LT Molly

27 | ISFJ | Slytherin | Female | FL | US Army 1LT Military Intelligence | BA in History

[mollafer]

This is literally the perfect pillow for my office in the Army, as I am head of intelligence LOL

[rmsstevielol]

I really want to talk about how military family’s are treated. So first of all there are ALOT of stereotypes about soldiers, people who literally serve and put their lives at risk for our countries, for example All of them are poor. When schools find out that a child is from a military family they automatically put them down as a child who needs help buying things such as revision materials, school trip fees etc. At first glance this is a good thing right? But from experience, yes it’s good to get free stuff obviously however it’s extremely frustrating and embarrassing to both the actual family member who is in the army (my dad) and the child (me) because people think that you’re broke when your not.

Another thing is how do they know your parents wages, they assume that your military family member is just a little soldier who shoots guns when in reality there are a lot of different ranks that changes your wages for all they know they could be a captain. In general people who aren’t in a military family just do not care how they talk about the military and I think it needs to be talked about more, more children and teenagers need to be more respectful when talking about military and schools and government need to stop making military family’s into some poor helpless families who can’t pay for anything it’s insulting.

I’m saying this because of a situation that happened where dad asked me about revision sources and where he had to pay for them and so I asked my teacher and she told me I was a “premium kid” meaning I didn’t have to pay and it was because my dad was is a veteran and they didn’t even tell us. 🤭🤭

[meerawrites]

This!

Also, most of them these days are black or some other minority background and often coerced into the militia by the equivalent of bribing. Don’t get me started on the present day US militaries transphobia/biphobia/homophobia, and misogyny.

Then, they don’t even get fair treatment and fair wage for their service to x country.

It’s not condoning imperialism or colonialism to demand all armies treat their soldiers like people.

Obviously, the US, Europe at large, Canada and the UK have very different equally bad takes on this.

But, it’s possible to condemn colonialism (I do with a passion), and want all workers including those serving in the militias of the world to be treated better.

Disclaimer: I don’t go here, technically, I just read too much. @mollafer works in military intelligence though, should she like to speak on this. (No pressure).

[mollafer]

So I'm not from a military family, so I can't really speak on a lot of this. But at my unit, we do get a lot of donations (school supplies, food, etc) to give to our service members who may need them. It's not forced on them, just kinda take what you need if you need it. But generally, the opinion around the unit is positive towards the public who drop this stuff off. We know it's done out of kindness, at the end of the day.

I do believe that the salary in the Army can be kinda low, but I believe most people, military or not, would like to be paid more. My civilian job is working at a school, and I get paid more on a drill weekend than 2 weeks at work, so I'm pretty happy with my compensation, but I'm also saying this as an officer, not enlisted.

Some enlisted struggle, some don't. My specialist in my intelligence section makes more than $200k a year. So depending on their skills and background, a lot of them are doing quite well.

I've really enjoyed my experience in the military so far. There can be rough patches, but as a woman, I can say I've been treated better in the military than I have as a regular woman in the outside world. The men I work with show great respect to me, and admire me. One of my proudest moments was when my male specialist in my section came up to me and said he greatly respects my leadership style and appreciates how I treat him as a human being, because there's quite a few officers that don't treat their enlisted with the same respect.

But anyway, thanks @meerawrites for including me in this discussion! I hope my opinion contributed a little to the overall conversation :)

[mollafer]

Loving my American History wall! The gang's all here. We got Molly Pitcher, George Washington, and Nathan Hale! I'm just missing Ben, lol

[queerquaintrelle]

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[mollafer]

[mollafer]

Loving my American History wall! The gang's all here. We got Molly Pitcher, George Washington, and Nathan Hale! I'm just missing Ben, lol

[mollafer]

"The Birth of American Intelligence Operations" by Marc Wolfe

BEHOLD! Another amazing work of art I have been recently introduced to!

This scene portrays the final meeting of Nathan Hale and George Washington as they planned the mission Hale would ultimately be killed during. Being an MI officer, we train so that moments like these never happen again. Every decision we make, we keep the soldiers in mind who will be out there risking their lives for us. I know Ben Tallmadge felt this same duty, as he not only lost a fellow MI officer, but his best friend that day.

