Posted on Jul 19, 2014
Why would the Chain of Command of command be hostile to questions?
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I have encountered a few NCOs and Officers above me who are hostile to questions. Some soldiers, who have genuinely asked for guidance on a personal issue have been dismissed, ignored, or otherwise left these offices feeling that what they have to say is unimportant. A lot of these soldiers are young, and have only served for a short time. They immediately feel unimportant. They feel that they have no one to turn to. What is the problem with these NCOs and Officers? What example are they setting for these future leaders? Should this kind of issue be addressed?
We get Suicide Prevention briefing, EO briefings, Sexual Harassment briefings, yet when a soldier with personal issues tries seeking help, a wall goes up as soon as he or she requests it.
I'm a person that believes that if soldiers and their problems annoy you, perhaps you should elect to not re-up and find another occupation. You are lucky to be able to serve in the American military. There are many who would love to serve and cannot.
I'm not privy to upper-echelon training briefs on this sort of thing. Is this sensitivity training? If so, do you think, in your experience, it has had a positive impact on morale? Or should soldiers dealing with these hostile people "suck it up, buttercup"?
We get Suicide Prevention briefing, EO briefings, Sexual Harassment briefings, yet when a soldier with personal issues tries seeking help, a wall goes up as soon as he or she requests it.
I'm a person that believes that if soldiers and their problems annoy you, perhaps you should elect to not re-up and find another occupation. You are lucky to be able to serve in the American military. There are many who would love to serve and cannot.
I'm not privy to upper-echelon training briefs on this sort of thing. Is this sensitivity training? If so, do you think, in your experience, it has had a positive impact on morale? Or should soldiers dealing with these hostile people "suck it up, buttercup"?
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 22
When it come to personal issues they are just that personal and needed to be kept that way. The reason why for this is a soldier can not be thinking about stuff like never seeing his spouse and kids again when in combat because that hesitation is going to get someone killed. In the military you need to learn how to stow all your personal issues when your deployed so you can stay focused on what's going on around you ie. check your 5's and 25's. Part of the cold shoulder I feel is coming from that mind set. To me the millennial's are way to soft and find it difficult to overcome difficult tasks. I coach rugby and have seen a downward spiral in fortitude. When they get down they just give up. It is hard to coach this out of someone. They need to relearn how to have courage in pain or in adverse conditions. Not saying all are like this but it just what I see. This issue I feel is more or a divergences in how multi-generations view themselves and each other. For me millennials want to look up to NCO's and officers, learn from them, and receive daily feedback from them. They want “in” on the whole picture and to know the scoop. They want NCO's and officers to spend a lot of time teaching and coaching .They also expect your very best investment of time in their success. From their perspective I probably come off as an abrasive a-hole but the military is not a resort with a concierge desk. It's either a dirty nasty job of killing people or supporting those who do a dirty nasty job of killing people. This level of indifference can transcend the battle field. Not saying its right just trying to help explain it.
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MAJ Derrick J.
That's all well and good for in-your-face combat situations, but there comes a time when you cant stow the "stuff" anymore and it needs to be dealt with.
So, while I accept your premise about combat operations, I do not accept it in garrison or during transitions in or out of theater.
So, while I accept your premise about combat operations, I do not accept it in garrison or during transitions in or out of theater.
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SPC David S.
Roger that sir. I was indeed talking from a deployed perspective and about trivial personal issues that can and do lead to poor job performance. As I work with a couple of non profits that mainly deal with PTSD I understand that there are many deeper issues that exasperates the stress already placed on individuals and their families that are deployed. I by no means meant to mitigate any personal issues of this nature. The chain of command should play an integral role with getting help for soldiers that are dealing with sexual assaults, addictions, or other serious mental health issues. However I feel the role of the NCO and officer is more about directing the appropriate resource for an individual rather than trying to be the care giver. Not to say NCO's and officers should be apathetic in helping I just feel it would be hard not to pass unfavorable judgement on these individuals with a superior being cognizant of the issue.
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Today there are tools like RP where one can seek advice. Use those tools, but some at some commands may not 1. Be aware or 2. May not have access to RP which leaves them with the original problem, hoping they have someone that they can discuss a personal issue with. Coping with issues are stressful for individuals and their teams, so a discussion is the best alternative. Today many should have some sort of training in their command with dealing or counseling individuals. But, there will be times in the military where situations may prevent a counseling session due to inclement circumstances. Meditate and focus when and if these times occur until you have the proper opportunity to have a counselling time. I hope this was helpful. If your command doesn't have an individual, please utilize and follow the CPT's advice using RP.
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