OldGuy

Well, I dont know if my GT3 days are over, maybe even my owning a 911 days are over. But in addition to my deteriorating back, I got a new supervisor 3 years ago who had just been passed over again for O-6 so he got bounced and picked up as a civilian, and as soon as he got here he started running his group like boot camp.
His first target was me, after 25 years of a spotless record he goes after me mostly because of my back problems. It was REALLY unusual because he was a 2nd level supervisor. Those guys are rarely in contact with the line engineers. But I guess he didnt have enough to do.
So after butting heads with him for two years my Dr. told me I was headed for a heart attack or a stroke, given my back problems. He told me to get out, that my job wasnt worth my life. Well I loved working for the Navy warfighter and especially designing tools for the SEALs. But I put in my paper work and got the official note today in the mail. After 8 months of not knowing what the deal was I FINALLY Got my walking papers today. Its weird feeling given how long and hard I worked to get where I was. I scrimped and crawled to get my degree. Coming from a family with no money, so off the the AirForce for 4 years, then 6 years of making minimum wage working my way through college, then getting a great job, which came to a unceremonious end.
If you ever thought management is beholden to rules and regulations or reprisal you are sadly mistaken. I was really disappointed in how much unilateral power a supervisor can have to make your life miserable, even if its already miserable because of your health issues. There are some evil people in this world, even on our side.
So I walk through the doors having a great career behind me, and that idiot can take that away from me. So I look forward to the future and doing what I did before but on my own terms with my own firm. So we will see how it goes. I really deserve a good 2012 after last year. But I look forward to it with great enthusiasm.
Its almost like being an old athlete, if you stay technical, you get more and more management who dont like you because of your expertise. If they have a program and things are amiss the older technical people are less likely to gloss over your rough spots, where younger guys are easier to bully around. I think the last straw was because of my national reputation I was able to carve out my own work by getting funding from an outside source (Air Force) so I had very little reason to report to my first level supervisor much less listen to this 2nd level guy. He really hated not having control and went about wrecking our program, using arcane military rules. So I gave up on my Dr. orders. I hated that but like he said it wasnt worth it.
So now I am a free man. The pension is kinda small but wifey is still working and so we are OK. But Not like it used to be. Hopefully our new stuff will work out and I can do more good than I did before.
Boy that part of my life went fast!!!!

Regards Guys!!!

dsu*

All the best to you and your family OG. Although I'm not in the position to give advice or comment on anything due to my age/inexperience, one thing my parents have always reminded me of is "Health and Happiness is more important than anything in the world".

keep us updated on your New STUFF. Good luck

lopro

man I feel bad for you, your story sounds ruf right now, I think in time you will find that when one door closes another one opens/ I was involved in a bad accident and my job is no more. i spent my whole life trying to get where I was an as soon as I made it there I was blindsided by a truck and now i cant work. My back is rough but its going to get better and i know the doctors are trying their best to help me out. There is government assistance for these kinds of situations and Im sure your a clever man who can make something from scratch. having a computor these days can go a long way in this world. Sometimes when you hit rock bottom the only way you can go is up. times may seem grim, I know in a few months or little while down the line you will find that if you stick to your guns (not literally) and keep your head high you will make it all work out. you said your pension will help, your lady is working still and things will work out. I only took the time to write this because I want to try to brighten up the situation. Just trying to zero down and minimize what your needs are. the price of 930's an 996 is so fair that im sure most anyone can afford to remain a porsche fiend.
Give it a bit of time and remain positive with the thought that you dont have to deal with that boss anymore.
you are your own man. your free.

good luck bud and keep your head up. good luck.

chardonet

Paul: Didn't know how bad things have gotten professionally for you this past year. Good luck in your future endeavours, and hope to see you here more often now!

OldGuy

Hey dont worry about me too much, a friend of mine in here and I have formed our own firm. We are squarely on the path to be largely successful, I hope. A key milestone is coming up.
But when you combine that and almost losing my son last summer it was the worst year of my life.
So the way I look at it, 2012 HAS to be a bright year for me and the misses. Things happen for a reason and I was lucky to have a friend here who had the foresight and the vision to get other things going.
What took me 2-3 years in the Navy is taking me 5-6 months now. So if all goes well, then it will be 10 times brighter than staying in that job.
This guy was bad. Just to give you an example, when I came back from my first surgery and returned to work, he put me on Leave without pay, Just because I went to go work where I wanted and not where he told me to go. I found out when I got bounced payments on bills that were automatically paid. He was evil. Took 2 months to get my pay back.
Typically engineers go work where they want here, not where some washed up officer tells you to go. But he sure used all his tools legal and otherwise. That particular move was illegal and he suffered not one bit for it.

Jamie140

Best of luck!!

mooty

micro managers have small *****.
i dont know how navy works, but he would have been kicked out by most HR in big firms.

gstahl

I am thinking a year from now you will look back at retiring as a fantastic move allowing you to be your own boss and run circles around the organization this guy runs. Good luck, you will do fantastic.

2K7TTMIA

Karma baby, karma..... GL OG.

spare tire

Good luck to you Paul. When people complain about our U.S. economy problems and the like, it is decision makers like this that are a big part of the problem. Skill and ability take second place to boot licking. Politics above and in lieu of the highest level of engineering and product excelance.

spare tire

Karma is a pipe dream. The damage caused by a few toadies harms many and all before the demise of the F*&^er.

stevecolletti

To the government (and navy is worst of the DoD), technical people are 'necessary evils' that are (irregardless of experience, knowledge and skills) completely interchangeable/replaceable with any other technical person.

Good luck, Paul. I'm betting that you'll be happier and better off away from them.

Nordschleife

and micro manageresses have ...... (I gave up after the first five suggestions were too rude)

I sympathise, I'm trying to teach micro managers to let go a bit (I never realised about all their OTHER problems)

Good luck to you Paul and enjoy some amber liquid

R+C

lopro

it will all turn around, just keep your head up and stay positive on your next mission.

fjpdds

Best of luck. Do have a great 2012!