“I Guess He’s Normal”

We had one final hurdle to pass before receiving our commission. That was a review board of field grade officers. Each candidate goes in one at a time to answer questions from the board with no prior knowledge of what might be asked.

In my case, following the requisite salute, I was told to sit and a stern looking major said, “Do you smoke?”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“Drink?”

“Socially, sir,” I hesitated.

“Go with girls?”

“When available, yes, sir!” I answered.

The major looked at the other officers around the table and grinned. “I guess he’s normal.”

It was their way of relaxing the candidates, I guess.

The questions they asked were more or less rhetorical and a specific answer was not expected. One was judged on his reasoning process. The only question I remember was one about a swimming pool situation. I was told I was a lifeguard at an army post with only two people in the pool. One was the base commander’s wife and the other was a private.

Both swimmers go under at the same time, apparently in trouble. Which one do you save? There is no right answer, of course, but I made an attempt by saying I would go to the closest one and get to the other as quickly as possible.