Posted on Oct 16, 2016
LTJG Ansi Officer
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Here's the background. You're a senior E5. Your troops are in formation and you're handing out work for the day. You hand out an assignment to a fresh E2 with less than a year in and only a few months at your command. They blatantly complain and tell you to choose someone else. You calmly tell them they will do this task and they tell you to shove it and give it to someone else. How do you react?
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PV2 Duane Schlender
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I think, what I would do, is this (and keep in mind, that I have never had command experience, nor am I much of a leader...) :

I view this from the perspective of being a member of a team, morale, and discipline.

Being the type of person I am, I would turn the formation and request the other soldiers one by one answer what they think is wrong here and what should be done.
I would then, ask the smart mouth what HE thinks I should do (expecting a fresh batch of verbiage). After this, I would confine the soldier to quarters, write up an article 15, and discuss the matter with other NCO's if not Officers on the basis of conduct unbecoming, morale, etc. and find out if the soldier has any personal issues making him/her act out of line before fully submitting the article 15.

My reply is beyond sketchy.. but i wanted to give an answer and be criticized on it. I never got to be in ANY lead role in the Army, and I wonder if I would ever be any good at it..
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SPC Steven Nihipali
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fuck his life up! then find out why he's bleeding from eating a tree...
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PO1 Paul Godfrey
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I strongly agree this lower grade person has to understand the chain of command, in a private location explain this to him the way it's going to be. Then you should kick his ass until his nose bleeds! They may not like you but they will respect you. This may not be politically correct for today's Navy but if you don't handle it quick and fast then maybe your the one that should not reenlist.
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SrA Brett Stratton
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One chance and one warning. Disobeying a direct order will lead to severe consequences. They are not at Starbucks. They are not Burger King. You CAN"T have it your way. You are in the military and you WILL do what you're told. When I was in Basic, disobedience to that level would lead to an Article 15. IN my opinion and equally sever punishment must follow for them to understand how damaging it would be not to their military career, but your life. A Dishonorable Discharge follows you for life and can destroy said life. All because you wanted to act the part. Ask yourself if your ego is worth that level of destruction.
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SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson
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I learned in "BASIC TRAINING" the word NO is not an option! He would have been standing in the position of attention in the CO's office while it was described to him the AR-15 and his 14/14 extra duty and restriction. We have a new "softer"version of the military and it don't work!!! light his butt up!!!
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PV2 Edwin Tompkins
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Article 15
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SGT Ed Walden
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Back in the 90's in the 11 series we would have handled it one way. But you cant do those things anymore....

I think the best course of action is to send the others of to their assignments and get another NCO to sit in, as a witness, for serious counseling. Discuss the attitude, the effect it has on the rest of the Sqd/Section, expected behaviors and a corrective training plan. Mostly find the "Why" of the behavior as well as disseminating the attitude and behavior up the NCO support channel so that the Platoon Sergeant and PL are aware of it.
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SPC Jay Crawford
SPC Jay Crawford
6 y
Way too nice. You don't correct a fly with a breath of wind.
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SGT Ed Walden
SGT Ed Walden
6 y
SPC Jay Crawford Nack when I was a pvt I would have had my breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the lawn with a puddle of sweat, but you can't do that anymore. Too PC these days.
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PO2 J Howard
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For such blatant disrespect and disobedience, I would put him on report for NJP. It is better to learn sooner than later. If it were something more minor, it could be dealt with without involving the chain of command.
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PO2 Paul Dempsey
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Dismiss everyone else except him and his department head. Excuse me I'm navy. Than set him straight. He can either enjoy his tour and move up in rank and enjoy the privilege that comes with rank or he can spend the rest of his enlistment holding the shit end of the stick
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PO2 Keith Morgan
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While in the Navy in the mid 1960s I saw an E3 decide he'd had enough military discipline and wanted to get kicked out. He refused to get out of his rack one morning. First his CPO was called, who told him to get his ass out of the rack, answered with "fuck you". Then the OOD was called, repeated the order. Same response. About half an hour later the base MPs (marines) showed up. They helped him out of his rack. In the process he slipped and banged up his head. Three or four times. Then he slipped again and bruised his ribs. He finally got his BCD a couple months later after a nice recuperation period in the base brig, being guarded by more helpful, friendly jarheads who were happy to lend a hand any time he slipped and fell down.
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