Posted on Jan 7, 2016
CPT Russell Pitre
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I just saw this video and felt like I was watching a multi-car accident on the interstate. It just got worse as it went on. What made it so bad as this was a SGT. The Safety was professional as he could be. Hats off to him. When I heard her say "I'm not Active Duty" I would have kicked her off the range. I am glad the Safety told her that she was a soldier and that he was a reservist too. If I was her CO I would have do everything I could to reduce her. But I think if you have a NCO like this in your unit the unit itself has a lot of issues in the first place. What kills me also is that she has a combat patch.

What would you have if you were the Safety?

Just so you know that you know it is believed that they Safety was a SSG just the same as was the soldier trying to load the mag.

https://www.facebook.com/Theseniorspecialist/videos/ [login to see] 43848/?fref=nf
Edited >1 y ago
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LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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Easy, corrective training. Train them to standard. I would NOT videotape it and post it for the world to see. That is not leadership. That is being a (insert your favorite word). Here the SGT has clearly failed herself, but her prior leadership failed her by not training her and the current one is just as bad. We all have "that one" Solider who we inherit and it is our job to train them. If after we try and give our 100% and they still fail then process them out. Otherwise you are a "leader" who needs to be processed out.
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SSG Military Police
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Edited >1 y ago
Where were the other NCO's? I would never let a Junior enlisted soldier talk to an NCO in that manner... no matter how screwed up they were being. The NCO should have been pulled off the line and fixed... but not videotaped/disrespected. Even if the person is screwed up she is still wearing stripes. This whole situation is fubar... I can't believe the unit let that be videotaped.
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1LT Platoon Leader
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I agree. This type of behavior would've been squashed if I saw that going on.
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1SG Civil Affairs Specialist
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I was wondering the same thing, SSG (Join to see). No Specialist is going to act like that in range of my hearing and get away with it. Much less shoot a video.
I'd certainly address the jacked up NCO, but that SPC would be improving his PT score.
Tact is just as important as being right.
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SFC Team Sergeant
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That video is SSG TO SSG
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CPT Military Police
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Edited >1 y ago
CPT Russell Pitre Maybe I'm not as acutely aware of being able to identify the sex of a soldier as you are, it seemed to be a gender neutral clip. That said, OMG what happened, what are they doing or not doing in basic training and who promoted a Soldier who can't get past a basic rifle marksmanship/basic combat training task? Guaranteed this is not the only area this Soldier is deficient in.
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CPT Military Police
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>1 y
GySgt John Olson - I'm not even sure it is a female. Did you watch the clip? If you can distinguish let me know how you are doing it.
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CPT Military Police
CPT (Join to see)
>1 y
GySgt John Olson - Clearing throat - a soft voice and curvature of the right cheek.... hmm could be but the voice wasn't that soft. I looked more at the hands because that was what was most visible in the clip and I couldn't make up my mind. P.S. That video is great!
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SFC Pete Kain
SFC Pete Kain
>1 y
GySgt John Olson - My first thought was female, after watching it the second time.. It is a male, possibly another senior specialist just taking a shot at the N.C.O. Corp and the Reserves. The unit that has those soldiers has a serious problem, if they are even still in the service. I really have some doubts about it.
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SGT Kenneth Stelly
SGT Kenneth Stelly
>1 y
Exactly, clip fails to work
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SN Greg Wright
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CPT Russell Pitre Christ, I drive ships for a living, and I can load a magazine. Wow.
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SSgt Terry P.
SSgt Terry P.
>1 y
SN Greg Wright Quit bragging,Greg. lol
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MSG William Hesser
MSG William Hesser
>1 y
Understand. I took my daughter down range and had her qualify with rifle and pistol so she could sand guard on her ship. She was a Hospital Corpsman and wanted to be able to cover a turn on deck, especially when they were in port, since she usually was on med duty to deal with those that went on shore and got messed up.
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SPC Eod Team Member
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Pull her off the range, have someone train her to load mags. She's wasting everyone's time.

I'm assuming every range she's been to in the past they've already had mags loaded for them.
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SPC Eod Team Member
SPC (Join to see)
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CPT Russell Pitre - Yeah I can't understand it either, there's clearly a lot of other issues going on with that NCO.
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SGM Steve Wettstein
SGM Steve Wettstein
>1 y
CPT Russell Pitre - She could have been in a small unit (under company size I believe). They are authorized to wear the SSI-FWTS (combat patch) of the unit they get attached to.
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CPT Russell Pitre
CPT Russell Pitre
>1 y
SGM Steve Wettstein - That must be the case. It is just another point why I don't think you should get active duty patches if you aren't actually a part of the unit.
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MAJ Ronnie Reams
MAJ Ronnie Reams
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Could be an IMA with XVIII Corps.
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CW5 Jack Cardwell
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One thing I saw in the National Guard was soldiers who transferred in from Navy or Air Force. Many had never fired the M16 platform or if they had the only time was during basic. They would show up at the range and not have a clue. As RSO I stared asking who had never fired on had limited experience with the M16/M4 platform. I blame their NCOs for not identifying them before going to the range. They were pulled off the range and as time allowed given training.
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SSG James Pearson
SSG James Pearson
>1 y
We had an ex-sailor in my NG unit that didn't have a clue on the range. A few of us worked with him for a while and had him shooting Sharpshooter by the end of the day. He wasn't a failure, his training had gaps the size of trucks.
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SSG Audwin Scott
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I am sorry, I couldn't resist!!! WTH is her malfunction!
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SSG Audwin Scott
SSG Audwin Scott
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1SG (Join to see) - Roger that!
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CPT Russell Pitre
CPT Russell Pitre
>1 y
1SG (Join to see) - That is pretty good.
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SGT Jim Arnold
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MSG William Hesser
MSG William Hesser
>1 y
Well put.
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MSG Intermediate Care Technician
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Several issues I have with this:

