Do you believe counseling soldiers has better results than making them do PT?

I think a smoking instead of counseling can be beneficial if you let them know you are trying to save them from counseling. Explain the ramifications of multiple counseling statements. This won't work all but probably most. Since they got rid of smoking they gave the power to the privates.

And when they take our money or time it just pisses us off and 99% shitbag that much more

I agree I'm in ait and tbh we don't care about getting counseling because it don't follow you when you leave ait. And it's a joke it's so normal. They give counseling out like it's candy. So no one is scard. Now if they made us work it off I guarantee that it would be a different out come and I'm not talking about like 5 push-ups I mean getting smoked people would get more serious

After being broken down my entire cadre forgot that the most important part was to rebuild the broken. Had my cadre built me back up I wouldn't have felt the need to punch out one of my fellow cadets. This is why to this day I hate bullies. You're trying to build leaders instead you've built up an entire regiment of bullies trying to be the best on the battlefield and losing the battles. I sent at home now and I realize that I am two steps away from being a serial killer or committing suicide. But it ain't worth the price on my soul to do either one. Also there ain't no money in it. 9 weeks of my life trying to be a people pleaser and not one of the wanted the pleasure of being my friend. Sometimes you get more flys with shot than you do bees with honey.

The army needa to learn to band together at the top and say FUCK YOU to these politicians trying to run our military. That is like me trying to be in charge of a surgery. I dont know shit abouy any of it. There.

It may sound cruel but knowing a soldiers weakness is always the best way, if they hate PT smoke 'em if you got 'em, if they hate anything academic make them write a 1000 word essay (grammar must be correct), if they love their off time TA50 layout Saturday and/or Sunday morning. I always tried to keep things off paper, its the way I was raised up in the Army, "do you want the Pen or the Sword". When I got out in 2015 it seemed like everything needed to go on paper so we could work them up to Article 15 and then out of the Army.

I definitely agree we get counseling a for stuff tht could b settled in a smoke session .... I went to bct prepared to get the shit smoked out of me n all we got threatened with was counselings we only got smoked for the small things like talking or being late never for major things ...

I'm going to pipe in with the caveat that I got out in 1988. Cold war. We only did "counseling" as a last resort and to document why we were going to keel haul a bugger .. or write them up formally. Otherwise the old mule story was a good one to go by. You know. The kid going to buy a mule and the old timer says "great mule" but the kid couldn't get the mule to do anything. The old guy takes a 2x4 and hits the mule between the eyes. Then the mule did as he was told. Says to the kid "first you have to get his attention". Same with some people in the military. Whether it be scrubbing bilges or doing a gabillion pushups, first you have to get their attention. You can counsel while you are getting their attention. :)

Depends on the infraction. Corrective training is most effective when it directly addresses the issue it is used for.

The best results I’ve is when the SGT smoking the soldier is will to get down with him! Never ask for what you’re not willing to do yourself. If your soldiers are a representation of you and your training what do we see, do you have their loyalty will follow you without question? Have you taught them how to take care of their future soldiers by taking care of them. None this means less discipline but discipline is much easier to take from someone you know has your back and has earned your respect than from someone who thinks that respect is their due and those in lower ranks are for their use. Just as discipline is missing so is leadership. The role of a leader is the ultimate servant. The Commander is responsible for the wellbeing of all his troops. As President Truman said “The buck stops here.” Every leader no matter how small his team must realize his role is one of self-sacrifice. Where his personal wants and desires no longer matter. For a soldier the leader must balance the needs of the mission and the needs his soldiers so they are never at odds this is where employment of discipline must happen. Some equate discipline with punishment this couldn’t be further from the truth. A leader who uses discipline for punishment is no leader at all but a dictator and is ruining young soldiers. Thank you for reading an old SFC’ ramblings I am not the best but I have been blessed to have served beside the best