Episode 39: Officers Only
Hawkeye: Hey, Henry! Bone-picking time…What about the
officers’ club?
Trapper: Henry, the place is restricted.
Henry: That’s not true. Any officer, regardless of race,
colour or creed can go there and get bombed out of
his skull.
Hawkeye: Come on Henry, it’s not fair. All the enlisted guys are very disgruntled.
Henry: Look, I can’t be responsible for anybody’s “gruntlement.” General Mitchell, out of the kindness of his gratitude, gave us this marvellous club…
Trapper: That place is so un-us…Henry look, if we can get enough officers to agree with us, will you throw the club open for everybody?
Henry: Yeah, sure. If you can swing it, fine. Ok?
General Mitchell visits the 4077 and rewards them with a new Officers’ Club in appreciation for their care of his son. When the Officers’ Club creates dissention in the camp among the enlisted men who are excluded, Hawkeye and Trapper devise a plan to lift the restriction.
There is something embedded deep within the Australian psyche that rebels against inequality in society. While we understand lines of authority in the work place we don’t like being treated unfairly and have little tolerance for leaders and managers who exist in ivory towers. Whether this cultural value is fundamentally driven by a love of justice or a hatred of superiority is open for debate. It is, however, reflective of a biblical value taught by Paul who addresses religious superiority in the church – “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Leaders who wield their power lightly, treat their followers fairly and engage in authentic relationships earn the trust and respect of those they seek to lead.
