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Last AT, we had this brand new Private joining our Battery. We had this problem with his MOS being phased out. So our 1sgt placed him with diffrent sections. From rader, to the gun line, then to my section. Supply. My battle buddy from rader told me he was a Charlie Foxtrot and explained to me that this private is always on his doggone phone. I found out this to be true when I gave him a lesson on tearing down Mk. 19, M2, M9, and even PMCS the LMTV. Every step I explained, I would look at him to make sure he understand. Instead he is texting this girl just so he can have a one night thing. My enacting supply sergeant even caught him walking with his phone and gave him a talk. What power am I allowed to utilize to fix this situation without escalating this to the next level? I tried calmly talking to him saying "if you want to stay off the shit detail then stay off the phone" but he told me to mind my own business. Am I allowed to tear him to pieces or is that a NCO thing only? How about a consoling statement? Can I make him push or do I need to get down with him like my buddies keep telling me?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 29
The thing is most enlisted see thing are easier then basic and they just asume that it ok to talk on a phone and such, It best to talk to him/her in manner and ask if they use they phone on break, But best to let your NCO knows, We are all a team, but it more right to let nco handle it, we don't tell them to do push up or punish them just because he's a pricate and you a specialist.
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PFC (Join to see)
I don't have a problem if he is on the phone talking for a good 20 minute to his family and after that straight to work, but my issue is that he picks up his phone every time it rings or vibrates just to text this female. Which is every 2-3 minutes and the content of the conversation should be left talked about on his own time or when he is at home.
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As several people have already said it depends on your unit and amount of delegated authority. The one thing I can tell you that hasn't been suggested is use YOUR phone against him: take pics and/or video and pass them onto your or his NCO's.
Either way, you're doing the right thing by trying to do something about him.
Either way, you're doing the right thing by trying to do something about him.
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PFC (Join to see)
I will be using what you suggested if he doesn't realize that being on his phone every 5 second is wrong and I tried to uphold the standard raised by my Drill Instructors.
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Depends on your unit, but more importantly. What was fine when I was a boot (ie hazing in any way they could imagine) is NJP-able this year.
If your command wants to coddle your boots, unless you don't care about getting in serious trouble, there's nothing you can do about it.
One of my boots didn't have his gear packed after his team leader had told him to for inspection. He told him he'd be back at x-hours to reinspect. When he came back, the boot was at the movies because his mom said, "you should do whatever you want to. The weekend is your time."
He got away with it. Something I would have gotten put on superman firewatch for and generally fucked with, he had no repercussions.
What they don't understand is that they're making these boots weak and basically sentencing them to death for the next conflict.
Whatever. I won't be here.
If your command wants to coddle your boots, unless you don't care about getting in serious trouble, there's nothing you can do about it.
One of my boots didn't have his gear packed after his team leader had told him to for inspection. He told him he'd be back at x-hours to reinspect. When he came back, the boot was at the movies because his mom said, "you should do whatever you want to. The weekend is your time."
He got away with it. Something I would have gotten put on superman firewatch for and generally fucked with, he had no repercussions.
What they don't understand is that they're making these boots weak and basically sentencing them to death for the next conflict.
Whatever. I won't be here.
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PFC (Join to see)
That soldier is beyond fuck up. It is never his time until the first line leader said it's your time and he need to soldier up and stop trying to milk his mom. After all, he did sign the paper saying "Uncle Sam will take care of everything as long as you do what he ask."
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Firstly you should never look at it as "fixing" someone. Generally it is not the lower rank service members problem more than the peer's and command structure's lack of proper training and remediation. Find out how you as a peer, even as a friend, can help that individual through the issue. Turn the task into something fun and rewarding if you have to. You don't always have to think inside the box. You will better yourself and those around you if you break out of the OODA loop. Asymmetric Warfare and Thinking, It’s not just for the “Other Guys.”
Try to train together, keeping in mind while you train of the OODA loop. The more you train, the more you practice, you can start removing Orient and Decide leaving only Observe and Act.
OODA Loop:
Observe The initial stimulus triggers a response.
For example, you are in a dark room and a TV set goes on unexpectedly. It gets your attention and you look in its’ direction – whats that?
Orient Identification of Stimulus
Oh, that’s the T.V. and that’s the Seinfield show.
Decide Decision to Act / Choice of Action
I’ve seen that episode – I’m going to change channels.
Action The physical act of carrying out the decision. You reach out and change the channel to another show.
Try to train together, keeping in mind while you train of the OODA loop. The more you train, the more you practice, you can start removing Orient and Decide leaving only Observe and Act.
OODA Loop:
Observe The initial stimulus triggers a response.
For example, you are in a dark room and a TV set goes on unexpectedly. It gets your attention and you look in its’ direction – whats that?