1) If this was done as a joke, this was a PISS POOR joke. All this does is show the Reservist being the JOKE of the military to both civilians and other military folk alike.
2) If this situation were real, then this SGT is in the wrong with her answer. Having been MOB'd before, basing that on the 18th Airborne patch she has on her right sleeve, then she should have gone through this before and should know better. Now, if previous ranges she has been on had already loaded magazines....okay fine. But, if this is the first range she has been on where shooters had to load their own mags, then the Range Staff should have done a better job at instructions BEFORE people went to the line. If the self loading was previously identified, then her unit should have added this step to the PMI BEFORE arriving to the range. If they didn't then this fail is on both her (for her attittude) AND her unit for not properly training. If it was added to the PMI and she didn't pay attention, then clearly the fail is on her.
3) The Range Safety right next to her should have removed her from the line and sent her back to the rear for additional training.
4) While I understand the Safetys frustration with this NCO (and I use this loosely), if he were the one that posted this video on social media then that is wrong as well, as he did not help the image of Reservists and the military.
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SFC Alan Payne
SFC Alan Payne
>1 y
I see the SSG’s comment was some time ago and he’s not part of this conversation, I accept that perhaps he didn’t mean it exactly as he wrote it but if he did then I stand by my comments. There is just no excuse why any soldier past that first boot camp training would not be able to load a magazine, regardless of rank, branch, mos or component.
And if there’s one there are others. I have had to teach soldiers right on the firing line basic marksmanship skills. Some just needed a little reminder, some some coaching and some were clueless and had to be pilled of the line and given a quick down and dirty off the firing line. But all were treated with respect, this was a training opportunity and I found that all my students appreciated leaving my range with improved skills. Higher ranks were no problem either, just treated with respect and I received the same.
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1LT William Clardy
1LT William Clardy
>1 y
MSG (Join to see) is aware of your comments, SFC Alan Payne. Check the up-votes on this discussion. I suspect he's opting ot not pile on as long as his view is being conveyed reasonably well.
I think you're reading too much into his "okay fine". In context, I read that as "If this is the first time you've had to load a magazine, fine, let's fix that" Like you, treating with respect while focusing on fixing the problem. And definitely not snickering behind a smart phone and posting for the world to see and shame.
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SFC Alan Payne
SFC Alan Payne
>1 y
I agree I may have got the context a bit off, but an NCO that’s never loaded a magazine. That’s beyond me, if they’re out there then we’ve got some big problems. I can’t believe that we would be passing people through boot camp, calling them soldiers and they are incapable of operating the weapon that is the most commonly assigned personal weapon.
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1LT William Clardy
1LT William Clardy
>1 y
They are out there, SFC Alan Payne. I remember, back in '05 on Camp Victory, listening to a pair of chief wobblies talk about maintaining their M9s - one was very proud that they had finally managed to reassemble the pistol with no parts left over on the first try.
And that's why MSG (Join to see) and I were pointing out that the inept sergeant is not the only one who has failed at a common, necessary task.
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SFC Pete Kain
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The video looks staged and based on the opening comments, I believe it to be a joke and in poor taste.
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CSM Charles Hayden
CSM Charles Hayden
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SSG (Join to see) They always have and will continue to make fun of the reserves. Until the Big Army needs help because they are undermanned!
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SSG Military Police
SSG (Join to see)
>1 y
I was Security Chief for a Unit and when asked who I wanted for support.. I always said Reserves or National Guard, MP units. they bring more to the fight then just that one MOS...If you know how to utilize a reserve unit for their strengths and not just eh MOS label.
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SFC Alan Payne
SFC Alan Payne
>1 y
SSG (Join to see) - I learned that also, they bring all their civilian experience and training as well. We had a surgeon in my infantry company and he wasn’t a medic, just another spec 4 grunt but it was good to know that kind of experience was footing it pretty close!
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SSG Military Police
SSG (Join to see)
>1 y
I had a MSG that had not quailified with a rifle or pistol in 15 yrs, she was a Unit Administrator for a Resreve Unit. I spent several hours retraining her until she was a go at my station. We did ranges monthly, she knew the basics had just become rusty. NCO's No One is more professional then I am.. This SGT forgot that part.
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SFC Combat Engineer
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Also for the record, the guys voice and the way he talked was beyond annoying!!!!
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CPT Russell Pitre
CPT Russell Pitre
>1 y
No way Sarnt. What are you talking about Sarnt.
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