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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SP5 Carl Hollander
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Give some extra P T to occupy his time so he can think
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SP5 Carl Hollander
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Ask him if he wants to go back to Basic Training and stay there till his enlistment terminates
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1SG Rick Seekman
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That sum bitch would still be doing push ups today!
Oh wait, today's gentle and kind army would have apologized, gave him the day off and brought him cookies and milk before night night time..
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PO2 Ronnie Chandler
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Take them aside ask what's going on ? If same attitude nail them and don't back down or you'll play keeping control ask me how I know. I was a Newby PO3 and was miserable for 6 months
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CMDCM Bev Brennan
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Spot on Gunny. In my job as a Navy CMC, I would conduct DRBs - Disciplinary Review Boards. The purpose was to determine whether or not to place the member on report for their transgression and forwarding them up the chain to CO's Mast. My intent was that it not go that far, especially for a first offense. It was all up the them.
Said E2 would have been escorted by the squadron CMAA to his/her quarters to get into their Whites and appear at the end of my very long table. I would conduct a Personnel Inspection and dare them to have one thing out of place. Members in the room included the Department MCPO, Division LCPO and workcenter LPO. No officers allowed.
What followed is best described as "Old Fashioned Chief's Leadership". We weren't politically correct, we weren't kinder or gentler, we didn't care about their personal feelings towards their LPO. We cared about good order and discipline. Period. 98% figured it out and went on to become productive members of the squadron. I didn't lose sleep referring the other 2% - they earned the trip to see the boss. BTW, all deliberations were considered sensitive and the results were never disseminated. But they knew I knew.
All branches have different ways of dealing with these people. But you nailed it Gunny - deal with it immediately.
Thanks for your service!
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1SG Victor Sotil
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Young “Senior E5” are you a Noncommissioned Officer or an E5? I don’t have much to make an opinion, but seems to me that you should look at yourself rather than look for support. In today’s Army we have new generation Soldiers that are having a hard time separating work from personal. If you hang out with your Soldiers they will have no respect for you, they will look at you like their “buddy”.
I have a dear friend that we both came in the Army at the same time, our first duty station was the same, but after while we lost contact. Years later I seen him again. I was still Vic when we seen each other after over 10 years, but at work I was 1SG and he was one of the SSG. That was a true friend that knew the difference without being told. Not once has to tell him “please at work call me 1SG” learn to separate both if you have to remain them, then look for another friends.
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SP5 William Barnshaw
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I was a Spec4 platoon sergeant (yeah, I know. But that’s what they did) at Ft. Monmouth in ‘69. Had over 100 guys under me. I was fair and rather laidback. I fought for them in the orderly room and was stern when necessary. A few PFCs though they could fuck with me because of my demeanor. Mistake! KP on Thanksgiving was their reward. I wouldn’t put up with anyone’s shit. No one dared mess with me after that. Suggest that the bigmouth be made an example of. Nip it in the bud…
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SSG Michael Davis
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Embarrassment in front of peers can be powerful for some dipsticks. Have everyone fall out except for PV0 Dipstick and embarrass him/her/they. You don't even have to yell as long as everyone can hear you.

Talking in formation is BS anyway unless you are called upon by the leader of the formation.
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SPC Charles McFate
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Push-ups forever... BEGIN!!!!!!
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SFC Larry Jones
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You must be in a different military from the one I served in (1975-1995). In my day, that didn't happen or NJP, here we come. My troops knew I would not ask them to do anything I hadn't done. As unpleasant or distasteful as it might have been, I had already been there. Insubordination can absolutely not be tolerated.
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MSG Logistics (S4)
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Put he/she in a front leaning rest position and have he/she knock ‘‘em out til YOU get tired! What’s with this crybaby military? I retired in 2015 after 39 years total between Active and Reserves. Nip it in the bud in front of everybody, and since we are in the ‘video age’, record it so that he can put it on Twitter.
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PO1 Matt Maness
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Do a counseling chit first. Then make sure his or her evals reflect their attitude and note of the counseling.
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COL Ralph Bryan Hanes
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Since you are directly assigning work, I assume that you are the first line leader of the recalcitrant PFC. You must take immediate action, so the elsewhere recommended PFC X stand fast while all others fall out is correct. The questions about bad news or other morale body blows are briefly appropriate to allow you to determine if there is a serious problem that it is both possible and appropriate for you to assist in resolving. Then you must determine consequences and corrective action. Public insubordination cannot go without penalty. However, the penalty should take into consideration any legitimate extenuating circumstances that you discovered during your “heart to heart” talk with the PFC. Hopefully, s/he removes his/her head from its obvious location and asks permission to carry out your orders… A counseling statement is a good start, but public insubordination is warned against and potential dire consequences explained multiple times from the time a recruit exits the bus at the basic training station. A trip to the PSG ad the !SG are required. A repentant PFC might merit a summary form article 15 that remains in the unit when he leaves. A hard head that refuses to acknowledge reality and attempt to minimize his penance in most cases should be be recommended for a formal article 15 and in extreme cases separation. This whole situation is tragic. For the sake of good order and discipline of all the soldiers involved or who learn of the incident blatant public insubordination cannot be tolerated… everyone loses. Are these recommendations a panacea for all such incidents? No, however, exceptions should be few. Having the good judgement to analyze cause and effects and with the counsel of the PSG and 1SG other more creative and hopefully more constructive actions may be appropriate. “Wall to wall counseling” by NCOs solved many low level problems in the fairly distant past but are no longer tenable. Whenever we find a publicly insubordinate soldier, there is a trail of leadership failures that allowed him/her to arrive in your formation. The problem should stop with your unit.
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CW3 Robert Jobe
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Smoke them like a cheap pack of smokes
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SFC Transportation Management Coordinator
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Start a counseling statement right away! they are very informational and it reminds them of the penalties and harsh consequences they can face for insubordination, they can face demotion, pay without pay, and out processing under dishonorable. DO NOT LET IT SLIDE! it will get rid of the bad apples before they spoil the rest.
Retired Army SFC :-)
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SFC Transportation Management Coordinator
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Start a counseling statement right away! they are very informational and it reminds them of the penalties and harsh consequences they can face for insubordination, they can face demotion, pay without pay, and out processing under dishonorable. DO NOT LET IT SLIDE! it will get rid of the bad apples before they spoil the rest.
Retired Army SFC :-)
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SPC Randy Holloway
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You smoke their ass until they puke. As soon as their done puking, you do it again until they puke
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SSG Raul Alaniz
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Edited 3 y ago
The Proper Motivation. First I dismiss everyone for the day, except Pv2 Dipweed, while At Attention, he waits for me to speak to him, I go to my office, grab a cup of coffee for a bit, go back to PV2 Dipweed and breathe all in his face the human smell of coffee and invite him to my office, I casually tell my clerk that I "Don't' want to be disturb for 10 minutes and ignore anything he/she hears. After 5 minutes, holy crap, a brand new PV2 is re-born. Don't need boxing gloves just "The Proper Movtivation". (Black Belt in Tae-Kwon-Do Helps me). No Reply's needed.
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SGT M C
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Seems to me and I remember it well you dish out an article 15! If it escalates it continues on up the JAG process untill eventually Levenworth or discharge which ever comes first. Oh wait I forgot we're now dealing with snowflakes oh yeah a whole nother mindset!
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PO2 Lawrence Moody
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Reply. It is your assignment. No argument.
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