What is the stupidest thing you've ever had a senior leader (LTC/SGM or higher) say to you?

2014-05-10T23:56:46-04:00

For me it was: "I think riding motorcycles is stupid, and I hate all motorcycle riders because they're stupid."

I ride, and I know I'm smarter than your average bowl of jello... and most E-7's and up (with exception for SFC Carden)...

Response by SFC A.M. Drake made May 11 at 2014 1:07 AM

2014-05-11T01:07:32-04:00

Do as I do not as I say! What?!?

Response by SFC Stephen P. made May 14 at 2014 5:46 PM

2014-05-14T17:46:13-04:00

Conversation with a CSM as to why I couldn't staff her BN in a different state with experienced, DMOSQ senior NCOs:

"Don't you have E-7s and E-8s going into the IRR from active duty?"

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2014 5:50 PM

2014-05-14T17:50:14-04:00

I took a wounded warrior to a promotion board and after the Soldier explained his plans were to become a radiologist the CSM belittled him and said exactly this; "Are you kidding me! Why would you want to do that? Haven't you seen Star Wars or Star Trek? They waive this funny machine over your body like a remote control or something and it goes beep beep and there you go. They have your diagnosis."

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2014 6:08 PM

2014-05-14T18:08:28-04:00

Heard a navy Captain (O-6 for you non-navy types) inform a navy petty officer in a very self-righteous tone of voice: "all enlisted personnel are stupid, ignorant fools that couldn't manage even the simplest tasks without officers to guide them" The Navy Captain received notification that he was not accepted to the War College the next week. The Navy petty officer had 2 masters degrees (one in languages), spoke 7 languages and had just returned from briefing the Secretary of the Navy.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made May 14 at 2014 6:22 PM

2014-05-14T18:22:55-04:00

I had a 1SG that told soldiers in the motorpool to mop the concrete where the vehicles, and tanks are parked.

Response by SFC Robert Allen made May 14 at 2014 7:31 PM

2014-05-14T19:31:08-04:00

Had an Air Force 3-Star tell me, get on that machine and show me where every MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defense System) in Bosnia was. I couldn't help myself, I pulled up a map of the entire country and said: "Here General." Indicating the entire country. (I was working with NATO at 5th Allied Tactical Air Force in Summer 1995. A French plane had just been shot down.)As his blood pressure was visibly rising I said, "General, its a two-meter long pipe on a guy's shoulder. I can't track it." He realized how dumb his statement was, thanked me, and walked away muttering to himself. Same General later became USAF Chief of Staff.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2014 12:45 AM

2014-05-15T00:45:58-04:00

"Shipmate, we are in the yards, efficiency will get you into trouble."
ETCM Cornish (EDMC)

Response by SFC Stephen Carden made May 15 at 2014 11:38 AM

2014-05-15T11:38:14-04:00

Up yours, SFC Wayman.

Response by SFC Robert Allen made May 16 at 2014 9:25 AM

2014-05-16T09:25:15-04:00

I had a Major I worked for for a year or so that never cussed. He was super straight-laced and almost never got angry. I got him so bad one day he looked at me and said, "Sergeant Allen, F**k you!" It was a huge achievement on my part I think.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2014 9:46 AM

2014-05-16T09:46:24-04:00

As a PFC I was tasked with another Soldier to be a TOC guard for a III Corp level warfighter excersise. Well we were just sitting there when this LTC stormed in all hot and bothered. It seems he just got his rear end chewed out big time by someone with a lot more rank then he had. My guess it was someone with Stars. He turned to both of us and said something to the effect. "I just got told I don't paid enough to think! This is some #@&*&@ Bull$h!T!!!!!"

I just looked at my battle and we were like, We don't get paid enough to think, my company commander does not get paid enough to think, my Battalion commander does not get paid enough to think, who the heck does? Who is really thinking around here? Who is driving this train if LTCs are not allowed to think ether????

Response by PO1 G. Leslie /Stiltner made May 16 at 2014 7:31 PM

2014-05-16T19:31:56-04:00

While on recruiting duty at one of our monthly zone meetings the Command Master chief had just congratulated the top recruiter for the recruiting district for that month. After the awards we discussed the up coming months goals and the question was asked about putting in non grads with a high qualification score. The master Chief responded with and I quote "We are not accepting any Non Grads they are a pile of S**t, and a Non Grad with a 65 or better AFQT is just a pile of S**t covered in Gold!" The recruiter he just awarded Top Recruiter of the month joined the Navy as a Non Grad. He stopped being an over achiever and only put in his minimum required from then until the Master Chief Retired. Oh He had not only been the top recruiter for the district that month but the 5 months prior also.

Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made May 16 at 2014 8:40 PM

2014-05-16T20:40:38-04:00

Hahaha SFC Wayman you are seriously my hero! I would never have the guts to post this type of question lol.

Prior CSM said "no you can't wear a dress to the ball, you have to wear your uniform" UGH that's STUPID!!!

Oh wait, that's just the one thing I didn't want to ever hear lol...

The stupidest thing I have ever heard a senior leader say was to my former OIC during her second deployment to the Stan.
He condescendingly asked her "what do you know about going outside the wire?"
She was a transportation platoon leader during her first deployment. Her job was to run convoys all over southern Afghanistan. The woman had been blown up and watched her troops get blown up over and over.

SMH...idiot.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2014 9:47 PM

2014-05-16T21:47:59-04:00

We have a vehicle called a transporter-erector that is used for installing missile downstage on site. The TE stands 70' tall when erected. In order for that to happen it must be anchored on ridiculously beefy pylons.

Maintenance teams were preparing vehicles to display during an air show when the wing commander shows up. He asks, "Can we get those thingies to erect the TE for the air show?"

