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The answer is obviously never. When the Soldier in question is an NCO, its is equally important. Today, I had an NCO, the only female Soldier in my PLT, tell me she had no trust in the unit because of past leader actions. I'm a new PL, but I had spent the last 24+ hours trying to accommodate to her situation (CQ, BH, training requirements) in light of the mission in a way that I felt was reasonable. I was met with attitude, apathy, and strong elements of insubordination. COVID, the overall mission, and a shortage of NCOs have introduced more complex variables than I have never encountered. However, I was dumbfounded by an NCO that could not grasp her duty.
She was scheduled for a 24 CQ shift. She also was part of a crew that needed to certify in the next couple weeks, and her crew had not had time to train properly. I suggested she train during the day she had CQ. My plan was for her to train during the day with a 5 hour break before she would resume CQ, and this was unacceptable to her. We found a compromise where she would go train for 1 HOUR, but she still told us she did not trust us because we "put the mission before Soldiers." This was a smack in the face given my efforts to disagree with other NCOs, me trying to consider all elements of the situations.
Any thoughts? Questions are also welcome.
She was scheduled for a 24 CQ shift. She also was part of a crew that needed to certify in the next couple weeks, and her crew had not had time to train properly. I suggested she train during the day she had CQ. My plan was for her to train during the day with a 5 hour break before she would resume CQ, and this was unacceptable to her. We found a compromise where she would go train for 1 HOUR, but she still told us she did not trust us because we "put the mission before Soldiers." This was a smack in the face given my efforts to disagree with other NCOs, me trying to consider all elements of the situations.
Any thoughts? Questions are also welcome.
Leadership
NCOs
Air Defense
Morale
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 35
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When do you give up on a Soldier? The answer is certainly not "never".
In short, when one Soldier is consuming their respective leaderships time and attention to the point that the rest of the Soldiers in that leaderships charge is being neglected, it's time to consider chaptering that Soldier.
The old adage of "ten percent of our Soldiers occupying 90% of our time" is a well intentioned, but flawed thing to accept.
All Soldiers are entitled to leadership, mentorship and guidance. Not just our problem children. When one member of the unit is causing the rest of the units morale and readiness to decline by making the leadership absentee parents to the rest of the unit, it's time to go.
It's not abandonment. All the attention and wishful thinking in the world will not turn a cancer into a kidney or liver.
The unit deserves leadership that will remove cancer instead of allowing it to metastasize.
In short, when one Soldier is consuming their respective leaderships time and attention to the point that the rest of the Soldiers in that leaderships charge is being neglected, it's time to consider chaptering that Soldier.
The old adage of "ten percent of our Soldiers occupying 90% of our time" is a well intentioned, but flawed thing to accept.
All Soldiers are entitled to leadership, mentorship and guidance. Not just our problem children. When one member of the unit is causing the rest of the units morale and readiness to decline by making the leadership absentee parents to the rest of the unit, it's time to go.
It's not abandonment. All the attention and wishful thinking in the world will not turn a cancer into a kidney or liver.
The unit deserves leadership that will remove cancer instead of allowing it to metastasize.
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The Army doesn't run on cliches and motivation, that stops working after Basic. The Army runs on reality and finite resources. The most finite resource of those is time, you cannot allow one Soldier to absorb all the time that other Soldiers deserve and need.
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OK, new Platoon Leader. Come up with the plan, sit down with your PSG and go over it, then both of you sit down and inform that NCO of the plan. Last time I looked, the Army isn't a democracy and as long as it's a lawful order, then it needs to be obeyed. You are the Platoon Leader, step up and act like it. The squad/section leaders should be answering to you and this one sounds like you need to have a loud "heart to heart" discussion of what you expect of her and what you think her weaknesses are and how you want them corrected. If this NCO is incapable of following instructions, start documenting that fact with counseling statements, etc, and put her out of the service.
Sit down with your Platoon Sergeant and get his views of this soldier and listen to his suggestions. He has been around the platoon and that soldier longer and has years more experience. You don't always need to follow those suggestions, but make sure you have valid reasons not to use his advice. Make sure that he supports your course of action.
Sit down with your Platoon Sergeant and get his views of this soldier and listen to his suggestions. He has been around the platoon and that soldier longer and has years more experience. You don't always need to follow those suggestions, but make sure you have valid reasons not to use his advice. Make sure that he supports your course of action.
