More re Badges, Stinkin', etc.

The saga continues: We thought we'd found a work-around to the badge problem -- you'll recall that I couldn't get a real embassy badge because of the "no citizenship, no clearance, no service" policy, so we drew blood from a rock and got a temporary pink badge of bureaucratic shame. But then when we went to get me a computer account (for intranet, confidential email, etc.), the IT office (a State contractor) informed us that temporary badge holders were not eligible for them.

So off to try to get a real badge again. This time I was accompanied by a high-ranking State official -- a lawyer, so, somewhat paradoxically, defying the rule that all State Dept. folks are... well, we don't like 'em. First we went and got the highest ranking protocol signature available to DoD personnel, that of the Commanding General's executive assistant. Not a problem at all. "He should definitely have [the appropriate level of embassy badge]," she said.

Then we trudged back to the badge office, where the prick manning the con was no doubt ecstatic to see me for the third time in less than 24 hours. even before we could present our case, he started shaking his head. The nice State lawyer beside me began explaining my case, and the aforementioned prick cut him off to explain that "I'll tell you the same thing I told the [naval] petty officer, and the [naval] commander -- and you could bring by a four-star general and I'd tell him the same thing." In other words, no dice.

At this point I lost it -- in a controlled manner, thinking I'd play bad cop to my escort's good. I didn't use any swear words or anything, but I made clear that the prick's attitude was simply inappropriate, and that I can't do my job -- which, of course, is helping save his ass --unless I get the little piece of plastic that's lower than the piece of plastic I already have from DoD (which required an undersecretary of defense's authorization while I was back at Fort Benning).

It didn't work, and we were left to make an appointment with Criminal Investigations. The office paralegal (a Navy enlisted man) had already submitted my "vetting request" -- the long form I spent several hours completing the day before -- to that office. So now we would see whether we could "speed up" the process.