Posted on Jun 8, 2015
Is it wrong for an Air Force Sergeant to help an Army Private?
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Scenario: Air Force Tech Sergeant (E-6) gets involved in helping an Army Private (infantry) get home from deployment in order to be home with his wife who is having their child. The wife goes into labor and is admitted into the hospital early. A Red Cross message gets sent, but it stops at his company NCO at the deployed location. The NCO refused to send the message up to the CO (O-3, Capt.) because he was in a meeting. The Private needed the CO's approval to allow him to get on the HOP to fly to the states so he can be there on time. The E-6 calls his duty station (stateside) Staff NCO at 1130pm in order to get a hold of his CO at his duty station to approve the Red Cross message to be sent and get him the ability to come home. Without the involvement of the Air Force E-6 calling the privates chain of command, he would have been stuck at his deployed location. He was able to make it home 1 day after the baby was born, 5lbs, 15oz.
What are your thoughts about another service members involvement to help the Army Private?
Where was the Privates' duty location NCO and why wasn't he/she as proactive?
Why is approaching an O-3 in the Army such a difficult task?
Deployed locations are what they are, deployments. Getting home isn't an easy task. Some will say, the Private is deployed, we have all at one point in time have missed birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and even babies being born. It's a sacrifice he needs to be aware of. Suck it up.
What are your thoughts about another service members involvement to help the Army Private?
Where was the Privates' duty location NCO and why wasn't he/she as proactive?
Why is approaching an O-3 in the Army such a difficult task?
Deployed locations are what they are, deployments. Getting home isn't an easy task. Some will say, the Private is deployed, we have all at one point in time have missed birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and even babies being born. It's a sacrifice he needs to be aware of. Suck it up.
Leadership
American Red Cross
NCOs
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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The Tech Sergeant is a NCO. This NCO did what was right. I would, if I were the Army captain, wonder why the First Line Supervisor of that private was not pro-active, was not concerned and was not doing HIS JOB.
I can guess why the Army NCO was not doing what he should have been doing. I would bet that this private approached the Sergeant before the deployment and told him his wife was pregnant. The NCO told the First Sergeant who deflected the issue saying we will deal with that later or something. Then they get deployed, and the wife contacted the NCO's wife to remind her to ask her husband to make sure the private got home for the birth....on and on it went until the Army Sergeant had had about all the Private "My Wife is Pregnant" that he could stand, and when the time came, he did not care.
NCOs MUST....MUST...MUST understand that Privates are for the most part KIDS...Inexperienced kids in uniform. NCOs have to react like that. Most privates look up to HIS Sergeant...HIS NCO....His NCO is RIGHT, until that NCO demonstrates that he does not deserve that support.
IF the private was in COMBAT...and I mean COMBAT OPERATIONS, then OH, you get him home when you can, maybe after the war...BUT if the only thing that would be disrupted by the absence of the Private is that a guard roster has to be redone, and an inspection has one less to stand there, or some IG Report has an empty block..than GET OVER IT and take care of your Soldiers like you EXPECT and Demand that they take care of the unit.
I can guess why the Army NCO was not doing what he should have been doing. I would bet that this private approached the Sergeant before the deployment and told him his wife was pregnant. The NCO told the First Sergeant who deflected the issue saying we will deal with that later or something. Then they get deployed, and the wife contacted the NCO's wife to remind her to ask her husband to make sure the private got home for the birth....on and on it went until the Army Sergeant had had about all the Private "My Wife is Pregnant" that he could stand, and when the time came, he did not care.
NCOs MUST....MUST...MUST understand that Privates are for the most part KIDS...Inexperienced kids in uniform. NCOs have to react like that. Most privates look up to HIS Sergeant...HIS NCO....His NCO is RIGHT, until that NCO demonstrates that he does not deserve that support.
IF the private was in COMBAT...and I mean COMBAT OPERATIONS, then OH, you get him home when you can, maybe after the war...BUT if the only thing that would be disrupted by the absence of the Private is that a guard roster has to be redone, and an inspection has one less to stand there, or some IG Report has an empty block..than GET OVER IT and take care of your Soldiers like you EXPECT and Demand that they take care of the unit.
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>Is it wrong for an Air Force Sergeant to help an Army Private?
No - how could it be? You helped the situation as best you could - that's doing the right thing. Was there a valid reason for the delay? I don't know - but there doesn't seem to be a reason why it didn't work up the CoC more quickly - ok - if it can't go straight to the CO, then GySgt or 1st Sgt or someone who can help immediately.
A Red Cross message should have the highest priority and respect and we as service members should not judge the validity or downgrade the priority of these messages.
Training our members may have been the issue and I certainly hope the CO makes it crystal clear to everyone in his/her command that he/she is always directly available for any emergency communication - period.
No - how could it be? You helped the situation as best you could - that's doing the right thing. Was there a valid reason for the delay? I don't know - but there doesn't seem to be a reason why it didn't work up the CoC more quickly - ok - if it can't go straight to the CO, then GySgt or 1st Sgt or someone who can help immediately.
A Red Cross message should have the highest priority and respect and we as service members should not judge the validity or downgrade the priority of these messages.
Training our members may have been the issue and I certainly hope the CO makes it crystal clear to everyone in his/her command that he/she is always directly available for any emergency communication - period.
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I'm wondering why the Red Cross message got blocked honestly. "Being in a meeting" just means that instead of going directly to the CO, you go to the 1SG or the Company GySgt or Army Equivalent (someone who can interrupt the meeting).
As for getting involved. There was a break-down. You bypassed the breakdown. It's really that simple. It doesn't matter if you are Army or Air Force. The CO was missing key information because of a breakdown in communication. Now the NCO may have had good reason for delaying the communication which you were not privy to, however if it comes across Red Cross it's a "Command Message" which means it needs to make it to command As Soon As Possible.
As for getting involved. There was a break-down. You bypassed the breakdown. It's really that simple. It doesn't matter if you are Army or Air Force. The CO was missing key information because of a breakdown in communication. Now the NCO may have had good reason for delaying the communication which you were not privy to, however if it comes across Red Cross it's a "Command Message" which means it needs to make it to command As Soon As Possible.
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Capt (Join to see)
I was wondering that myself. As an NCO, it should be a responsibility for that soldier to inform his leadership of messages of that caliber, regardless of location at that time.
My position on that was the same, if the NCO (E-5) couldn't answer the message and pass it to the CO, then go to the next grade up until someone can without jumping chain.
As long as you approach it with due diligence that you don't skip around the chain and bypass anyone important, then I don't know why the message would be halted at that level causing him to never get the Authority to get on to a plane sooner.
My position on that was the same, if the NCO (E-5) couldn't answer the message and pass it to the CO, then go to the next grade up until someone can without jumping chain.
As long as you approach it with due diligence that you don't skip around the chain and bypass anyone important, then I don't know why the message would be halted at that level causing him to never get the Authority to get on to a plane sooner.
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The Red Cross Message is supposed to go through to the CO, regardless of whether or not they are in a meeting.
Doesn't matter what the NCO thinks, the CO can make the decision of when to address it.
Doesn't matter what the NCO thinks, the CO can make the decision of when to address it.
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The army nco was wrong and borderline incompetent to treat a soldier with red cross message like that
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No, it isn't. As NCO's, regardless of service, it is our job to ensure we are taking care of our lower ranking enlisted members.
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