I received this painting as a gift for my recent graduation from Military Intelligence School in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. And along with this painting came a certificate of authenticity with a little history of the origin of this painting, which I will include below the cut :)

During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington, Commander in Chief of the United States Continental Army wrote, "The necessity of procuring good intelligence is apparent and need not be further urged..." Military Intelligence has since been an important part of Army operations in each of the nation's conflicts.

This scene depicts the planning for one of the first known U.S. Army intelligence missions. In September 1776, General George Washington, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knowlton, and Captain Nathan Hale met at Army headquarters in New York City to finalize the plan for CPT Hale's covert mission to Long Island to ascertain British Army movements and intentions.

Following the July 4th, 1776, U.S. Declaration of Independence, the New York campaign was critical to the newborn republic. After defeat at the Battle of Long Island in late August, General Washington needed to determine the location of a British invasion of Manhattan Island and one method to do so was to send a spy behind enemy lines. CPT Nathan Hale was the sole volunteer for this important but dangerous mission.

On September 1, 1776, General Washington organized "Knowlton's Rangers," the first Continental Army unit dedicated to tactical reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. During the Boston Campaign, LTC Knowlton served courageously at the battle of Bunker Hill and led the successful raid on Charlestown to capture British soldiers for questioning. Subsequently on September 16, 1776, during the Battle of Harlem Heights, LTC Knowlton commanded the reconnaissance force that found, engaged, and repulsed the initial British advance. After rejoining the fight later that day, LTC Knowlton was killed in action bravely leading his regiment in the American victory. The loss of this experienced, dynamic, and able leader impacted the young Continental Army. For his gallant exploits, leadership, and command of the first U.S. Army unit designed for intelligence operations, the MI Corps designated LTC Knowlton as its "MI Hero" in 1995. The Knowlton Award recognizes distinguished professionals who contribute significantly to the promotion of Army intelligence.

From Knowlton's Regiment, CPT Nathan Hale stepped forward to conduct intelligence missions against British forces on Long Island, ultimately giving his life for his country. A 21-year-old Yale College graduate and teacher, Nathan Hale had not seen action in the Boston or Long Island Campaigns and felt compelled to contribute to the Continental Army he had joined a year earlier. He saw this mission as a crucial opportunity to serve the patriotic cause. Thus, Nathan Hale dutifully volunteered to collect information against the British Army. According to a subordinate, CPT Hale met with General Washington on two occasions prior to departing. This scene portrays the final meeting.

Dressed in the guise of a school teacher, Nathan Hale crossed Long Island Sound from Connecticut and began his mission. After the British captured New York City, it was set ablaze under suspicious circumstances after midnight on September 21. The British immediately began to arrest local civilians for questioning. Nathan Hale was detained, found to have notes on the British Army, and immediately charged as a spy. According to the standards of the time, undercover spies were hanged as illegal combatants. Without a trial, Nathan Hale was executed on September 22, 1776. His last words were believed to be, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." Nathan Hale was the first American executed for conducting intelligence operations.

General George Washington's use and staunch advocacy of intelligence operations coupled with the distinguished service and sacrifice of LTC Knowlton and CPT Nathan Hale serve as a constant reminder to all MI Corps Soldiers of our significant heritage as well as the hazards of the Military Intelligence profession.

[mollafer]

Alright, guys! I got another awesome discovery to post (courtesy of my cousin...again)!

My cousin stayed at the Three Village Inn in Stony Brook. We actually drove past it in 2017 when I visited Setauket, but I never went inside. So my cousin just recently was staying there and sent me pics...the cottages are all named after members of the Culper Spy Ring!!!

She made sure to send me a pic of the Tallmadge cottages sign XD

But anyway, I thought this was too cute NOT to share. I want to stay here so badly! The pictures on Google of the place are beautiful! Have any of you fine Tumblr folk stayed here before?

[mollafer]

What if we kissed in the

Tallmadge Cottage Master Suite, 1 King Sofa Bed, View of Harbor**$285 weekdays???

haha, jk...unless

[mollafer]

Alright, guys! I got another awesome discovery to post (courtesy of my cousin...again)!

My cousin stayed at the Three Village Inn in Stony Brook. We actually drove past it in 2017 when I visited Setauket, but I never went inside. So my cousin just recently was staying there and sent me pics...the cottages are all named after members of the Culper Spy Ring!!!

She made sure to send me a pic of the Tallmadge cottages sign XD

But anyway, I thought this was too cute NOT to share. I want to stay here so badly! The pictures on Google of the place are beautiful! Have any of you fine Tumblr folk stayed here before?

