How do you end Good ol boy club?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 00:49:57 -0500

What’s the best way to stop a good ol boys club when it’s from the PSG all the way down to team leads?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2019 1:19 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 01:19:35 -0500

Ask each of them to show what AR covers “Good ‘Ol Boy Clubs”. If they fail to do so, inform them that as it isn’t a prescribed Army activity, it needs to stop.
If it continues, speak with the 1SG immediately, and let him/her know that an unauthorized networking activity is happening in his/her Company.

Good luck

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Mar 10 at 2019 5:21 AM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 05:21:25 -0400

You don't. You can't stop people from having friends.

That being said, if you can show a bona fide case of discrimination then you can bring that up the chain.

But before ANY of that, maybe just sit down with your first line and let him/her know that you feel like you are on the outside looking in and would like to be a full member of the team.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Mar 10 at 2019 8:14 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 08:14:25 -0400

Look, most Guard and Reserve have a different type of relationship based on the nature of their service. While I do not ascribe to the GOBC, as long as it is not impacting the units readiness posture and relationships are not being abused professionally then just ignore it. If it is rampant and effecting the organization, speak to the most senior person you trust that is not in the group. Thank you for your service.

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Mar 10 at 2019 9:39 AM

LTC Eugene Chu — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 09:39:16 -0400

Consider transferring to a different unit. It is hard to end civilian or military cronyism if you do not have a strong reputation or political support. A fresh start in a different place may work if toxic leadership in current platoon is that bad...

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Mar 10 at 2019 11:15 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 11:15:39 -0400

Really hard, I saw a USAR unit where the Commander and 1/2 the unit worked together in his business stateside. Caused many problems

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2019 11:28 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 11:28:19 -0400

GOBC exists to some degree in every Guard and Reserve formation, partly because MDAYs/TPUs can stay in the same organization for far too long.
If the GOBC causes a problem that is a legitimate EO issue, or violates any established regulation or policy, then you address it through the chain of command, and if that is ineffective, you take that complaint to EO or IG as applicable.
If the only problem is that the GOBC is annoying, find a different unit where the GOBC is less annoying.

Response by 1SG Steven Imerman made Mar 10 at 2019 12:08 PM

1SG Steven Imerman — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 12:08:10 -0400

Talk, starting at the top end. I was in a unit deployment to a new kaserne in Germany as part of the Brigade '75 thing. Our battalion had been frozen (you had to reenlist or leave the service to get out) for years due to ongoing company sized 6 month TDY rotations before the final deployment. Upshot- lots of us had known each other and worked together for years, in many cases 3-4 years, then mass deployed to Germany. New people coming in to the unit called us "The Family" and saw us as the ultimate good old boys network. Actually, we had just worked together so close and so long we didn't have to talk about a lot of stuff. Once the problem surfaced we encouraged the f'nuggies to TALK to us, and TALK, and TALK some more. We did not mean to shut them out, sometimes it just happens.

So...., TALK to them.

Response by SFC Christopher Taggart made Mar 10 at 2019 7:13 PM

SFC Christopher Taggart — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 19:13:33 -0400

Not a whole lot you can do, especially IF you're the outsider. I had a similar situation with the group I joined in Iraq. The unit had come from Arkansas and I was from South Carolina. I could do no right, in their eyes. I even had a Specialist that was friends with the Sergeant Major, probably in more ways than one. She asked me to do certain jobs, that she probably wouldn’t give to others or do herself, because she informed me, she was passing information from the Sergeant Major...I knew better. I lived thru it and parted ways after we got back...have not spoken or seen any of them since.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2019 7:35 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 19:35:51 -0400

Define "Good ol boy Club " and what you believe is toxic in your leadership.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2019 10:11 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 22:11:16 -0400

If it's an actual case of favoritism and not just something not going your way, run it up the chain. Have you talked to your supervisor about it? It could be something that they don't even notice. Ignorance can cause a lot of issues which is why it's important to identify these issues early. You don't know what you don't know.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2019 10:16 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 22:16:34 -0400

So I should clarify I am apart of a detachment and we are deploying as a whole. Let’s say me and the few people from my detachment are group
A and group B is the GOBC. All the guys from group A notice group B has their favorites

Response by SSG George Holtje made Jun 1 at 2020 12:33 AM

SSG George Holtje — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:33:15 -0400

With a stick and stone

In reality, a easier said than done sometimes solution. Move people around. Promotion mainly, after they get pinned they go to another platoon. E-4 and below shouldn’t be stuck on the same task for 2 years. Riflemen become Drivers, Drivers become Machine Gunners or SAW. Anti Armor becomes RTOs or Grenadiers. Bradley Gunners become Team Leaders. Team Leaders become Senior Gunners. Senior Gunners go to Staff. Staff goes back to the line after 6 to 12 months instead of riding the POG train.
I also think to get selected for SFC, light and Mech time should be required.
This is Infantry oriented but there are different tastings for everyone.