Posted on Oct 31, 2016
Soldier called me a POG and told me to leave the Commissary. What action can I take?
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Note: My friend Carlos is in the Coast Guard and sent me this question last night. He said he's not on RP due to OPSEC (whatever), so he asked me to ask this on RP on his behalf. He is pretty hell bent on getting this Soldier punished. Anyway, let him know your thoughts on the below.
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I’m in the Coast Guard and have been active duty for 6 years. I’m stationed in Hawaii right now. I was up by Schofield Barracks and went on base there, and went to go shop for a few things at the Commissary. I was waiting in line for some fresh meat and there were 2 Army soldiers also in line, in front of me. They were looking at me and saying things to each other. It looked like they were laughing at me. I heard one of them refer to me as a “POG” which is a slang term I am familiar with from social media stuff. I said to them “Excuse me, I heard what you just said, and I feel disrespected.” I was just trying to stick up for myself. One of the soldiers then squared up to me and said “Yeah, I did call you a POG. Because you are a POG. You need to up and leave here – this is an Army Commissary.” A few other people in line heard this and started laughing. I felt so angry that I just left the building.
I know the soldier’s last name from his top, and I would recognize his face. What actions can I take to report him to his chain of command? What other advice do you have?
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I’m in the Coast Guard and have been active duty for 6 years. I’m stationed in Hawaii right now. I was up by Schofield Barracks and went on base there, and went to go shop for a few things at the Commissary. I was waiting in line for some fresh meat and there were 2 Army soldiers also in line, in front of me. They were looking at me and saying things to each other. It looked like they were laughing at me. I heard one of them refer to me as a “POG” which is a slang term I am familiar with from social media stuff. I said to them “Excuse me, I heard what you just said, and I feel disrespected.” I was just trying to stick up for myself. One of the soldiers then squared up to me and said “Yeah, I did call you a POG. Because you are a POG. You need to up and leave here – this is an Army Commissary.” A few other people in line heard this and started laughing. I felt so angry that I just left the building.
I know the soldier’s last name from his top, and I would recognize his face. What actions can I take to report him to his chain of command? What other advice do you have?
Commissary
UCMJ
Coast Guard
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 1705
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While the army soldiers were disrespectful and childish, I don't think this rises to the level of disciplinary action beyond a counseling. Advice to Carlos: Rub against Army and Marines more often...it makes your skin grow thicker. You are a POG. So am I. I'm happy to NOT be a grunt, but so what? And it's NOT an Army commissary, it's a Defense Commissary (DeCA). Remind the grunt (non-POG) we're on the same team, and he should save his BS for the bad guys.
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MAJ Jay Callaham
A good friend of mine was Infantry for over 25 years. Like myself, his service was during the Cold War era. He was commissioned in '72 and retired in '97 or so. His career was what we call "nondescript." Garrison duty, training, trainer, that sort of thing. Though he served DURING Vietnam, didn't go. He was on duty DURING Desert Shield/Storm - as I was - on the staff of the Army Command and General Staff College at Leavenworth. Never deployed to a place to earn a CIB. He was not a POG, but plenty of POGs saw more action and did more real soldering. I was a tanker - so technically a POG. My point in all of that is that, regardless of branch, ALL military members serve. All are needed for whatever job it is that they're assigned to. Sure, branch and MOS pride - and rivalries - have their place, but not in the Commissary or any other public venue. I agree with the Colonel that this kind of silliness doesn't rise to the level of disciplinary action, but at the same time I feel that your friend should have, as COL Lenertz said, stood up to them and simply reminded the smartass that it's a Defense Commissary - branch immaterial, and he should have reminded the Grunt (non-POG) "we're on the same team, and he should save his BS for the bad guys."
I have a couple of friends who are Coasties and have full respect for the jobs they do. Checking out a tramp-freighter at sea, that could be a floating bomb, or full of well-armed drug runners, terrorists, human traffickers, whatever, can be every bit as dangerous as a raid on an ISIS facility in Iraq.
I have a couple of friends who are Coasties and have full respect for the jobs they do. Checking out a tramp-freighter at sea, that could be a floating bomb, or full of well-armed drug runners, terrorists, human traffickers, whatever, can be every bit as dangerous as a raid on an ISIS facility in Iraq.
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LTC (Join to see)
PO2 Troy Boyle - We all laugh and call each other names. It toughens us up for the real fight, and yes. When you're dragging some bullet catcher out of the freezing drink and he calls you a POG, drop him back in to learn his lesson. But, I ask you drag the poor infantryman back out. They're kinda' slow and don't often learn lessons the first time.
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1LT Peter Suedfeld
SSG(P) D. Wright Downs - Speaking of Willie and Joe, remember Bill Mauldin's "garritroopers" cartoon? I guess that's POG today, and I would guess that's what those two soldiers were.
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If anyone is offended by being called a POG, they seriously need to get thicker skin.
My advise, come up with some clever comebacks or carry some kleenex around.
My advise, come up with some clever comebacks or carry some kleenex around.
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PO1 Richard Wilson
Navy here, We used to call them Coasty's and in Vietnam they save so many Army and Marines and Navy from being swallowed by the sea, New Army doesn't know better now days. Can't we all just get along , we served the same country as they do now.
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PO1 Richard Wilson
We used to just get into fights with all branches and then we bought each other BEER'S
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"Make me"? Challenge them to a duel and raise your dukes. Have them call the MPs and escort you out of the place. Make a big stinkie, kick them in the gonads, laugh in their face and tell them you have a contagious disease spread through body fluids. Beg them to hit you. Call "incoming" and run in while they figure out what that means. Call mom, she'll fix it.
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MSG Lonnie Averkamp
PFC Donnie Harold Harris - It is a slang term, meaning "Posted on Garrison", so essentially a non-field soldier, like someone working at Base Finance or the A/G's office. If you have ever heard the term "Pogie Bait", it refers to getting favors from the Company Clerk (like having your leave paperwork expedited) by sneaking him/her snacks, back when they were hard to get on Base.
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SFC Lyle Green
PFC Donnie Harold Harris - New to me also, made me thing of a POGO Stick. But, being as ill acquainted with these new descriptions of Terms, Must be similar to REMF (Rear Echelon Mutter Fu...ers) we used back in the day. Just more PC ?????
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