One year

...down, more than four and a half years to go. Oh well, I signed it myself, can't blame anyone. And it's not like I can honestly say I'd prefer any other job (though it's nowhere near perfect). My manager asked me today, the third time since we've met, what I think about management (well, he asked about offer school, but it's implied). My answer gets more negative with each try. I guess they're probing so I won't be able to say later that I didn't have the chance to say I'd wanted to. Being taken seriously and given more autonomy, authority and credit, together with the chance to see the big picture and talk on the same level with the important people, being able to make some important decisions - I think I'd like that. But the price - the exponential growth in headache, the tiresome interpersonal stuff. Responsibility for a software project - I think that I can shoulder, but God, I don't want to be some poor soul's CO. Time does of course change people, so maybe two years from now I might think I'm ready to try (that's when these decisions are made), but somehow I think I'll always prefer the technical side. And being an NCO is not such a big stigma outside of the service, I hear (or is that just wishful thinking?). Ah well, I guess I should make a decent corporal before I'm thinking about trying for lieutenant. On a completely different topic: Babylon5 r0x.