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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LTC Ken Connolly
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Maybe too much fraternizing with the lower enlisted. I had a Plt Sgt., who kept trying to make time w/ this private. The First Sgt cautioned him about it. Not long afterwards, the Sgt was organizing a detail and the private laughed at him. I immediately replaced the Plt. Sgt. right in formation.
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SGT Ronald Audas
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My first duty after returning to the states in '68 was to go through the barracks and tell anyone l saw to go get a haircut. There were only about 15 still in company. These were all returning Vietnam and Korea veterans.The reason they were still hanging around the barracks,is they were too short to be training.Can't remember all the things I was told to kiss.Finally realized the CO had a great sense of humor.I just shrugged off their failure to follow orders.
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SFC Steven Barry
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Edited 6 y ago
The PVT would spend two weeks in the blunt trauma ward.
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Cpl James R. " Jim" Gossett Jr
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Well, in the 60's and 70's in USMC...they would very Quickly Find out who is the Boss....
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SP5 Thomas Walters
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Article 15 period the end!!!!
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SGT Charles Haney
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Discipline
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SGT Charles Butler
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Bottom line, when discipline fails, so does the unit. This troopie refused orders in public, so his immediate reprimand must be in public. There will be time to suss out his individual situation and motivation later, when you are deciding whether to to pursue ART 15 with the Company Commander.
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SGT James Taylor
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"Private, had I asked your opinion, I would have followed up with the opinion I wished you to have. Seeing as I did no such thing you currently have no opinion on the matter. Here is what I am ordering you to do without question or comment. Now MOVE!!" or "Private, Shut your mouth. I have chosen you to complete this task because everyone else has a task and I can't leave you alone for more than a second. When you are finished with said task you will report back to me to explain your insubordination in detail." I have personally used both of these with success. It is not necessary to raise your voice or yell. Talking back to any NCO or Officer when orders are being issued is not allowed, they are not part of some civilian company, they are a member in the US Military and fall under UCMJ. If they decide to take upon themselves the bad attitude and are not willing to explain themselves, that's fine. Pass them over when you are handing out daily tasks and have them wait. request a senior NCO to act as witness and higher authority,then lead the young service member to a nice patch of real estate, grass or sand is preferred, allow them to bitch gripe and moan to their hearts content as long as they follow your orders of physical exercise. Wash, spin, repeat. They will learn that you are in charge and your orders stand. It happens sometimes that the younger service members misplace their military bearing somewhere in their uniform, this is why they need to do a wide variety of exercises to ensure that this bearing can work it's way out of wherever it has become misplaced, it will fall down on the ground and they will find it and pick it up. If they have truly lost their military bearing then they have no place in the military and an immediate Chapter for failure to adapt should be begun, as long as they have not grossly destroyed any regulation requiring severe punishment.
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MSG Wayne Allies
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This is clearly insubordination, and this E-2, should be recmmended to the Company Commander and the 1st Sergeant for a Article 15, as non-Judicial punishment. To include extra duty and money 1/2 months pay for 2 months.
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PO3 Jake Lucid
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Having been a petty officer on a small vessel as well as larger multi unit facilities -
This don't fly. Merely punishing in private is a no go. some on getting into trouble out of formation off base etc deal with appropriately in an office. Blatant misconduct in front of others merits swift decisive correction. As an NCO what you permit you promote. Dress them down then and there. Point out the error there. Finish the formations proceedings and then pull them and their next superior aside. Hammer pfc for insubordination. Look to next senior over said pfc and have them detail said member. Make it obvious to those in formation that this is intolerable behavior. If you start rationalizing every pfc's or non-rates poor behavior it will spread.
I don't care if your wife slept with then killed your dog. You are a professional. So be one. If pfc had an issue with the assignment he should have acknowledged the assignment and after formation pulled the NCO aside and explain any grievance 1 on 1.
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