Posted on Aug 3, 2014
Should Corporals be excluded from detail and "smoke" soldiers?
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There is a CPL in my company I've known for 4 years now, he came prior service from Marines after 2 tours to the Army Reserve. He's been a CPL for 2 years and thinks he's immune to detail and can issue everyone else a task without having to do anything himself. He's not a jerk about it, just honestly doesn't care or give a hoot.
I understand he is a Junior-NCO and outranks me to an extent as I'm a SPC. But I've got WLC and other classes under my belt and he failed WLC (push ups for APFT, otherwise he would have passed I'm sure), he's got deployment and a year more service than I, I've got leadership experience longer (I was his squad leader).
Is he capable of giving details to everyone and not having to do one himself? Also if he tells someone to drop (and they deserve to be) ought they to listen and be "smoked?"
ps we're Horizontal Engineer Reserves, no Active Duty here
I understand he is a Junior-NCO and outranks me to an extent as I'm a SPC. But I've got WLC and other classes under my belt and he failed WLC (push ups for APFT, otherwise he would have passed I'm sure), he's got deployment and a year more service than I, I've got leadership experience longer (I was his squad leader).
Is he capable of giving details to everyone and not having to do one himself? Also if he tells someone to drop (and they deserve to be) ought they to listen and be "smoked?"
ps we're Horizontal Engineer Reserves, no Active Duty here
Rank
Smoking
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 17
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One of my favorite stories:
During the Revolutionary War, there was a Corporal that was in charge of a group of soldiers and their task was to build a tall rampart of logs. To complete this task, the Corporal would yell at his soldiers to get the job done without providing any physical labor himself. The soldiers pushed all they could, but lacked the man power to lift the logs into place, but the Corporal would not let up and kept yelling at them.
There was another soldier off in the distance that ran up to assist his brothers and finally gets the logs into place. Before the soldiers could thank him, he asked to the Corporal why he didn't help. The Corporal told him, “I am a Corporal!”
The soldier opened up his coat revealing his uniform, “The next time you have a log too heavy for your men to lift, send for me!”, said General Washington
During the Revolutionary War, there was a Corporal that was in charge of a group of soldiers and their task was to build a tall rampart of logs. To complete this task, the Corporal would yell at his soldiers to get the job done without providing any physical labor himself. The soldiers pushed all they could, but lacked the man power to lift the logs into place, but the Corporal would not let up and kept yelling at them.
There was another soldier off in the distance that ran up to assist his brothers and finally gets the logs into place. Before the soldiers could thank him, he asked to the Corporal why he didn't help. The Corporal told him, “I am a Corporal!”
The soldier opened up his coat revealing his uniform, “The next time you have a log too heavy for your men to lift, send for me!”, said General Washington
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What SSG Decker said. Corporals should be doing detail like everyone else but could be used as a WORKING leader. No slackers wanted. When I was a Corporal, I had an E-5 Squad Leader that almost made me volunteer for VN before OCS. I got him back when he showed up in my unit as an E-6...... I was a Captain. Bwahahahaha! ;-)
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No, CPL's shouldn't be excluded from details whether working or placed in charge of the detail. Regarding the above and his attitude, I recommend speaking to your Squad Leader about the issue.
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CPT (Join to see)
Follow SSG (Join to see)'s advice, and please know that I am not making light of your situation, but it totally reminds me of the time that my daughter got in trouble with her camp counselor for insisting on referring to the other kids as "her platoon." She was 7.
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
SSG Andres Redondo and CPT Ann Wolfer. Thanks for your insight. The CPL is a good guy and means well, just aching to get back to the Marines and go OCS. Well my packet is in and I'm sure to be promoted, he won't be escaping details for much longer.
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CPT (Join to see)
That's the spirit! I think one of the best indicators of whether or not a person will be successful is whether he/she is beaten by his/her difficulties or motivated by them.
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