Posted on Feb 3, 2015
SSG Squad Leader
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this is for learning purposesonly!! I always knew that it was highly discouraged for an NCO to date Junior Soldiers that is not under his command and/or the same unit, but the new 600-20 chapter 4 changed (November 2014) that into its prohibited completely! what would you do if there is an NCO that dating an (E1-E4) in the same BD but not int the same BN?? how would you go about that when known that they keeping it off the books but other Soldiers talking about it because they have seen them together? do you make an issue out of it and interfere or just wait until it's an issue that raised by one of them??
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Responses: 6
SSG (ret) William Martin
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Before I married I dated a few Soldiers I out ranked and they weren't even in my BN. Sometimes I think the Army wants too much control over our lives. If a SSG and a PFC want to date and they aren't even in the same BN or even BD, what does it matter, and why would the Army care? Is it unprofessional because someone says so? I am not going to ask and if I knew for sure meaning, I had proof there was an "inappropriate" relationship as the OP stated, I wouldn't say anything until it became a problem.
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COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM
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- Similar issue came up in the late 1990s when, in an effort to standardize the services, DoD basically mandated that officer / enlisted relationships were not authorized. Couples at that time either had to get married or stop the relationship. The problem was that a relationship was authorized in one service and unauthorized in another service leading to issues when more than one service were at a location.
- I believe the intent of the regulation is to ensure there are no "office romances". The timing of the change may have something to do with Soldier 2020 and the opening up of the combat arms to females. The issue we will have in 2016 (expected implementation) is that we will have female 2LTs and female E1s in formations with no female middle management (E5, E6, E7) in units that were previously all male.
- Obviously an office romance in the above situation will be detrimental to the good order and discipline of the formation. One way to mitigate the risk is to outlaw the behavior.
- In current organizations that are already gender mixed, the argument is less pervasive but still applicable in my opinion.
- I disagree with SSgt L Ol. I do think this is part of the chain of command's business and is not just a personal issue. Office romances are not outlawed in the civilian world but they are frowned upon for good reason. The military operates and lives different from the civilian world therefore we have taken a different approach to the issue.
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SSG Squad Leader
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Rgr Sir, I disagree with ssg L OI too. I don't think that it's none of the chain of commanda business.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
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"its prohibited completely!"

Here's the issue.

When it was highly discouraged, you could take a "blind eye" approach. Now that it is prohibited, and YOU are aware of it, you need to bring it to the senior of the pairs attention, and to YOUR immediate senior's attention.

You either condone it, or your report it. As it is a breach of policy, you have an obligation to enforce the standard, regardless of how you feel about the standard.

Personally, I think it's idiotic, as described in the above post. I had an active duty spouse (separate command). Others have mentioned CPL vs SPC (both E4). But it's not opinions that matter, it's the regulations.

When it boils down to it, you either nip it in the bud, or you answer why you didn't when it becomes a problem.
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