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

Applying mental and physical pressure prepares soldiers for what will come whether it be life or combat

Well said

The Army is to Rank heavy. To many Junior Officer don't know how to lead, and don't relay on senior Sgts to show them the in and outs of leadership. Unlike the Marine Corps everyone in the Army is Sgt, not by rank such as SSgt. Sgt1sr class and so on. Years of service and a number of steps it took to get to that ranks one has is just as important as that gold bar. When it takes the rank of Cpl or Sgt in the Marine Corps to be an Squard leader, and the Army has SSgts doing the same job. Something is wrong with that picture, Sgt is a E5 in the Marines is as it is in the Army, an SSgt E6 is a Plt Sgt in the Marines as it should be in the Army. E7, E8,and E9 should be the same in both services.

Why one-size-fits-all? Allow NCOs to use the disciplinary method that fits the situation. Some soldiers respond best to sharp verbal correction, others to 1) pushups, 2) running or walking off, 3) counseling, etc. 2nd and 3rd offenses can also vary. Allow at least our senior NCOs to use their judgement to correct soldiers!

I can’t disagree with you on that. I saw a SGM smoke a private the other day. Hadn’t seen that in a while.

Hmm, another interesting question. There are some that can take the counseling and do better, and there are those that can’t or won’t. The ones that can’t or won’t deem the PT. My drill instructor once said, “ Be smart or be dumb. Your choice. If you choose to be dumb, make sure your strong, cause you will have your butt wore out.”

PT is necessary for both discipline and ensuring we have a healthy military. There is nothing else to say beyond that.

Counselling military members will either have a positive or negative effect on those being counselled. A military supervisor or squad leader must use counselling for both discipiline and recogizing accomplishments of those under their leadership. PT is done by every one and never be used as a punishment. But that's the role some leaders feel must be used for discipilining those men/women who don't perform up to standards. But then it is up to the individual to decide if they want to really improve themselves or not.

I think its a double edged sword. It's dangerous to resort to counseling over remedial PT, as well as forcing a troop to do remedial PT. As a leader I think it's important to look at totality of the circumstances. For example... I've weighed around 240 since 2008. I failed height and weight constantly. At one point I was on a strict diet that left me constantly hungry, with little energy and I was doing remedial PT. I didn't lose an ounce. I was miserable and humiliated. I was counseled, flagged from promotions and advancement. I worked my ass off. My PSG finally noticed how hungry I was and how my morale tanked, that he told me to go to Burger King. I ate like a hog and still didn't gain an ounce. Now 10 years later I've maintained my weight around 5 lbs.
My only caution would be, if you counsel a troop, closely monitor if the troop is complying with the orders and if so what are the results? Are they working their asses off or just gaming? Are you doing PT with them? Are you inspiring them or humiliating them? Today I have zero desire to PT, I'd been humiliated enough over 18 years.

Counseling statements are very effective when there is a predictable much stronger outcome for the following similar offenses. Rather than writing statements with a view toward separation, write them with a view toward court-martial. Let them know that their actions can be punished by time in a federal prison with a federal felony hanging onto them like a baby monkey for the rest of their life.. There is nothing more effective than the thought that they could end up in Camp Lajune being ordered around by a bunch of Marine Corp privates.

In addition to writing that first statement, which is done even to record that verbal warning given when you first notice a pattern of misconduct developing, make sure there is at least two weeks of corrective training attached to each one including the very first one. I’m talking about actual training that’s effective.. Yes, you have to supervise the training by checking on their progress and making sure they are actively training rather than passing the buck to staff duty or whomever else. But, when you have someone that does something like violating a Commanders order to be in proper uniform (This is how you make AR 670-1 punitive, by the way.), you have them report to you at the unit wearing whichever uniform or combination of uniforms that you decide. It can be a mix of any of the uniforms. The corrective training isn’t actually about the uniform. It’s about following orders. The commander designates the uniform in writing on the unit training calendar. That’s a written order by the commander.

Counseling statements wth this type of view toward severe punishment in the future work well. After that first Soldier gets court-martialed, the other ones will start seeing that you’re not fooling around and things get real for them quickly.