5. 15 minutes prior to 15 minutes prior
An example of famous military quote “Shit rolls downhill.” Say a battalion commander wants an inspection performed at 07:00. That would require the battalion assembled at no later than 6:45. Company commanders would want to make sure to account for any potential stragglers and would issue an order to assemble at 6:30. Platoon leaders would change that to 6:15, just to be on the safe side. Their sergeants would assume 2nd LT in charge of a platoon is wrong as usual and would order everybody out at 6:00. Team leaders would add their 15 minutes and that is why you have to be assembled in full gear at half past four for an inspection that starts at seven o’clock. Each layer of command adds its own 15 minutes to the original order. Military families tend to function the same. If mom has announced that the dinner will be served at six, once the word gets passed through dad and older siblings, the youngest kid will be at the table at five, waiting impatiently for mac and cheese.
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