'I was the one who actually did a lot of the work': New lieutenant embarrasses incompetent boss during important meeting after doing the bulk of the work

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 11, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing your incompetent boss embarrass himself in front of everyone.

This kind of scenario applies to virtually every industry, even the army. Here, we have a new lieutenant who was frequently tasked with enforcing unnecessary drills and tasks. On top of that nuisance, he was also doing the bulk of the work in preparation for an important presentation to the higher-ups. When this meeting finally happened, the lieutenant's direct report stumbled, struggled, and completely embarrassed himself. It became quite clear that he was attempting to take credit for work he himself did not do, something most young hires know all too well no matter where they are working. Ultimately, the new lieutenant stepped in and saved the day, which obviously was like rubbing salt in the wound for his boss.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. When you're done, check out this story about a recruiter who asked a job candidate to do unpaid work. 

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  • 01
    "Spent a year being boss's minion, then publicly showed him up in a meeting" 1915
    via Israel Palacio
  • 02
    This story happened about seven years ago and, ironically, wasn't even intentional. Here's the background:
    via karer3is
  • 03
    I reported to my first- ever unit in the Army Reserves 8 years ago. I was a newly-minted lieutenant and if I was any greener, I could've engaged in photosynthesis. To my
    via karer3is
  • 04
    dismay, it turned out he knew nothing about the MOS our very small unit specialized in and he didn't particularly care to either.
    via karer3is
  • 05
    Being the brand-new LT I was, I had no clue what I was doing and ended up being his little minion while I attempted to carry
    via karer3is
  • 06
    out/ enforce his directives. This meant I spent most drills exasperatedly trying to convince a bunch of seasoned soldiers why they should do a bunch of inane tasks that ultimately served no helpful purpose. As the
    via karer3is
  • 07
    cherry on top of the cake, the commander was also a particularly unpleasant character. He was very certain that he was a smart guy, but listening to him for any period of time
    via karer3is
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    would make it clear he wasn't. As if that wasn't enough, he was also the sort who liked to swing between trying to be "one of the guys" and "hey, guy, don't forget who you're talking to" when his feelings got hurt. This
    via karer3is
  • 09
    went on for about a year, during which time I attempted to learn my actual job from the guys in the unit.
    via karer3is
  • 10
    About a year after I first reported, we had a battalion training meeting about planning our annual rifle qualification range.
    via karer3is
  • 11
    For those who don't know, ranges like this are one of the most basic training functions that a unit can do and even a brand-new LT like myself
    via karer3is
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    should be able to plan one. However, instead of being involved in the planning process and doing some work, a lot of the work he should have been doing got shoved off on me.
    via karer3is
  • 13
    Fast forward to the meeting. All the other units on the call had given their reports before
    via karer3is
  • 14
    it came to us. We were in the room with a neighboring unit's command team. My commander took the hot seat and absolutely butchered the briefing.
    via karer3is
  • 15
    He was completely unprepared, had absolutely no idea where things stood, and completely stammered
    via karer3is
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    his way through. It was absolutely embarrassing to watch for everyone in the room and the awkwardness was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Finally,
    via karer3is
  • 17
    after what felt like an eternity, the battalion commander asked me to get the group up to speed. I (who hadn't spoken for the entire meeting) was a nervous wreck because I didn't have much experience with public speaking, but
    via karer3is
  • 18
    my notes saved me because, again, I was the one who actually did a lot of the work.
    via karer3is
  • 19
    I doubt he got in any real trouble, but it definitely destroyed any credibility he had left in the command. I still smile about that moment to this day when I think about it.
    via karer3is

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