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

How long has the sergeant been in? Is the soldier close to retirement?

7 years active Reserve or in the reserves for 7 years? Morally speaking, tossing him out is unfair. Practically speaking, can the Service afford to keep him? There has to be a middle ground somewhere.

This is a difficult one. I feel for the soldier but the needs of the Service may outweigh the SMS future.

Chances are he enlisted fraudulently. They get told no by one recruiter and will bounce around branches and stations until they know what not to say. Get him to a doctor and hopefully they medboard. Working around it is not always an option, check out AR 40-501. It ultimately will be up to what is diagnosed.

Send the Soldier to PCM for referral to Behavioral Health for diagnosis and treatment plan. As an Army COTA, I would suggest a referral to Occupational Therapy for possible treatment options.

We are at a generation where we initiate chapters or discharges, (1) Show the guy some real leadership and stress that it is mandate that he overcome his challenges. The best legitimate leaders were the one that overcame challenges and their strength/posture represented it(2) He should already understand that as an NCO he is an example and therefore shows others how to present himself and overcome challenges in a smooth manner . .

Take them under them under my wing teach them everything I know even if it over and over again

Back in 1982 I went to PNOC at Ft. Riley, KS. I came to counsel a soldier that was caring a paper with him with his home address his phone number and his wife name, he told me that he had short term memory and that he was diagnose with having one side of his brains with this problem, I asked a cadre member to help me out, since this was suppose to be a make believe. The Commandant call this soldier SGM and his PSG as well as his team leaders, from an infantry unit and asked them about this problem, they said, they wanted to help him. The Commandant got the post SGM involved, and the soldier was send to a Hospital for evaluation. My cadre member told me, that he felt sorry for the soldier, but he could not be and infantry soldier, having this types of mental problems, I agreed at that time. Just one of those cases that you have to think, and really take charge, immediately.

I've been out for a while. But the same thing is found in the workforce in larger companies. I'm not trying to be cruel, but there are many individuals who are protected thus creating a military full of intellectual deficiencies. How are we suppose to have the best military when we get guys and gals who can't read well? Obviously, he needs to see a psychologist with a speciality in Educational Disabilities. He needs a diagnosis and therapy. Even then, he will probably still be behind his peers. This also begs the question, is the Army in the trade of helping people with learning disabilities? My advice, document everything so that there is a paper trail while also encouraging him to schedule an appointment with a physician so that he can explain to a medical professional who can then refer him.

These are all good comments but , this soldier has been with you 7 yrs. and Im not saying let him slide but as a leader yourself should use some gut instinct with him because discharging the person might be devastating ..IMO..