Posted on Nov 7, 2014
Disrespected while correcting a Soldier, how would you handle this situation?
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Ok so there I was at a court-martial asking a Soldier why he was wearing ACUs and not ASUs. He started to catch an attitude, so I told him to go to parade rest. He turned away from me looking at my paralegal, putting his hands in his pockets.
My paralegal tells him that he does not need to be looking at him, but at me, because I was the one addressing him, and that he needs to show respect. As the Soldier continues to stare out at my paralegal with his hands in his pockets, I continue to correct him when a civilian comes out to where I was correcting the Soldier stating that she had work to do and I could "yell" at him some other time.
I was so mind boggled and dumbfounded because said civilian used to be in the military. I'm sorry, but the last time I checked the Soldier was given a direct order by a CPT and myself that the duty uniform for the court-martial was ASUs and an alternate uniform had to be approved by the judge, so I was doing my job by asking him why he was in the wrong uniform and then correcting him when he began to disrespect me.
I felt so disrespected I just walked away and sat in a room to cool off.
How would you have handled the situation?
My paralegal tells him that he does not need to be looking at him, but at me, because I was the one addressing him, and that he needs to show respect. As the Soldier continues to stare out at my paralegal with his hands in his pockets, I continue to correct him when a civilian comes out to where I was correcting the Soldier stating that she had work to do and I could "yell" at him some other time.
I was so mind boggled and dumbfounded because said civilian used to be in the military. I'm sorry, but the last time I checked the Soldier was given a direct order by a CPT and myself that the duty uniform for the court-martial was ASUs and an alternate uniform had to be approved by the judge, so I was doing my job by asking him why he was in the wrong uniform and then correcting him when he began to disrespect me.
I felt so disrespected I just walked away and sat in a room to cool off.
How would you have handled the situation?
Disrespect
Civilians
Counseling
Edited 11 y ago
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 380
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I would have the Soldier to go to a different area and continue my professional counseling and informed the civilian to butt out without raising my voice. I would have fixed the Soldier and made sure he followed my orders. I have never had a problem handling soldiers
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Can you put him in confinement? A civilian judge, if someone showed up in improper attire, would cite the defendant for contempt and throw him in jail.
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I would have told the civilian to please butt out, this is a military issue. But I wouldn't have been yelling, just be assertive in voice and stature. Were you ranting and raving while correcting?
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U should have got his name,rank,unit and report it.Undermining the Officer Corp is dangerous 4 any military.Ur probably not the only Officer he's disrespected.
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I'm assuming that this court martial is bcos the soldier is in trouble. If that is the case I would let things take their course considering he appears to not care his future is at stake, And if the judge got on to me for the matter i would pokitely inform him that i took the steps i had to for the soldier to be in the right uniform and that he decided not to follow your order. Made your bed now lay in it.
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He is a Soldier and as such is held to military standards and is legally obligated to follow the lawfull orders of his superiors or be subjected to corrective action under UCMJ, ( which as a military lawyer you already know). A civilian has no authority to interfere with Military Discipline. And I am sorry, but you were addressing the soldier so your Paralegal should have remained quit and let you handle it. I think you would have taken the soldier to a private setting before you attempted any verbal corrections with this individual, (as it should be with all disciplinary correction). When you walked away, you as an Officer, gave that soldier everything he needed to continue his poor attitude and lack of Military Discipline.
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The fact that you were at the soldier's court martial should tell you everything you need to know. I wouldn't let it bother you. Sounds like they won't be in the Army much longer anyway.
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Assuming that it was not "your" court martial . . . . try starting with: "What unit are you with" and "Who is you 1SG", before you ask about the uniform. I would have told the civilian to pound dirt and beat feet; then informed the soon to be private to stand fast while I got ahold of is CSM. No reason to get emotionally evolved, just bring it to the attention of the Soldiers' Senior NCOs. They will handle the problem swiftly.
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SFC Arai Pooley
I wrote this assuming that you are an Officer. If you are not . . . you have deeper issues
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Proper response to the female interrupting the situation would be to ask if she was Pinocchio as she was sticking her nose into something that was none of her business. Admonishing her in a professional manner should embarrass her in front of a witness to back you up if needed.
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