Posted on Jul 20, 2015
SSG Intelligence Sergeant
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I recently experienced a very public failure that was experienced by basically the entire battalion. I feel like I may have lost a lot of rapport with some people that I had been building for the past month. I've been at this new unit for a month and I was given a brief to do on very short notice, but I failed to perform. A warrant officer came to my rescue, but I still feel a great sense of embarrassment. What are some ways I can make a comeback? I have already a lot of discussions with people at various levels on how to prevent it in the future and I am not trying to blame my failure on the circumstances. I will be building the brief in an email version for distribution later during an MRX. What are some ways you reestablish trust? (I understand that it is a potentially long process.)
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LTC Stephen C.
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SSG (Join to see), I empathize with you. We've all been there, believe me. I think that MAJ Ken Landgren's advice is sound. These lyrics, written in 1936 by Dorothy Fields, although lighthearted, are also appropriate:
"Pick yourself up...
Take a deep breath...
Dust yourself off
And start all over again."
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CW2 Construction Engineering Technician
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I know exactly what you are going through. Not only in the past, when I checked into my first unit did something like this happen to me; it happened again 17 years later. You can't change what happened now, but you can change your future.

Hold your head up, take your licks (reasonably), and use that internal strife you feel inside to push past not only the stumble... but use it to make yourself a better person and Soldier for the future! People need not only someone who's good when things are easy, but someone who's strong when things are tough. Now is your best opportunity to prove you're an NCO to your leaders and the best man for ANY job.

It will take time, but you'll need that time for self improvement and regaining the leadership's trust.

You got this... take the opportunity and push further.
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1SG Military Police
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Remember that no one expects perfection. You are supposed to make mistakes in life. The important thing is that they be recoverable and that you learn from them. The biggest thing here is that you recognized your mistake and that you owned it. That sets you apart from the pack and says a lot about your character. If you don't have a NCO for a mentor, seek out the Chief. Keep your chin up and drive on.
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