"No" means "No"

A little background here: The former Theater Security Officer, a Belgian dude, for the past 4 years quit about a week and a half ago. He was responsible for ordering and distributing security badges around the country to the various commands. Well, he didn't go by the rules and would just hand them out and order whenever and not keep track. In comes American as Senior TSO and me here at the next lower level. We do things by the book. Old dude didn't leave very many badges and, oops, didn't reorder. So all the commands are going nuts because of change overs and needing badges and they have to go through me now to request and receive these stinking badges. Since I haven't got any from TSO (waiting for emergency order to arrive), I have been saying "No you will get them when I get some to hand out." Literally over 20 emails and they still don't get it.

Well, a couple of our allies who happen to speak Italian and Turkish (hope I'm not giving the nationalities away) don't understand the word "No." So in the past week I have had a Turkish speaking allie show up asking for badges (after being told at least a couple dozen times I don't have any) and then today an Italian speaking dude who had supposedly flown up here for a meeting shows up saying he was there to pick up badges. I told him,"Have a nice flight back." (see I can be politically polite). He then asked if he could come by at 8am tomorrow before his flight departs to pick up badges. By this time I'm just a little frustrated so I relent to make him happy and say "Sure." I don't go in until about 9 or 10 on Sundays so I guess he won't be too happy on his flight back. "Ciao Bello!"

Yep, I think when I pick up badges from the TSO tomorrow afternoon I'll send them out to the Germans first...I should be an ambassador.