How would you handle a Soldier (one automatically promoted to E-5) with a serious learning disability?

I may be a cold hearted asshole but your learning issue should not be my problem. If you can't get your shit together and be effective then your no use to the unit. I'm getting tired of others yielding / accommodating people who can't make the grade. If you can't read or write or see the right color or whatever your issue is...figure out a system. Because if you're just now( at this level) figuring it out, your wasting other people's time. If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem. My 2 cents

Funny thing... we had just such an individual once and his disabilities were severe. We first noticed that something was wrong when he would repeatedly get lost in the building and one day we got a phone call from another unit to come pick up our soldier because he got lost on the base. He would often be seen playing with toy planes in the shower. He was a Stinger gunner and could not identify a single plane as "friend or foe". Finally his section Sargent had had enough and took it to the CO and demanded he get a psyche-eval.

Turned out our soldier was mentally retarded. That of course launched a number of investigations as to how did he get into the Army in the first place and how did he get through Basic and AIT. Seems his mother took him to a recruiter and begged him to get her son in the Army. The recruiter had to forge his ASVAB scores... and for that he got a year in Leavenworth with a DD. Next came his Drill Sargent who did not want to look bad at having a shitbird in his platoon... he got off light with just a DD. Finally came his AIT instructor who figured if he made it through Basic he could make it through AIT. Apparently he had some extenuating circumstances and got off with only an FG Article 15.

It became my job to escort this guy to Rein Main AB and see that he got on the plane. Between my driver and myself one of us had to stay up all night and make sure our charge did not wander off. The next day we took him to Customs where the MP told him to empty his duffel bag which had none of his issue uniforms, etc. but was full of toys. The look on the MP's face was incredulous so I showed him a copy of his orders and explained the reason the soldier was headed home. With that I grabbed one of the other soldiers on his flight and asked him to make sure that he made it to the other end of his trip to the States. I have no idea what happened to him on the other end, I hope he made it home.

It depends on how close to retirement you are. If you're in your last enlistment, you should do what should have been done: recommend up the chain of command that the soldier be Separated for the Good of the Service.

Sounds like politics at play. Should not be in the service. Simple question.... Would you trust this soldier with your life?

I have to ask this before I can form an answer to the original question, "how does someone get automatically promoted?"

The military should not be a social experiment where everyone gets to play. I have nothing personal against those with learning disabilities and social disorders, they just do not belong in a forum where their issues can get others killed or injured. Get him help and separated if need be.

SFC A.
"RLTW"

The first step is to address the primary issue and get a diagnosis. the Soldier's issue is one that is incompatible with military service per regulation, it is what it is and needs to be handled accordingly. If it's one that can be treated, then seek treatment and/or therapy. Meanwhile, counsel the Soldier that his performance is not what's expected of a SGT and will improve or further action will be taken to protect the mission, the organization, and fellow Soldiers. If therapy works and his performance improves to meet standards, that's great. If not, administrative reduction boards exist for a reason.

Without knowing details this situation brings bigger problems to light. First, automatic promotions to SGT. If a Soldier hasn't been boarded, there's a reason that leadership within the unit has identified. Auto promotion is terrible when talking about the NCO Corps.

Second is the SPC ranks. I've seen many E-5s that are decent Soldiers but had no business in leadership roles. These are Sergeants (rank), not Noncommissioned Officers. SPEC5 was gone before my time, but it may be a good idea to bring it back. Let a Soldier develop further if needed and be boarded as an E-5 to become an NCO. If incapable of succeeding then, well it's time to go. Not making SGT and succeeding to make SSG is a way to thin the herd while allowing a Soldier to develop without stripes, where he further weakens the NCO Corps.

I've dealt with this before. What it boiled down to is, if the problem doesn't prevent him from performing his job than he is in clear; nothing you can do except track his mistakes on paper. He has to be diagnosed with a specific learning disability and that disability has to affect his performance. The psychologist is the one who recommends chapter for this.

I really find this story difficult to grasp. First, how did the SM get through Basic/AIT without being counseled and returned/chaptered for inability to adapt? To often in the military, (and in business), we focus to much of our time with the weakest links of our chain, instead of focusing on the strongest links and making them stronger. The best thing you can do for this SM is use the systems/facilities you have at hand, document and counsel the SM and send them down the road. The job of an NCO is to supervise and train "all" of the troops they are appointed over and not focus on one. Your unit is only as strong as it's weakest link; would you put your life on the line and trust that link?

That is a hard one, I say this be sure he is somehow an NCO and you don't want Soldiers to see you lowering the standards, even though I suspect the Soldiers know this NCO has a learning disability. I say get him evaluated step one, then get with your COC / NCO Support Channel step 2 to find a job this guy can do where he is away from working with a lot of Soldiers. The good thing is he is a reservist, the bad thing is someone along the way definitely did not do their job.