SECOND lieutenants, called “butter bars” because of the single gold bar they wear as an insignia of rank, often are given the most menial of jobs, tasks that must be done by officers but that higher-ranking officers would not deign to perform. This is particularly true for second lieutenants about to begin flight training. These young men believe they are Godlike beings, and to nonrated officers they are not only insufferable but will grow more so once they complete flight training and pin silver wings over their left-breast pocket. If there is any group on Earth with healthier egos than
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