Posted on Apr 1, 2015
What do you think of an SM spending personal money to support unit OPS?
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A little background. I am the training supervisor for my section in an Air Traffic Control company in the National Guard. My section's equipment is a heavily networked truck which requires a fairly large area of land next to the motor pool when we set up for training (almost every month), primarily for an extensive antenna farm. But a required part of training is to be able to remote the trucks computer interface into a simulated TOC.
This means un-spooling between 300 and 600 feet of CAT-6E cable from the installation position to the simulated TOC in our armory. The problem is that this cable crosses the exit to the motor pool where it gets brutalized by passing heavy vehicles, which has resulted in me and another tech-savy soldier having to recover and repair the cable. This ends up being both time consuming and costly, so I had an idea to avoid it. I wanted to get some of the roadside cable protectors that look and function like speed bumps, they aren't expensive, but supply hasn't the budget to order them and I have been told that we can't be authorized for them in the system.
Is it wrong for me to simply go out and get something myself to save my unit some money in the long run? Why should/shouldn't a soldier simply be able to contribute in this way to the success of their team if they are willing and able to do so?
This means un-spooling between 300 and 600 feet of CAT-6E cable from the installation position to the simulated TOC in our armory. The problem is that this cable crosses the exit to the motor pool where it gets brutalized by passing heavy vehicles, which has resulted in me and another tech-savy soldier having to recover and repair the cable. This ends up being both time consuming and costly, so I had an idea to avoid it. I wanted to get some of the roadside cable protectors that look and function like speed bumps, they aren't expensive, but supply hasn't the budget to order them and I have been told that we can't be authorized for them in the system.
Is it wrong for me to simply go out and get something myself to save my unit some money in the long run? Why should/shouldn't a soldier simply be able to contribute in this way to the success of their team if they are willing and able to do so?
Posted in these groups: 
Air National Guard
Training
Air National Guard Training
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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Absolutely against a Soldier spending personal money to support unit operations for several reasons:
1. What starts out as voluntary can quickly turn into expected by higher leaders, peers, and/or subordinates.
2. The illness is not enough unit funds. Using personal money masks the problem rather than solving the problem. Masking the problem ensures that higher leaders are not properly informed that there is a problem in the first place.
3. Some Soldiers have access to independent wealth while others do not and live pay check to pay check. Just because a Soldier can do something (use personal money to support unit ops), it does not necessarily follow that a Soldier should do something.
4. I am not aware of private industry having the expectation that a worker contribute personal funds for what the organization should be funding. If private industry does not expect it then why should personnel in the public sector to include the military?
1. What starts out as voluntary can quickly turn into expected by higher leaders, peers, and/or subordinates.
2. The illness is not enough unit funds. Using personal money masks the problem rather than solving the problem. Masking the problem ensures that higher leaders are not properly informed that there is a problem in the first place.
3. Some Soldiers have access to independent wealth while others do not and live pay check to pay check. Just because a Soldier can do something (use personal money to support unit ops), it does not necessarily follow that a Soldier should do something.
4. I am not aware of private industry having the expectation that a worker contribute personal funds for what the organization should be funding. If private industry does not expect it then why should personnel in the public sector to include the military?
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SGT (Join to see)
COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM
Well said, sir. Thanks for your input on an angle that I have somewhat naively overlooked.
Also, a big HELLO from TX to my good old home state of MO.
Well said, sir. Thanks for your input on an angle that I have somewhat naively overlooked.
Also, a big HELLO from TX to my good old home state of MO.
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Col (Join to see)
I am in total agreement with Col Smallfield. I would also add that it is more important to elevate this up the chain of command with a letter stating how the "speed bump" you have researched would cost less in $manpower and $cable repair / replacement costs. I applaud your intent. If we augment the Federal and State budgets, we will always find ourselves in a hole. Spend your money on morale for your unit (we have no budget for that).
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SGT Richard H.
I was actually going to respond that I saw nothing wrong with it until I read your comments. Good points all, sir.
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1LT William Clardy
COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM, I have to quibble with your second point.
The real illness is locking into a vision of a pre-made solution to the exclusion of equally effective lower-cost improvisations.
The real illness is locking into a vision of a pre-made solution to the exclusion of equally effective lower-cost improvisations.
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Were I your supervisor, I'd put that to your credit in an eval. Go for it.
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