It’s important, when the plot calls for you to draw a large, angry Black man, not to make him look too much like Uncle Ruckus. At the same time, if ever anyone deserved to be drawn with a dash of hyperbole, it’s a Command Sergeant Major in the midst of calling some hapless SFC on the carpet over what exact shade of white the extra duty section painted his rocks or some shit. It’s also worth noting that he is in fact chewing out a white man, from a position of unquestioned authority. 20 years ago or so, when people were looking at the military with rose-colored glasses more so than today, some Republican — Colin Powell or Charles Krauthammer or someone — pointed out that the military was one of the few places in American life, even at that late date, where Black people routinely were in charge of large numbers of white people. Obviously those rose-colored glasses covered a lot, but there you have it. Pretty sure this is a realistic scene, at any rate, because this guy ticks all of the Command Sergeant Major boxes, viz:
o Is gigantic.*
o** Veteran of six wars.
o Mustard stain from Granada. Yes, Granada.
o Spent his whole career in 82nd ABD / 25th ID because HOOAH, now assigned to an ABCT and does not know what boresighting is, never mind that, look how many bricks I have in my ruck.
o Once broke three of Mike Tyson’s teeth in a bar fight in Mexico City in 1992.
o Promoted beyond his skill set, unsure of his role and unfireable except for gross misconduct, he chooses to focus his efforts on a handful of trivial pet peeves well within his understanding but irrelevant to unit performance.
o Photos on wall of him in LRS sniper section.
o Photo on desk of his estranged daughter from second marriage, taken ten years ago; she is now majoring in Gender and Women’s Studies at Oberlin.
o Does not swear because was brought up in podunk Southern town where cussin’ meant whoopin’.
o Therefore uses an extreme variety of minced oaths that are just as effective if not more so.
o Wants to know why the rocks are painted two different shades of white, and needs them fixed fast because in an hour the whole chain of command of everyone who missed a dental appointment is going to be in this office, too, and it’s not that big.
*OR is 95 lbs soaking wet and composed entirely of sinew.
** Command Sergeants Major will note that I correctly started my bullets with a lower-case “o.” I did not, however, start them with a lower case letter and a verb, because I graduated from high school. Fight me.