Leader development scenario - bad check - Soldier pays for NCOs pizza, what would YOU do?

It is the individual soldiers' responsibility to maintain their finances. SM should be counseled on the incident with the understanding that there can be further repercussions if it happens again. The NCO should be advised not to take handouts from lower enlisted. Doing so can put them in an awkward position and will most likely be thrown under the bus if there are any questionable actions. Lesson learned hopefully.

First of all as an NCO one never takes anything from a lower in rank EM's just don't. The EM offered the NCO something then the NCO should have offered to pay as he makes more money than than the lower ranking EM does. As far as counseling the EM knew how much money was in the account but then people do make mistakes just wash the incident about the check

What was the pizza doing in the inspection barracks in the frist plase.

In my day (late 70's), The PVT should have known what his bank balance was but this is minor compared to the NCO. what he did was inexcusable. At a VERY minimum the NCO should receive a negative counselling statement stating that it is unacceptable for an NCO to be taking food from a PVT. I have seen NCO's court-martialed for this type of behavior.

First of all the troop shouldn't be trying to kiss up to the NCO by buying the pizza. Second he shouldn't have bounced a check to do it. The NCO should have turned down the offer of pizza unless it was one that was being offered to everyone in the barracks. He showed favoritism by taking the pizza. It would be different if there was a group pizza party in the day room and someone says hey Sarge would you like a piece. But to take it from an individual soldier is just setting yourself up for failure. I would counsel both of them separately and advise the soldier that no matter what the reason for using a temp check, if you don't have the funds to cover it it is check fraud. I would counsel the NCO about accepting gifts from troops. It may come back to bite you later.

When I would have inspections of my work spaces, I'd have coffee waiting for the inspector(s) ... since we had a coffee pot in our spaces, that wouldn't / couldn't be seen as an attempt to sway (bribe) the inspector. My spaces were always cleaned impeccably before an inspection - BUT, since most inspectors will look until they found *something*, I would always have one bit of gear adrift (usually a string from the swab) somewhere *just* out of the way... the inspector would find a problem that could be fixed / corrected immediately, have some coffee, and some pleasant conversation... and I'd have another stress-free inspection.

The Soldier should not have spent any money on an obvious "bribe" for the NCO. The NCO shouldn't have accepted it. That's regardless of the Soldier's finances.

The Soldier should be counseled and assisted with his finances (most commands have at least one person who's stuck with the collateral duty to help with personal finances and budgeting)... but, that's a completely separate topic. The scenario here is indicative of two separate problems - one with the Soldier, one with the NCO.

Possibly summary article 15 for the junior for bouncing the check with extra training in personal financial management. Basically grounding the soldier since they have no money anyway and needs personal responsibility reinforced. The NCO should get a minimum of a counseling statement on misuse of position power. Additionally, the NCO should do extra training on fraternization and present this during a Company Sgts PDM. If this is not the first time the NCO did something like this, and it's documented, UCMJ may be necessary. Bottomline, seniors buy.

Nothing to see here, move along....

I will give the NCO a letter of reprimand, and the soldier a counsel statement for his lack of finance knowledge, and advise him to see a financial officer, the NCO should know better, you do not at any time eat food from a subordinate.

What were you thinking. At a social function it may be alright to have pizzas with junior enlistees, but as a rule don't do it outside social funtions as problems like this likely can occurr.