Posted on Jul 17, 2014
SSG V. Michelle Woods
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Soldiers just completed a 32-hour mission on the road. They get to a tiny FOB in Iraq and have 12 minutes left to grab food before the chow hall closes. The Soldiers are not freshly shaved and cannot easily access their personal hygiene items therefore technically out of regulation. Would you enforce the standard and make the Soldiers immediately go shave or would you not enforce the standard and let the Soldiers go eat?

With so many responses on RP about how we don’t have the right to pick and choose which standards we enforce, what would you do?
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Responses: 116
1SG John Paxton
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Though I cant imagine who would prevent a Soldier from eating, The senior person could have requested "To-Go" plates.
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SGT Jonathan Williams
SGT Jonathan Williams
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If they have to eat to-go plates, then they will do what they are told, yes. But, something to be said about allowing the Soldiers some flexibility to get the food, sit down and eat. Chow, mail, justice, supplies, and barracks all majorly influence morale. Most of the time moral=effectiveness. I need (needed) effective and hard Soldiers. In this instance, I would be with them at the DFAC and they would get the food, sit down, and eat if the other factors allowed it. I found I did not have to put them in the hurt if I did not have too.
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SPC Reports Clerk
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Let 'em eat. That kind of BS used to piss me off when we were working 16 to 18 hour days in Afghanistan. "Let soldiers eat in peace, Sergeant Major Anal-Retentive."
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SSG Jeffrey Spencer
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Three things to know as a leader:
1. Do not mess with a soldier's pay.
2. Do not mess with a soldier's food.
3. Do not mess with a soldier's time off.
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MSG(P) Michael Warrick
MSG(P) Michael Warrick
>1 y
4. Do not mess with supply personnel !!!
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SSG Jeffrey Spencer
SSG Jeffrey Spencer
>1 y
LOL! True that. Can make life miserable.
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SFC Cornelius Walsh
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I disagree that they're out of regulation, as they have not been afforded the opportunity to conduct personal hygiene yet. Upon accounting for pax/equip, getting food, and return to quarters, I'd make sure they conducted hygiene and got some well-deserved rest.
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SGT Larry Lee
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My troops would eat, and God help the individual that stood in their way(I would insure that every one of my soldiers ate before I even thought about eating.
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SPC Team Member
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R we kidding here? I've seen a soldiers face after missions similar to those, and then seen the same face after a simple hot meal rather than an MRE. While in garrison standards r black and white. While deployed there a occasions where the right thing to do is break the rules. Not only should the soldiers be allowed to eat, the DFAC staff should bring them their food so they can take a break. That's my opinion. And it actually happened at Camp Bucca, summer 2007. I was there.
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SSG S3 Operations Nco
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I ran into this exact issue several times on deployments. I have the chance to give my troops hot chow after mission I get them hot chow. No worries, no looking to see if other people are offended. If they are they most likely don't know what kind of morale booster getting good chow is for the Soldier.
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SGT Property Manager
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I had a great CSM tell me several times, if your going to error, error on the side of solider. Take the ass chewing later but make sure your troops eat chow.
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Capt Jeff S.
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They eat. It's kind of a no-brainer.
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SSG V. Michelle Woods
SSG V. Michelle Woods
>1 y
Lol you'd think right Capt Jeff S.?
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SGT Richard Calderon
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Let them eat. While deployed to Afghanistan my platoon and I ran into a similar situation. We had just come in from a forty-five day rotation out in the Korengal. No showers during this time. Imagine how we looked and smelled. It was mid-dinner chow time. The NCO in charge of the chow line told us to leave because we were too dirty. We stood our ground while one of us went and notified our CSM. CSM Carabello. Needless to say we ate without showering. I do however feel that all standards should be enforced. There are also times when you must forgo/make an exception to the standards when the situation dictates.
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