Posted on Feb 11, 2022
Can a corporal in a team leader position have me do corrective action (“smoke” me)? And was I wrong to tell him to eat a bag of dicks?
110K
2.58K
553
694
694
0
We just got a new Corporal who recently reclassed to mortars. He’s highly motivated (hooah), and during a training event, we had a disagreement over how to perform large deflections. He told me to "drop," but the fire mission he was calling would’ve put us outside the safety fan during a live fire and could have potentially caused injuries to other elements participating in the exercise.
Now, I understand and respect his rank, but I’ve been a mortarman longer and currently serve as the Gun 2 gunner. The fact is—he was wrong. He just became an 11C, and when he wouldn’t listen to correction or reason, I told him (admittedly out of frustration) to eat a bag of d***s.
I’m curious to hear what others think—especially when it comes to situations where rank clashes with experience and safety is on the line.
Now, I understand and respect his rank, but I’ve been a mortarman longer and currently serve as the Gun 2 gunner. The fact is—he was wrong. He just became an 11C, and when he wouldn’t listen to correction or reason, I told him (admittedly out of frustration) to eat a bag of d***s.
I’m curious to hear what others think—especially when it comes to situations where rank clashes with experience and safety is on the line.
CPL
Corporal
11C: Indirect Fire Infantryman (Mortarman)
Edited 5 mo ago
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 358
0
0
0
0
0
0
Personally I've seen so many moments where other NCOs got overly zealous with power. Remember military isn't built with a bunch of people who understand the meaning of leadership, some our people who never possessed leadership qualities and find themselves power hungry. Yes like so many posted under the UCMJ you did wrong, but honestly how many that responded never did the same. I told a senior chief who was absolutely out of line during a combat mission to shove it. It's happens in moments. Learn to breath and remember not to be the type of leader like those awful ones around you, and hold your tongue we all do things that seem degrading when we are at the bottom of the chain.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
It’s training….I would have complied with what he asked, and if it failed, which according to you it probably would have, the CPL would have learned a valuable lesson in humility. But instead, you elected to be immature. Not everything requires an argument and you’re not always going to get your way
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
You acted poorly and unable to follow leadership. Definitely should be counseled and demoted. Its that bad attitude why NCOs have such an issue with the junior enlisted thinking they can say anything and get away with it. Not too long ago you would've had wall to wall counseling
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Yes he can but the reason better be sufficient if it's brought up with command.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
While SPC and Corporal are lateral ranks, the fact that he was in charge as a team leader indicates he is in charge and therefore may take corrective actions on you. And sounds like he should have. The disrespt you showed warants corrective action all by itself.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I don't know how it works in the mortar world but in the toad artillery world the gunner is second to the chief on the line
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I think that this is one of those moments I had. A Second Lt, new in, started to dig his bars into me. I just smiled, and said yes sir. The Lt Col took him aside later and had a arm to head talk to him.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I would have expected and given the same response, let him eat dicks. E-4 Mafia Rules! if the CPL was so Hooah he would have scored some more promotion points. HaHa.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
You’re wrong, period. Doesn’t matter if he pinned stripes an hour ago or a year ago. You hold the same pay grade but not the same rank, and he is in a leadership position, and also an NCO. Him being wrong in his call means exactly nothing, you’re training and the better option is to follow the order and pull him aside later for a private AAR. Knowing the type of units I served in, any NCO’s within earshot of you telling another NCO to “Eat a bag of dicks” in response to a lawful order would have been so far up your ass, this question wouldn’t even need to be asked.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google