me with
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    stories of her service and she shared this wonderful story that I think you all will enjoy. Names and some details have been changed to protect the innocent. Belle was a young 2nd LT at her first posting. As she put it, "my college diploma hadn't even arrived in the mail and I was scared as 1." Fortunately, she
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    got on the NCOS' good side and settled in pretty nicely. One afternoon, she was at work when in storms an officer's wife, "looking like she was in the mood to cause .....". Belle keeps her head down, trying to stay busy when she hears the dreaded words.
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    "I'm talking to you, soldier." Belle looked up and saw the woman (let's call her Karen because why not), standing in front of her. "Can I help you, ma'am?" Belle asked.
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    "Yeah. I'm Major McImSOImportant's Wife and I need to speak to Colonel Stone." "Do you have an appointment? He's busy." Belle asked. "Just go get him. I'll stand right here until you do."
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    Belle looks around, wondering what the she's supposed to do. She didn't want to risk her job because Colonel Stone was known around the base for having a fierce temper. "I'll have you knocked back down to Private if you don't do as I say!" Karen shouts. "Now move!"
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    Wanting to get away, Belle got up and walked towards the Colonel's office, intending to get away for a long enough coffee break that Karen will forget. When she looked back, she sees Karen is watching her like a hawk, so there goes that plan. Colonel Stone's door is closed and Belle knocks on the door.
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    "Yes?!" Colonel Stone barked. "Sir. It's 2nd LT Belle Smith." She said. "Come in." Belle opens the door, does the customary salute and he immediately notices how nervous she is. "What is it?"
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    "Major McImSoImportant's wife is here and she wants to speak to you." Belle said, her voice squeaking. "Does she have an appointment?" "She just said to go get you and she wouldn't leave until you saw her."
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    "I see. Did she threaten to knock you down to Private?" "She did." Colonel Stone nodded and then said in a voice that scared Belle. "Send her in."
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    Belle salutes and then goes back to Karen. Karen looks absolutely smug. "He'll see you now." Belle said. "See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Karen said, strolling over to the Colonel's office.
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    It's at this point that a First Sergeant named Sanders comes in. He just sits down and as the office door closes, he counts down in a low voice "Three...Two...One..." "WHAT THE WERE YOU THINKING?!" Colonel Stone shouted. For a good five minutes, he proceeded to tear Karen a
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    , telling her that she *isn't* permitted to wear her husband's rank and that if she tries pulling anything like that ever again, HER husband will be busted down to Private faster than he could sneeze. new
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    Karen left the office "like a bat out of ", white as a sheet and quaking. Belle never saw her again but she and the Major got divorced shortly afterwards. According to Belle, "he realized what a liability she'd be to his career."
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    SailingSpark 10 hr. ago As a Navy brat, I have heard all about spouses assuming their husband's rank. "dependapotomus" is one of the nicer things I have heard them called. 4 Vote Vote Reply Share
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    azzaranda 10 hr. ago Steve Irwin's voice: Ah, today I see that we've come across a dependapotamus in her natural habitat..." Vote Reply Share
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    3lm1Ster 10 hr. ago · edited 8 hr. ago Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. There are WAY TOO MANY officer's wife's that have the mistaken belief that they have the same rank and authority as their husbands. Vote Reply Share
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    Miranova82 10 hr. ago "Control your dependents" was a very common phrase when my husband was in! Looks like the Major controlled her straight out of dependapotomus-land, probably after a dressing down by the Colonol and hearing said phrase!
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    Professional-Spare13 8 hr. ago When we moved to one Navy installation, I was 13, my sister was 8 and the twins were 3. My mom had taken my sister and the twins to the pool one day when the CO's wife walked by and commented that my brother's hair "isn't regulation." My
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    mom looked at her then back down to the twins and told her, "Well, my husband is in the Navy, but my 3-year old son is not." She didn't get my brother's hair cut for 3 more months. Loved my mom's spine! 4 Vote Reply Share
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    Profreadsalot 10 hr. ago It would have been ..... and unprofessional for the person with credentials to behave this way, let alone someone without them. Thank goodness for divorce.
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    sf3p0x1 10 hr. ago Always fun to read stories of military spouses learning just how the military works. Vote Reply Share
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marriage sergeant malicious compliance Colonel private military wife workplace stories reddit military ranking Office soldiers warrant officer army service malicious compliance reddit
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