What is the purpose of the "no profanity" policy in WLC?

Professionalism and the NCO Creed. "No one is More Proffesional than I"

SSG Timothy Sharpe That was, is, and continues to be "official" policy. In 1966, a CSM had a talk w/ me abt my verbiage. I recall saying, Yes , Sergeant Major! I still cannot recall what he was talking abt!

Damn; now I recall a later CSM having similar words w/ me abt my addressing him as a ??????

I went through PLDC in 1996 I think and there was a no profanity rule in place then. Being a grunt, it was very difficult to refrain from profanity but I managed. It's understandable the reasoning behind it, it's considered "unprofessional" to use profanity, even (probably) more so in the civilian world.

Warrior Leader? Is that what we call it today? SMH.....

As best I can remember this started way back in 91 when as an Operations Sergeant in an AIT Training Company we were told not to use derogatory comments toward the students nor were we to smoke within site of the students. The stupidity of it all was one of the reasons I retired....

As a US Army Soldier I agreed to follow the rules and regulations. It is against UCMJ to use any indecent language, under ARTICLE 134. "Indecent" language is that which is grossly offensive to modesty, decency, or propriety, or shocks the moral sense, because of its vulgar, filthy, or disgusting nature, or its tendency to incite lustful thought. Language is indecent if it tends reasonably to corrupt morals or incite libidinous thoughts. The language must violate community standards. See paragraph 87 if the communication was made in the physical presence of a child.". I agreed to following these orders. There is no stipulation in my contract that I can follow only the rules that I agree with. Do I agree with the rule. I actually do. If you are not discipline to control what comes out of your mouth, than how can I trust you will be discipline enough with a finger on the trigger.

Consider what our Army is doing to us:
• No swearing or other harsh language.
• No smoking, chewing or inhaling.
• Minimal drinking, most clubs have been closed.
• No fraternizing with the opposite sex, at least without a pre-contact agreement approved by and filed with JAG.
• Fraternizing with the same sex? No definitive guidance yet, but probably approved.
• No support for human trafficing. You have to get to the second to last paragraph of the policy letter to find out that patronizing prostitutes is not compatible with service in the US Army.
• Wearing of tattoos must be strictly regulated.
I couold go on, but I think you get the idea. Our leadership and its politically correct advisors are trying to transform the army into either Oliver Cromwell's New Model Puritan Army, the knights Templar or Hospitaller, the Theban Sacred Band.

One last question: what does any of this have to do with our army's ability to close with and destroy the enemy utilizing firepower, maneuver and shock effect?

Reminds me of the time I was a tank commander and a chaplain came around to explain, using most of the arguments seen here. I advised that there are times, as when a main gun shell casing splits, sends a yellow fireball back into the turret, and turns all the exposed hair on everyone's bodies into fine grey ash—well, at times like those an "Oh, darn" or "Oh, drat" just doesn't seem very satisfying. I'm pleased to report that after consideration the chaplain agreed with me. When on of our young warriors is at the range and, forgetting where his muzzle is pointing, rips a three-round burst along the firing line what do you say? "Oh jinkies, Bob, PLEASE try to be more careful!!

The 1SG in the next post makes the point that it is a NEW generation and we must adapt. Some of us are old enough to remember the 60's and 70's when it really was a new generation which we persuaded to adapt to the military.

When you find that your trans-gendered driver has been kidnapped by the enemy and raped to death it will be important to carefully consider your remarks because we all know that hatred of the enemy is unprofessional.

It's the new PC Army (which admittedly had it's start back in the late '90s.) Just because you don't cuss doesn't make you more "professional." It makes you more socially acceptable. In part, it's good manners. (You don't cuss up a storm while you're having lunch in a public place where there are wives and young children.) But I've known many "professional" NCOs who were a waste of space. They knew how to behave but not how to get anything done or manage their soldiers. When I was a young soldier, I had NCOs who called me everything except a child of God. And they were some of the best NCOs I ever had. They knew their jobs. They trained me. They gave me the appropriate attitude check when I messed up or got stupid.

When I was in, I didn't cuss all the time. There's a time and place. But not cussing at all (to extend to "My Girl" cadences is just one more step to turning soldiers into Boy Scouts with guns. Next thing you know, in addition to already giving recruits the option of rappelling in Basic Training pugil stick and bayonet training will be optional.

When I went to WLC my instructors had a zero swearing policy long before this policy came into play. Their belief was that swearing was not professional and this was a professional's course. They make the rules, I just had to play by them. It was tough because I love the F bomb more than life itself.

I believe it is a correct way of teaching WLC. How can it be professional development if they allow things that are not professional?