[enchi-elm]

Caleb Brewster's signature, an evolution 1778-1780

We start off reasonable and professional, in a letter to Benjamin Tallmadge dated October 22, 1778:

Caleb Brewster Lieut

Source: Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw4.053_0566_0567/?sp=1

That's good, you know, pretty solid. Clean, neat, mindful of his military position. Then a bizarre and exciting change of pace in a letter to Benjamin Tallmadge dated February 26, 1779.

I am with respect yours [etc.?] Caleb Brewster

Source, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw4.056_0281_0284/?sp=4&st=image

Incredible. Diva. I'm amazed he found stable ground to write this on and enough time to compose two pages. The "B" should be framed and taught in calligraphy classes. In the same letter, he writes a "g" so effusive it bisects New York in the row below to land on "at".

Was it too much? Did he fly too close to the sun? Has he since grown more secure in his correspondence or is this him at his most confident? Either way, 18 months later we see a more subdued return to form in a letter to Benjamin Tallmadge dated August 18, 1780.

With respect your friend and Humble Servant Caleb Brewster

Source: Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw4.069_0709_0710/?sp=1

No flourishes, short lines-- in fact, a total lack of swoops throughout the entire letter. But he's become a friend! Aww. I wish I knew what Maj. Tallmadge had written in return.

Other things I have found out while doodling on the themes of Chapter 18 of Wind and Water and researching tangents,

Caleb and Ben owned land together (?!?!), purchased August 5, 1784: "The Middle of the Island Farm" in Brookhaven Twp. and four lots in Nocamack. (The source given, that I can't access, is this: Page 251 Loyalism in New York during the American Revolution by Alex C Flick PhD. Columbia Univ. Press, London 1901. Accessed Meehan-411 16 Jan 2020.)

Caleb's father's name was Benjamin, likely the reason his son was also called Benjamin (another son was named Daniel, for his grandfather). His first daughter was named after his mother, Sarah.

He had three half-sisters from his father's first or second wife? (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Brewster-1687) Except the birth dates make it seem like Caleb was somehow born between the last two? Someone messed up the geneology there, or we're talking bigamy.

[little-desi-historian]

I am dragging Ben’s signature cause I can. To be honest, he seems awfully pretentious, but mildly more self aware than his colleagues. For example: Alexander Hamilton, Charles Lee, La Marquis de Lafayette and Benedict Arnold. I could write an essay on Washington’s hypocrisy and also the Martha Washington and George Washington power couple. But, I think @beggars-opera and @sarahhillips are perfectly capable of doing that on their own.

I am, however poking gently at @onefail-at-atime, @mollafer, @my-deer-history, @tallmadgeandtea, @gracehosborn, & @18thcentury @nordleuchten should they like to comment.

[mollafer]

Ben is a Yale boy and he signs his letters like it XD

[mollafer]

I graduated Military Intelligence School

Well. About six years ago I made a post about wanting to be like Ben Tallmadge and become an intelligence officer. I completed four years of ROTC, I branched as military intelligence (MI) and I've been serving in the Florida National Guard for a little over two years now. I graduated intelligence school three days ago, and can now count myself among a select group of individuals that have been entrusted with the security of our nation and the preservation of our union. Who would've thought?

What's even crazier is that I've been working as a teaching assistant while being in the Guard, kinda like how Ben was a teacher before he was a soldier. Crazy to think how much our paths have intertwined.

And, just another update for fun, I got married in November 2022 to a field artillery officer. Kinda like my favorite female from history, Molly Pitcher. Life is funny sometimes, and it's cool to have Ben Tallmadge and Molly Pitcher as my guardian angels :)

If you take anything away from this post, I hope it's that you can achieve anything you put your mind too. I started off as a girl who wanted to be like Ben Tallmadge and couldn't do a push up, and now I'm a girl who is doing the SAME JOB as Ben Tallmadge and can do like 20 push ups XD anything is possible!

