Posted on Nov 7, 2021
How do I navigate through a situation regarding a soldier of mine who always misses work, and has been enabled to do so by a more senior NCO?
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I’m a SGT (soon to be SSG) and I need guidance on this, as it is the first time I’m dealing with this. The only reason I am reaching outside of my chain of command is because I feel like I have not gotten the support that I need from them on this issue. I’m currently responsible for the care and wellbeing of 3 soldiers: a CPL, SPC and a PFC. Currently, the SPC has been a challenge. Since joining our section, she has given a huge amount of issues or reasons to not be at work. She has rarely been at work. And I mean rarely. She never did PT with us either. This last month or so I’ve only seen her a handful of times, if that. And it’s always the same reasons or excuses every time: She has car issues, her son can’t go into daycare, her son has to be taken out of daycare, her husband can’t watch her son so she has to because they won’t accept him at daycare, she has appointments, her husbands car doesn’t work so she has to drive him, or he has to use her car, she has to take her son to the emergency room, her husband to the emergency room, her son, her husband, her car, and it repeats itself. It has gotten worse since she recently became pregnant. She wasn’t attending P3T. The whole time I was trying to do what an NCO should do: see if she needs help, recommend solutions, ask for appointment slips, provide guidance etc. I found out that my NCO (a SSG) has been enabling her to miss work, without question. And she has been going directly to him without informing me of anything because she knows that he will let her “handle what she needs to” without question. I had a talk about it with him multiple times. Nothing changed. I talked to two SFCs, and a MSG. Nothing has changed. Since my NCO has been on leave, and the rest of us in class for a month, she was told to “lay low” while we are in class. That’s not the right answer. I had a talk with him about it again and he acted like he was on my side. It isn’t fair to my other soldiers or anyone that she is getting away with missing work so often. And it has gotten to the point where my PFC asked if she PCS’d or something. It’s ridiculous. I have been asking her for appointment slips and profiles and i’ve counseled her twice for not being to work on time. And she pulls the “SSG told me” move. So what do I do or what can I do? Step on my leaderships toes? Go to my 1SG (who is on leave I believe)? SGM?
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Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 17
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Since you have talked to your nco, you have the right to council her and take it directly to the commander and have him deal with it. That will perk up the ears and she will no longer have the right to miss her assigned positions. I know this because it happened in my unit and this person ended up getting a discharge other then honorable. Let her know that this could happen to her if it does not cease and desist.
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Counseling statement and document, after that take it to the Senior NCO and if still nothing go to the 1SG/SGM with all documentation with dates times and even when the SSG gives her the ok
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You document everything...when you have documented that, you keep documenting. Hand carry all paperwork to the orderly room yourself, so it doesn't get lost.
Also, I would encourage you to have a witness to your counseling sessions. The SPC may well cry harassment or other impropriety.
Also, I would encourage you to have a witness to your counseling sessions. The SPC may well cry harassment or other impropriety.
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I would suggest counseling statement(s) and written record of who, what, when, where but if you don’t counsel your Soldiers for good and bad, you’ll have hard time later justifying disciplinary actions, awards or promotion potential. First sit down and come up with a statement of the good or bad actions, the military offense covering it, come up with a game plan of how the issues will be corrected then facilitate the Soldier to self correct by determining a logical and appropriate decision. If your Plt Sgt is letting it go without justification, one on one ask politely why. Counseling isn’t just for negative assessments. If want a Soldier to obey the rules, you have to let him in on the rules by counseling upon assignment then, make monthly or quarterly counseling assessments to kind of correct or applaud the Soldier’s good and/or bad issues and allow them to, with your helpful insight, determine their correct course of action or give them directed actions as needed. The more a Soldier knows at the beginning, the better they will be in the end. You can’t accidentally step on a landline if you know where it is. (With a few exceptions)
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Paper trail leasing to discharge. These people are supposed to actually have some SERVICE in their souls, and not just join for the “whats in it for them”.
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That's a tough one. I'm NOT saying it's justified in ANY way how your more senior NCO deals with her; but ... it may be that he's afraid of being accused of something or other. I've known NCO's like that. I had on on the opposite extreme ... the guy was laying for one of my soldiers, a WAC as they were called back in the day. Either way, it's not a good position to be put in.
I would simply document every discussion with either one of them. With her, have a witness present, ALWAYS; especially when counselling or questioning her. (Same with any subordinate who's a problem by the way.)
How does the unit handle OTHER miscreants ... that should be a telling guide on how you might approach the issues with the SSG and her. Again, if you havent' already been done so, document everything, BEFORE you jump up the chain. It would also be a telling point for you in regard to the counselling statements you've already done with her. What has happened to them. I used to copy my Plt Sgt AND Plt Ldr on any formal counselling.
I would simply document every discussion with either one of them. With her, have a witness present, ALWAYS; especially when counselling or questioning her. (Same with any subordinate who's a problem by the way.)
How does the unit handle OTHER miscreants ... that should be a telling guide on how you might approach the issues with the SSG and her. Again, if you havent' already been done so, document everything, BEFORE you jump up the chain. It would also be a telling point for you in regard to the counselling statements you've already done with her. What has happened to them. I used to copy my Plt Sgt AND Plt Ldr on any formal counselling.
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