In fact, second lieutenants were primary-school teachers. Sure, teachers with guns, but a platoon commander was, nonetheless, the guy who sorted out the working day for 30 men under his command, taught their lessons, helped them with their homework, sorted out their petty squabbles and put plasters on their knees when they fell over in the playground. Patrick Hennessey
About This Quote

In 1969, Christopher Hitchens was a second lieutenant in the British Army serving in Northern Ireland. He describes his experience in a book entitled 'The War We Never Fought,' in which he describes a typical day for a platoon commander. He says that the work of a platoon commander is hard to describe. It required a lot of daily effort and attention to detail. A platoon commander's duties included teaching lessons, helping with homework, sorting out petty squabbles between soldiers and getting plasters on knees when they fell over in the playground.

Source: The Junior Officers Reading Club: Killing Time And Fighting Wars

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