[mollafer]

Hi!! I’m a rising high school senior who’s thinking of enrolling in army ROTC in the future (I hope to work in military intelligence like you)! I was wondering if you might be willing to provide some insight into what your experience was like in ROTC, your career pathway into military intelligence, and any recommendations that you may have. Thank you sm :))

Love your blog, btw 💙💙

That's so sweet!!! I'd love to give some advice :) so ROTC is a fantastic program for joining the military. You'll make lifelong friends (I met my husband in ROTC) and you'll get PAID to go to college. Now, I'm not gonna say it's easy, cause it is NOT, but it is a worthwhile experience in my opinion. There's some long days, and ROTC focuses heavily on building up basic solider skills, so there's lots of tactics and basic infantry skills you will be learning (which wasn't a lot of fun imo, but it builds you up and makes you stronger). When I commissioned, I spoke with our National Guard liasson at my school, he made some phone calls, and got me my #1 choice for a job, which was military intelligence! I'm currently working as an intelligence officer now, and I love my job! It can be very heavy at times, knowing you're what stands between soldiers coming back home or being killed, but it feels awesome to be making a difference in the world. The Army is tough, but I would recommend trying it! The beauty of ROTC is that there is no commitment, until you sign a contract. So, you can be like me and do two years before you sign a contract just to test it out and see if you like it! But let me know if you have any specific questions, or if you just want to chat more :) thanks again for reaching out!

[mollafer]

Oh boy, here we go.

So my cousin sent me an article today about how the men that captured John Andre, (John Paulding, David Williams and Isaac Van Wart), were awarded by Congress, and one of their awards is going to be placed in a museum...

This article is wild!!!

It goes on, and on, and on about what great patriots they were, and even mentions a "Congressman" stood up and said they were cowboys and not patriots and didn't deserve a greater pension. This article doesn't name drop Ben Tallmadge once, but that's obviously who they were talking about.

In the last scene of Turn, you can see this moment, and I like the way they portrayed it. The men that captured Andre are not "patriots." They just so happened to stop Andre because they intended to rob him. And doing so, they found the plans to West Point and the rest is history. They did not go above and beyond the call of duty, they did not do it for noble reasons. They found him simply because they're greedy.

I think Ben Tallmadge would be rolling in his grave to see this man's award in a museum today alongside artifacts from true American heroes.

At the end of the article, it states the phrase written on the award, "Vincit Amor Patriae," meaning "Love of Country Conquers." These men clearly loved money more than their country, and should not be rewarded for something they did out of greed rather than true heroism.

Read the article, if you'd like, and tell me what you think. I agree that unsung heroes of the war should be acknowledged, but only when they are truly doing something for pure reasons and not selfish ones.

A personal update: I am one week away from graduating Intelligence School in Fort Huachuca, AZ. We just finished our culminating event, where we stayed in a tent for three days making battle plans and analyzing enemy intelligence to do so. I gave two briefs to the commander (like Ben would) and I maxed out the points and got the highest grade possible. Still trying to make Ben proud!

[mollafer]

Here are some pics from the Military Intelligence Museum at Fort Huachuca, Arizona! There was a video about Ben Tallmadge's life that you could watch in the museum, and they actually used clips from Turn in it!

I'm currently here attending a course in military intelligence for 16 weeks. Feels so crazy to think that about 5 years ago I was just a Ben Tallmadge fanatic, and now I'm literally in the same job as him, as a military intelligence officer. It's a difficult job, but definitely worth the hard work!

[manifestingwyntre]

Ben Tallmadge 

Here Comes The Boy

[mollafer]

This is all I've ever needed.

[mollafer]

Rewatching Turn for the millionth time...is it just me or does anyone else still get chills everytime they hear the theme song??? 🙋‍♀️

[mollafer]

Yesterday, I commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army and will be serving as a Military Intelligence Officer. I joined for my love of country and love of my favorite historical figure, the first military intelligence officer in American history, Benjamin Tallmadge. I hope that today I have made him proud. God bless America.

[mollafer]

Me: *enjoying Seth's episode of "Tiny House, Big Living"*

Me when Seth's girlfriend comes on screen:

[mollafer]

Question

“Did you know that in the US Army artillery units, the Saint Barbara award is given to Artillery Soldiers and the wives get the Molly Pitcher award? Not sure how long ago you wrote this, but you said you wanted to be a Soldier, it would be great if you become an artillery Officer.

I’m an old Artillery Retired First Sergeant. I love artillery history. Also saw the Turn episode and brought back memories when he said Molly Pitcher and she poured water on the Cannon!“

This is such an awesome submission! Thanks so much to whomever sent me this. As a matter of fact, my boyfriend is an artillery officer! He had never heard of this award at all, but that’s so cool! I’m commissioning in May but have yet to decide what branch I will be going into. Thanks again for sending this!