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MAJ Glenn Bergeron
That's what I initially thought reading this. "What is / is there the PSG's involvement?"
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PO2 Robert Cuminale
The first thing I'd like to know is who recommended this person for advancement and why? Was she a good performer who has changed her mind about the additional duties and responsibilities expected from her? Perhaps retreating back to her previous grade (administratively not punitively) would be the fair thing for all. If advancement is needed for reenlistment and she can't be recommended for advancement then she can't be recommended for reenlistment either. You get a person who performs her duties well at her old grade and she is released when her contract is up. Not everyone is cut out for NCO. Make room for a better qualified person.
Personally this person scares me and I wouldn't want her in my squad. If she doesn't realize that we're enlisted to perform missions how can I trust her to be in her position when the time comes. Whose life will she abandon to save her own?
Personally this person scares me and I wouldn't want her in my squad. If she doesn't realize that we're enlisted to perform missions how can I trust her to be in her position when the time comes. Whose life will she abandon to save her own?
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CPT Lawrence Cable
PO2 Robert Cuminale - She literally could have had a series of bad leaders, so I always want to give a soldier a chance. However, if that experience has made her incapable of being a member of the team, then you make a plan to document her actions and remove her from the scene. Not everyone is cut out to be a soldier or, as you pointed out, an NCO. OTOH, even as an Officer, I have had to deal with some pretty toxic chains of command that would have made it easy to just says the Army sucks. Fortunately, I have seen enough good leadership to understand that things can change for the better.
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PO2 Robert Cuminale
I didn't run into but one bad chain but several weak links. In my own department, Public Works the department took no interest in the men at all. He stayed in his office doing paperwork. The same with assistant, a LTjg. Supervision was left to the Chiefs. We had one E-8 who was an exceptional man, proficient in everything, his rating was utilities. A sharp dresser with creases running through the middle of every button on his shirt. We lost him when he was selected for commissioning as a Limited Duty Officer. Under him the shops ran smooth. There wasn't anything we wouldn't do for him. An anecdote: I had the Public Works duty one Friday night. The urinals at the EM club were clogged. I called him and he came down. I'm an Electrician so I know beans about plumbing. I unscrewed a urinal from the wall. He was on the floor supporting it. When it came loose his head was doused with about a quart of urine. It didn't phase him. Ater the urinal was set down he ran his head under the faucet and we went back to work. Its difficult to turn down work because it's beneath you after you've seen an E-8 get a piss shower.
His replacement wasn't as decent. His goal was to learn to build golf courses. I can't imagine how much of the Navy's money went into ours as he worked out his education for retirement. He was also vindictive. If he didn't like you he found ways to make life difficult for the lower rated people.
The Chief I worked directly for was a functional alcoholic. He did things that embarrassed us. And his family suffered as well. He was so bad that one year the Chiefs board cited him and eleven other Chiefs in the whole Navy as being unfit to be Chiefs. His wife waited until he retired and divorced him. There were a couple of others as well. One E-6 made Chief and they didn't have a billet for him. They put him in charge of the Chiefs' Mess. He died two years later from Liver Cirrhosis.
If anything aggravated me most it was the culture that protected the drunks. That I think cost the Navy more reenlistments than anything else. People got frustrated working for these people and got out. I know I did. I stayed with the reserves instead. That was the weak link and it affected every command, division and department.
It's been 46 years since I left active duty. I would hope that that weak link had been eliminated by now.
His replacement wasn't as decent. His goal was to learn to build golf courses. I can't imagine how much of the Navy's money went into ours as he worked out his education for retirement. He was also vindictive. If he didn't like you he found ways to make life difficult for the lower rated people.
The Chief I worked directly for was a functional alcoholic. He did things that embarrassed us. And his family suffered as well. He was so bad that one year the Chiefs board cited him and eleven other Chiefs in the whole Navy as being unfit to be Chiefs. His wife waited until he retired and divorced him. There were a couple of others as well. One E-6 made Chief and they didn't have a billet for him. They put him in charge of the Chiefs' Mess. He died two years later from Liver Cirrhosis.
If anything aggravated me most it was the culture that protected the drunks. That I think cost the Navy more reenlistments than anything else. People got frustrated working for these people and got out. I know I did. I stayed with the reserves instead. That was the weak link and it affected every command, division and department.
It's been 46 years since I left active duty. I would hope that that weak link had been eliminated by now.
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