"The what sir?"

"The things you use to make the TE erect."

Well, there aren't any thingies on the flightline.

Plenty of head shaking that day.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2014 12:59 AM

2014-05-17T00:59:13-04:00

When I came home early from Iraq in '04, I ended up working protocol for 8 months. This was Fort Polk during the 2ACR (my unit) and the stand up of 4th BDE 10th Mountain transition. One day I had the Secretary of the Army with me, and he started to notice a lot of 10th MTN patches... he turns to me, and quips "Sanders, I sure do see a lot of 10th guys, but where are all your people at?"

I was like huh? Did YOU have to sign the order to move my ENTIRE regiment to JBLM and stand up a BRAND NEW brigade? The major in charge of protocol was just staring at me as I was driving with his face telling me "don't you say a word..."

Response by SSG Trevor S. made May 17 at 2014 11:57 AM

2014-05-17T11:57:31-04:00

A COL verbally assaulted my squad while we were on a detail. The crux of his problem with us was "Sand doesn't go in sandbags" (the detail was filling sand bags). There wasn't much I could do except shake my head and direct him toward my commander for further expressions of his disapproval.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2014 4:15 PM

2014-05-17T16:15:38-04:00

While chaining down D-7 dozers on trailers for transportation, a CSM came over and demanded to know where the chock blocks for the dozers were, and why we were crawling under the dozers. He also suggested our uniforms were too dirty before allowing us to continue.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2014 9:21 PM

2014-05-17T21:21:36-04:00

Sir, get the hell out of my aid station was it for me.

Response by CMSgt James Nolan made May 17 at 2014 9:37 PM

2014-05-17T21:37:58-04:00

When I was a Senior Corporal (yes, that is an actual term-promotions were frozen, and I was crusty and grumpy)...I had been married for about 6 months, and was living on base (at the time had 5 1/2 years active Marines), we got a brand new 2nd Lt, fresh out of OCS, who came to the base and was now #2. He called a meeting of all the NCOs to "let us know how life in the Marines was going to be". He proceeded to spell it out for us. Then, as he was concluding this comedy of errors, he advised us that on Friday night his wife was going to be having a meeting with all of the NCOs wives, to "let them know how life in the Marines was going to be". Suffice it to say that he was out of the Corps not long after I was (his short career was a comedy of errors)...........Rank does not earn respect, the leader wearing the uniform does! Semper Fi (does not apply to that particular LT).

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made May 17 at 2014 9:42 PM

2014-05-17T21:42:08-04:00

I had a super angry 1SG over thefts in the barracks in Korea who said, "mother[blank]s fall down the stairs when the lights are off".

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2014 2:42 PM

2014-05-19T14:42:08-04:00

Battalion Commander (and I quote) "You cannot be efficient unless you are redundant." Ummmm...

Response by LTC Dwayne Morton made May 20 at 2014 4:34 PM

2014-05-20T16:34:24-04:00

When I was a Company Commander, attending a Command & Staff Meeting with my peers, my Bn. Cdr. said to me: “I cannot believe you bought a Japanese car!” At first I thought he was joking but, then I realized he was serious. My response; “Sir, please feel free to buy any American car you want and I will be glad to drive it."

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2015 4:37 PM

2015-01-17T16:37:15-05:00

I am looking forward to folks sharing things I might have said!

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2016 1:15 PM

2016-06-02T13:15:03-04:00

A task in my last USAR unit (I'm IRR now, not TPU) that was on the computer, and could EASILY be automated...and my commander said to me "That's not our job".

I'm a 255A, and it was on Sharepoint. Plus, automating the task would have increased our productivity on that task by an order of magnitude. I'm a warrant officer, I solve problems in my field. It was stupid of him to tell me that, because that was the beginning of the end...and now he no longer has access to my services, and my blood pressure is down ten points.

Response by PO2 Kayla Modschiedler made Nov 9 at 2016 9:54 PM

2016-11-09T21:54:35-05:00

I once had to observe our CO clear his weapon and he actually stood with his back to me while he cleared is 9mil so I couldn't see him. I notified him that I could see whether or not hear actually cleared the chamber. He look at me like he was going to kill me and said "It's clear". I can honestly say I was seriously terrified of that man. He was a forensic psychiatrist and clearly walking a very thin line between sanity and insanity. I was extremely relieved when he was relieved from deployment by a dentist. Never been happier to see a dentist in my life.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2023 4:08 PM

2023-12-13T16:08:30-05:00

"That's officer business. I just make recommendations you guys make decisions.
I haven't made any decisions. Not any good ones." CSM, 13JUN22

"I'm just amazed that in only two weeks we still managed to learn more than you all do in all of BOLC." - SFC, day after returning from MLC.

"Quit trying to solve problems!" - CSM, after I had been asking around for more info from the companies on our Pay Agent and FOO OPORD.

"Yeah, but you're systematically riding the lightning." - LTC, asking me how I was doing after coming out of our staff MDMP meeting where I took charge because the XO, for unknown reasons, wasn't present. I told him I was riding the lightning.

"Alright, I can't say that in the chat. I have to be... nicer." - MSG, During first week of AG Wash prep, about to post in a group chat to other NCOs.

"Rgr, I am tracking. I'm able to brief the commander by memory, but I'm going on leave tonight so I won't be there." - SPC, before block leave, after just being sent home by MSG with a plan to update his slides on Tuesday and be ready to brief... on Tuesday. The response from the MSG: "SPC, how are you going to brief him from memory if you're not there?!"

"Let me show you. NO!" - CPT, in the hallway talking about a new order from BDE, after in exasperation I said, "how do I say 'no' to them!?"

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2023 7:01 PM

2023-12-13T19:01:05-05:00

It's usually me that's saying it.