Orient Identification of Stimulus
Oh, that’s the T.V. and that’s the Seinfield show.
Decide Decision to Act / Choice of Action
I’ve seen that episode – I’m going to change channels.
Action The physical act of carrying out the decision. You reach out and change the channel to another show.
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PO3 Daniel Jones
Correct. Change the task, make it a competition if you have to, find rewards of some sort for him excelling and improving. You can also try and find ways to relate the tasks at hand to things he enjoys doing in his free time. That is all part of Observing. Something out there will motivate him. You just need to find that motivation and use it to your advantage. There should only be reward in this process and not punishment. Punishment of any sort will cause him to resent and mentally block the task in the end.
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PO3 Daniel Jones
Also, try and pull him more into the group. Your unit should be a brotherhood and a family. If he feels like he is part of the group he should be more motivated to do what he needs to do. Work will go by more quickly and he should be more motivated to hang out with everyone. Unit cohesion is key. You are supposed to work as one and fight as one.
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Unfortunately you won't have much authority to do anything unless you are placed as his team leader or some position that merits that authority. At your level you can warn him of the regulations unit level and army wide of phone use and soldier requirements (Maintaining competencies in basic tasks) and advise him that violating these obligations will force you to inform senior leadership.
Make him care or make some above him make him care.
Make him care or make some above him make him care.
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SGT (Join to see)
As has been mentioned before you're free to document and catalog his behavior. This will carry weight when his leadership weighs in on the situation. Good luck finding a resolution to the situation.
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Not your problem, do what you need to do for yourself. If your leadership is already aware pf the problem like you say then it is firmly on their shoulders. Don't let the kid drag you down. You aren't getting paid to make those decisions or try to fix people.
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PFC (Join to see)
I relized that it is indeed above my pay once everyone advice points towards escalating the issue to the next level. However, everyone is in some sort of leadership position, correct sergeant? If so, then the responsibility of a leader is to set the example for others. If I don't correct his behavior in a kindly manner, wouldn't that set the new standard for others to follow?
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SGT (Join to see)
You're not wrong, but also not entirely right. You can make a correction on general authority, but because it is on general authority you are appealing to their professionalism to carry out the correction. You are not in a position that allows any sort of actual consequences other than alerting your supervisor to the issue. Which from what you say, has already happened. It is the job of the leadership to set the example and enforce standards. It is your job to follow those examples and through peer to peer contact attempt to bring others at your level in line. Now, if it really is an issue and your supervisor isn't habdling the situation in a manner that is having an effect than by all means go to the next level. Just be ready for push back from your supervisor, it isn't right, but it does happen. Personally, I confiscate cell phones/ipods...electronic devices in general at the beginning of the duty day and return them at the end. I tried the "if i have mine you can have yours" thing but it was taken advantage of...so now all of them, mine included get locked in a bag that i carry with me everywhere.
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See what the your Company SOP is on cell phone. If the SOP are against them inform the SM. After that either you or your sergeant take his phone away from him or if you are in charge of him, put on all the shit detail you can-the dirtier the better. If he hasn't learn yet, take it to the next step.
Now me personally, I would told him once to put it up or I would break it. I was known to be an ass at time lol
Now me personally, I would told him once to put it up or I would break it. I was known to be an ass at time lol
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PFC (Join to see)
The dirtiest shit detail we had was trash run. But I will try all the ideas thay was given to me next time i see him on his phone.
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I would suggest you talk with your NCO's about the problem. Anything you do on your own can and probably will make things worse.
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SFC Everett Oliver
PFC (Join to see) -
It sure sounds like it to me, if nothing else ask your Sergeant for advice on how or if you should take action. They are there and know the situation better than you can describe it.
I know I would have brought smoke...
It sure sounds like it to me, if nothing else ask your Sergeant for advice on how or if you should take action. They are there and know the situation better than you can describe it.
I know I would have brought smoke...
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PFC (Join to see)
SSG Ryan Rodney : the 1sgt assign him to our section so we can teach him what supply do and my NCO told me to put him to work. So mu authority over him was not establish so I fell back on the authority of chain of command except all I was ever taught was either "on the spot correction" or leave it to the NCO. But no one ever told me how a PFC can do after the lower private refuse to follow the advice. Except just to keep on escalating it until a person who shouldn't need to know about this has to deal with it.
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PFC (Join to see)
SSG Ryan Rodney : ignoring it would conflict the theory of " on the spot correction" and I did report this to my NCO but the all he could do was give him a talk. Since he had bigger things to do since he was filling in for supply sergeant, he was busy running fuel cans to fuel points, helping do trash run, doing the blue 3 report, laundry run for the battery, ect. Ultimately the private was put on security detail at the Entry Control Point and trash run.
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PFC (Join to see)
My apologies, the comment about ignoring or reporting the private was for SFC Everett Oliver.
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