They are teaching you that you can be a successful leader without having to use profanity to get your message across. Great leaders can get their point across without cussing. I for one did and do cuss quite a lot.
Another reason for the no cussing is teaching discipline. Yes, they know everyone does use profanity in their everyday life. But, they are getting you to focus on getting you ideas across without profanity and it makes one really think about what they are saying.

ok enough with bashing NCO schools !!! FIRST // the NO CURSING rule in ANY military schools has been established back when they first started the NCO ACADEMY. The MAIN reason is PROFESSIONALLISM, RESPECT, HONOR, and CHARACTER - - if TRNG SENIOR SGTs were CURSING at you for everything, you would feel disrespected and in some cases soldiers would fail, or have no reason to continue, BUT to keep up HONOR is to treat, speak without cursing would build your character in a RESPECTFUL way. SECOND // when you are in charge of a group of soldiers, it would be nice to hear SGT's speak with out cursing to get his point across, thats the challenge, your SQUAD or PLATOON RESPECTING you because you do not curse at them, you speak with HONOR, you show them you've been educated by the BEST, you follow the NCO CREED, you want your men and women to follow you, you want them to RESPECT you, you want them to SPEAK highly of you, not belittle you behind your back, then other NCOs hear it and now your screwed, can not fix it, except transfer and start over, THIRD // as CSM AYALA taught me, EDUCATION is the key to success, how you use it will make you or break you, PROFANITY has no room in my brain, but RESPECT, HONOR, DUTY, as an NCO growing to be the ARMY's finest, you have a DUTY to your men and women to treat them fairly with respect FOURTH // YOUR MEN AND WOMEN IS THE EXTENSION OF YOU, HOW THEY BEHAVE, TALK, AND ACT IS HOW YOU TREAT THEM

I think it shows discipline. The ability to turn cussing on or off is an outward sign of the inward ability for any soldier to turn a habit into a conscious decision. We talk all time about "channeling our emotions." As professionals, one cannot be making life/death decisions based purely on emotions. If one cannot control one's speech in a controlled, how much more difficult would it be to keep it together in more stressful situations?

There is no need for it. I don't cuss around my kids so there is no need to cuss around people. In combat or not.

To paraphrase a noted author, 'profanity is a vain attempt by a weak mind to express itself forcefully'. The unfortunate truth is that profanity no longer has any impact on the response of others because it is so common place and used for no reason. In former days the utterance of profanity by a leader was reserved for an appropriate place, time and circumstance - and they very seldom occurred, so the led understood clearly the urgency that was being expressed. Today the rampant use of profane language has not only weakened the leadership position of the one using it, it has dulled the senses of those to whom it is directed. Make no mistake, I have used profane language in combat situations, often under my breath as a release mechanism for my own foreboding. However I found the greatest impact upon my platoon was to see me in apparent calm instructing and guiding their actions. You will find that cool waters temper steel, and that includes the backbones of others. Calm yourself, express the needed orders, in clear, concise and unambiguous voice and you will become that leader that your soldiers will respect and look to in times of greatest stress. A great example is the found in the movie We where solider once and young, recounting the Battle of Ia Drangin Vietnam. According to the actual commander on the ground there, the movie accurately portrays the Sergeant Major's demeanor during combat. I recommend strongly that you watch this man's portrayal and it's effect upon those about him.

I always figured it was attention to detail, not unlike which way one's boots were laced, as I understand it swapped each day (left lace over right lace and vice versa). It is also easier to understand an instructor if you don't have to wade through language that is unneeded for instruction. When I was in the NG during a local snow emergency, the only soldier who was able to access our armory during the first hours was our full-time motor sergeant. A friend and I were about to fall out of our chairs watching him attempt to address the reporters without his "normal" foul language spilling out. He was eventually saved by another soldier who was able to allow him to first do his job and do it with his usual colorful language.

The purpose is to reflect changes made in the military structure with women being allowed in combat jobs, people being allowed to serve openly regardless of gender preference and with the kids
being recruited today as in if there is no direct rule against doing something they will exploit is to the maximum. I was a tanker before I moved over to Signal when I was in the military so I had to make a change to the frequency of use, times, volume and places where I used profanity or I would not have made it, same thing applies to the current situation for everyone else now.

The use of profanity when giving orders, especially when time is critical and the situation is not one where you can use as many words as I am doing now can not be understated.

If one of my Infantry soldiers would have had a problem with me yelling "Move your ASS DAMMIT...!!!", I personally think the rest of the Platoon would have given him 'noogies' for weeks afterwards. To me, it was a Brevity Code that carried as much weight as the rest of the sentence I was screaming out.

For WLC (PLDC) to waste even a moment of their valuable time in attempting to change this very basic part of human nature is not only a travesty, but a complete waste of the allocated training time that could have been better used to reinforce values such as Honor, Self-Sacrifice, and Personal Standards being set so that junior enlisted can take heed and take heart.

My soldiers always came first, and they knew that
The lives and the welfare of my troops was of paramount importance, and followed in the tradition of "Mission FIRST, People ALWAYS". Which is a mis-nomer and actually if read and understood means you have ALREADY taken care of your soldiers before the Mission was ever assigned.

My only words for the Politically Correct (yet completed misguided) Leader that signed off on this monumental waste of time in the building block school of NCO culture?

STOP PISSING AWAY DAYLIGHT, and Move your ASS DAMMIT...!!!!

"Profanity is a sign of a week mind trying to sound intelligent, but failing miserably in the process." -Gordon B. Hinkley. I work in the reinforcing steel industry, and iron workers could make a sailor cry with how much they drop the f-bomb. I have been working on my boss for a few years training him to not swear continually as we meet new clients. As VP of Operations I can get away with criticizing him. He is getting better, he is down to 8 f-bombs per conversation!

When I went "Grass to Brass", the Commandant of OCS at the time allowed no profanity. It didn't seem to slow him down at all when it came to chewing butt. I've seen and been on the receiving end of a couple that were masterful but non profane. I admired him for it.

I didn't always follow his example in my career.

In all honesty as professionals we shouldn't be cursing any ways. I try to keep my sentence enhancers to myself. We all know their is a time and place to set your hat down and let it fly.