Posted on Oct 21, 2016
“I'm going to fail height-weight on purpose and get booted” – how would you handle this?
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This actually happened to me while I was a battery XO in Hawaii. My brigade had just gotten back from OIF and we were in that weird period of tons of people leaving the unit, and tons of new people coming in. I was in the motor pool like a good XO and one of the guys came up to me and asked to chat in private – he was a SPC (E-4) who was on soft shoe profile and had been for a few months. He was also on some PT profile, which many were skeptical of but that’s not the point. He was also quite overweight and in bad physical shape.
“I don’t want to be in the Army anymore,” he told me. “I’m just planning to keep failing height-weight over and over until I get booted out.” So I talked with him and we went back and forth about what’s really going on with him, etc. But he just stayed firm on: (1) wanting to get out of the Army ASAP; and (2) planning to put no effort into passing height-weight, to get booted.
Obviously I know what actions I took here but I don’t want to spoil it for everyone. How would you have responded in this situation?
“I don’t want to be in the Army anymore,” he told me. “I’m just planning to keep failing height-weight over and over until I get booted out.” So I talked with him and we went back and forth about what’s really going on with him, etc. But he just stayed firm on: (1) wanting to get out of the Army ASAP; and (2) planning to put no effort into passing height-weight, to get booted.
Obviously I know what actions I took here but I don’t want to spoil it for everyone. How would you have responded in this situation?
Height and Weight
Army Regulations
UCMJ
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 259
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The dirtball is deliberately violating his contract.
Kick him out under less than honorable conditions or Section 8.
Kick him out under less than honorable conditions or Section 8.
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I would have started a the process of a less than desirable discharge and put him in the fat boys platoon and made him have a physical by a competent physician then PT every day until discharge
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Make his life a living he'll until he can go back and live back under the rock he came from!!!!
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Rivet gun to the lips. Long run chased by dogs. Repeat, then boot him out for underweight and unauthorized piercings.
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I served as a unit reenlistment NCO from 1991-1995...and my MOS was that of a 88M. I can tell you that this person would have been counseled by the chain of command. If he failed is weight test then the commander could use the bar to reenlistment is the administrative tool.
Once the bar has been signed by the approving commander a copy is then placed in his 201 file. The soldier then has two reviews to get the bar removed...3rd and 6th month. During this six month time the soldier soldier may request voluntary separation from the Army...just stating that he or she can not over come the bar to reenlistment.
It was so easy to make this happen then to have someone to baby sit all the time...and yes I did process soldier's out of the Army. I also held the title as legal clerk for my unit and I was good at what I did for the commander.
Once the bar has been signed by the approving commander a copy is then placed in his 201 file. The soldier then has two reviews to get the bar removed...3rd and 6th month. During this six month time the soldier soldier may request voluntary separation from the Army...just stating that he or she can not over come the bar to reenlistment.
It was so easy to make this happen then to have someone to baby sit all the time...and yes I did process soldier's out of the Army. I also held the title as legal clerk for my unit and I was good at what I did for the commander.
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Kick'em out ASAP! Bad moral for the whole squad, platoon, company or battery or squadron. At least give'em a general discharge so that he or she can get some or limited benefits out of it.
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I had orders to go to Heidelberg and was a few days (30) away from re-enlisting, I was also 20 days from my birthday when I could weigh 2 more pounds. I was placed on the fat boy program and forced out because no positive action could be accepted while on fat boy. No re-enlistment, no pcs, no extension! I was on career status and this yo-yo was ruining my career and the rules sucked. 20 days for 2 pounds. I had been on a diet of less than 500 calories for so long that it was ridiculous and couldn't lose 2 pounds. There has to be a middle ground somewhere.........
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Actions depend upon if he is an excellent soldier other then the weight problem or he is a screw up. If he is a screw up then disobedient of a direct order. Article 15, loss of pay demotion in rank and if it continues after that other then honorable discharge or BCG. If he is a good troop and does his job well, then try and find out what his major problem is by sending him to counseling or to the chaplain. If he gets his head together then you have saved the military a good troop. If not and he has personnel problems that no one can help him with then release him General discharge under honorable conditions.
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Charge him with malingering and move on. If he wants to leave the military, help him out, quickly (i.e. ADSEP with OTH).
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