Has your unit been taking advantage of the COVID situation, i.e. the complete state of disarray, in order to screw over soldiers?

2020-04-21T01:32:25-04:00

Just seeing where everyone else is at with this

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2020 2:18 AM

2020-04-21T02:18:36-04:00

Pretty hard to take advantage of a situation in which Big Army is controlling.

What is your definition of “taking advantage”?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2020 3:27 AM

2020-04-21T03:27:08-04:00

Your definition of "screwing over the Soldiers" is that health care providers are too busy to see Soldiers for non emergency care?
Across the entire country people are being told to stay out of the hospital, ER, and urgent care unless it's life threatening, but your issue is that there are not enough providers to write Soldiers profiles?

As for the APFT guidance there is no "interpretation". It very clearly states that the frequency is waived. It doesn't prevent commandersfrom administering APFTs, it doesn't give a passing APFT to Soldiers without one. All it says is that if your last APFT is passing, your commander is not required to give you another one within six months. It also states that Commanders are still responsible for maintaining physical fitness. If you believe you or your Soldier were tested in a manner that violates the policy, then talk to IG. If you believe you or your Soldiers are not receiving the proper medical care or profiles then try emailing the providers or the clinic NCOICs.
Your commander still has every right to conduct an APFT and they will continue to happen. In fact, your commander has responsibility to continue conducting APFTs for the Soldiers who previously failed and were flagged.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2020 5:51 AM

2020-04-21T05:51:00-04:00

While I applaud your concerns about your Soldiers, I expect better from Staff Sergeant. Have you taken your concerns up the NCO Support Chain or is lashing out on Social Media your solution here?

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Apr 21 at 2020 6:32 AM

2020-04-21T06:32:02-04:00

SSG, you are at the apex of Being a First line Supervisor, if there is an issue “Man Up” and take your concerns to the COC not us. Commands have an awesome responsibility on a normal day, keeping Soldiers Fit, trained and ready for combat didn’t go away with this crisis, in fact it amplifies. Figuring out the balance of readiness includes Family care as well. There will be mistakes and oversights, that’s is what you get paid to do, lead up, speak out, be professional and be heard. Don’t operate in fear and woe-is-me. So be the leader you expect them to be, or be part of the problem.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Apr 21 at 2020 7:53 AM

2020-04-21T07:53:31-04:00

Let me see if I can sum up.
1. Soldiers appear to have injuries.
2. You believe these injuries warrant physical profiles.
3. The medical community is unwilling or unable to issue profiles because they are too busy with COVID.
4. Commander is treating these Soldiers without profiles as if they.... don't have profiles.
Are any of the statements of fact above nonfactual or misleading? Just want to be sure we are on the same page.

If my summation is accurate, your gripe is with the medical community, not the unit or the Commander. The Commander cannot simply guess which Soldiers are injured, which are healthy, and which have little boo boos that they are overexaggerating. That is (part of) what the medical community does.
But they are too busy due to COVID, so your real gripe is with the pandemic. Guess what? JOIN THE REST OF THE WORLD.
I am in no way advocating for ignoring your Soldiers' supposed injuries. And if you feel that, in your expert medical opinion, an APFT will aggravate an existing injury, you owe it to the Soldier to sit down with the CDR (or with the PL, who will then sit down with the CDR) and work out a solution. Maybe Soldier takes and passes APFT and is allowed to recover after. Maybe Soldier is given 30 days extra before APFT to recover and then get back after it. Maybe Soldier is given 1 week to produce a profile and Commander schedules a single day for the unit to have a PA look at all the unit's aches and pains.

Bottom line is that your Soldiers don't have profiles and are being treated as such. If you feel that this is setting them up for failure, it is YOUR job, SSG, to find a solution. Quit bitching about the unit, and start being proactive.

Response by PO3 David Fries made Apr 21 at 2020 8:33 AM

2020-04-21T08:33:35-04:00

I guess this just illustrates how little I know about the military medical community outside of what I saw. I guess I’m just not seeing how an entire BAS/RAS/Clinic is too busy with COVID. Did they all get deployed to other areas leaving only minimal staff?

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2020 8:40 AM

2020-04-21T08:40:25-04:00

I've actually seen the opposite. I've seen a lot of innovation come out of the pandemic. The USAF is taking this as an opportunity to ask, "Why not!" and the boldly change antiquated processes that should have changed years ago. These changes seem to be giving Airmen back time and flexibility, allowing them to take better care of themselves and their families.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Apr 21 at 2020 9:37 AM

2020-04-21T09:37:27-04:00

⸮Only your soldiers. No one else is being affected⸮
To ensure that soldiers aren't being abused, as a SSG your should take care of your soldiers, but the proper venue is to bring it up to your PL (the Battle Leader) and the PSG (the Support Leader) as an issue that impacts unit readiness. Without involving them - no joy. If you have already done so commenting in here won't be able to change their minds. This is the wrong media, EXCEPT if you are asking a How-To execute question, and your comment doesn't rise to the level of something that cannot be handled at your unit.
Summary: Its about the unit Leadership doing their job.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2020 10:47 AM

2020-04-21T10:47:30-04:00

Shit. I'm doing everything I can...along with my Commander....to take care of my troops as best as possible. We're Reservists that can't move, so trying to come up with work to benefit ourselves, the unit, and the Army (and get paid for it)....while certainly "interesting," has forced us to think and work outside the box. If you want to see a definition of adaptability, look no further than a Reservist that can't attend Battle Assembly and has been furloughed from their civilian job.