Posted on Jan 14, 2015
On the spot corrections in public; when is it appropriate?
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This weekend me and my GF decided to get out and go to the movies not near any military base once so ever (maybe a Reserve or NG training facility could be near by). So I'm glancing around notice a uniform on a young lady and her hair down with a PT cap on inside of the mall. I didn't loose my mind at first because it could be anyone just wearing the uniform these days. As I get closer to her I notice she has on SPC rank. I told my GF that I have to say something to her and of course she didn't understand. When I approached the SPC and her civilian male acquaintance, I asked her was she in the Army and she quickly replied "yes". So I asked her did she know she was in complete violation of Army Regs she says "yes". The female rolled her eyes at me and I could tell she was going to have
a attitude with me so I quickly removed myself from the situation. So at what point do we as leaders make a on the spot correction in public or remove ourselves from the situation? I felt at the time as a NCO I should have done more to make her fix herself, but on the other hand I didn't want to make a scene at the mall and in public. SPC Ware I definitely will remember you forever.
a attitude with me so I quickly removed myself from the situation. So at what point do we as leaders make a on the spot correction in public or remove ourselves from the situation? I felt at the time as a NCO I should have done more to make her fix herself, but on the other hand I didn't want to make a scene at the mall and in public. SPC Ware I definitely will remember you forever.
Regulation
Mentorship
Leadership
Professionalism
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 709
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Wow, this forum and the pot shots being taken by those who post are truly not value added at all. Makes one not want to share an opinion (right, wrong, or otherwise).
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Am I the only person who's wondering why this soldier is even going to the movies in uniform in the first place?
I've been stationed at plenty of posts where they conduct IET (Benning, Jackson, Eustis) and I've never even seen AIT troops in uniform when they have an off-post pass. The only exception would be BT privates on graduation day, but they have to wear Class As.
I think the only time I went to a movie theater in uniform was during a Graf rotation, and I didn't have to leave the cantonment area for that.
I've been stationed at plenty of posts where they conduct IET (Benning, Jackson, Eustis) and I've never even seen AIT troops in uniform when they have an off-post pass. The only exception would be BT privates on graduation day, but they have to wear Class As.
I think the only time I went to a movie theater in uniform was during a Graf rotation, and I didn't have to leave the cantonment area for that.
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I try to keep in mind that I would not want anyone to disrespect me in front of my family and act accordingly. Sometimes it woks out well other times it doesn't.. But either way I sleep better knowing I said something.
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You did the right thing by approaching her and it is good that you didn't make a scene around civilians. Maybe you could have asked her if it bothered her that she was representing the Army in a negative way.
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The saddest thing is that she knows she's out of regs in a public place, where people might look at her and think she represents the military, and doesn't care. Some people think the military is just a 9-5 job where they are sometimes inconvenienced to do things like field problems or deployments. I remember having to wrestle with the question of whether the Army is a profession or not. With continual learning, a core ethical standard, and the fact that we police our own ranks, you could say it is. When you get a service member who blatantly disregards regulations or tenets they are supposed to live by, than they are making an argument for the contrary. I hope she fixes herself, but I really don't have that much faith that she will. Sometimes people need to remember they joined the Military, and said they would abide by it's rules. The military didn't come and join me.
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If you are truly still on active duty status and or possess a valid military ID the has you name and rank on it, you should have corrected her and pointed out her mistakes and gotten the information of her NCOIC to inform him/her about their soldier's blatant disrespect of the Army reg.
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If you did not make the correction you did not deserve your rank. The regulations are their for a reason. In the Corps if I saw someone like that I always asked them for their ID. Then I would ask what unit they were in and report them to their 1st Sgt.
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First thing that pops in my mind is why would you go to the movies in uniform? Not that i dont have pride in my uniform but, but as soon as i didn't need it on i took it off.
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I would like to make a response to this. I served in the AF as an SP from 90-94. There was never a doubt in a respect level from the Lowest to the highest Rank with in the CoC. However I now have a son in the Army still in school at Ft.Lee (94H). He is a bright young Soldier. I am proud of him. He told me stories out of Basic, that literally scared the shit out of me. The Army higher NCO have Zero respect for Capts. and Below. He sited many instances in front of recruits in which a DS would belittle a Company Commander after he or she left a formation or inspection. This never happened in the AF when I served. I wonder if this is a fundamental break down across the board starting at the Basic Training level. Or is the Army Standards so low that they are dragging the bottom of the barely of humanity to fill their ranks. I am not being disrespectful. But I feel an interesting point and question to this debate.
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The fact that she understood that she was out of regs and didn't care reflects poorly on her own chain of command, not really on you. In my opinion, if you are an NCO you have earned the right to correct soldiers who knowingly and flagrantly violate AR 670-1. However, I think you made the proper call to not scuff her up in public, as that could have potentially reflected poorly on you and drawn negative attention to the uniform. Possibly, pulling her aside to discuss the regs and why she didn't care may have been your best best, but I don't know the entire situation, such as the amount of time your had to make the correction. All in all, you did the right thing.
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