Legal Services
Legal Services
Posted on Jun 28, 2020
Does the Army have the authority to throw away your laundry?
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Our SGM goes through the barracks multiple times a day. When he checks the laundry rooms, he goes through any washers or dryers that are not currently running. We were told today that any clothes will be trashed if they are not picked up within an hour of the cycle being completed. Do they have the authority to do this? Is there a legal way to dispute this?
Nonessential Information: My unit is tasked with decontamination of areas where there are confirmed Covid 19 cases. These missions can happen at any time and are on short notice. What happens if we are on mission while we have clothes in the laundry? I personally have a sleeping disorder that causes me to often be awake when I should be sleeping. I may also fall asleep when I should be awake. What happens if a pass out during the day with clothes running?
Nonessential Information: My unit is tasked with decontamination of areas where there are confirmed Covid 19 cases. These missions can happen at any time and are on short notice. What happens if we are on mission while we have clothes in the laundry? I personally have a sleeping disorder that causes me to often be awake when I should be sleeping. I may also fall asleep when I should be awake. What happens if a pass out during the day with clothes running?
Barracks
Army Regulations
Legal Services
South Korea
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 137
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The first and last time I had to use laundry in the barracks was in Panama. The first Saturday I was doing laundry I walked back in 45 minutes after I started a wash to find that someone else had put my clothes in the dryer, I also noticed that there wree more clothes folded up waiting to be picked up and less bags waiting for washers. 45 minutes later I went back to get my clothes out of the dryer only to notice that my clothes were already folded on top of the dryer, and there were no longer any laundry bags waiting for machines.
I realized that every soldier doing laundry was cycling every machine that was done whenever they walked in, so I did that too. Everyone was working as a team, rather than just dealing with their own laundry.
The moral of the story is that if you all work as a team, this won't be an issue anymore.
Or you can fight it, go to the BC first, maybe the IG after that, someone will eventually say that you can't throw a Soldier's clothes in the trash, and your E9 will move onto something else to fill his weekends, like room inspections every two hours.
I realized that every soldier doing laundry was cycling every machine that was done whenever they walked in, so I did that too. Everyone was working as a team, rather than just dealing with their own laundry.
The moral of the story is that if you all work as a team, this won't be an issue anymore.
Or you can fight it, go to the BC first, maybe the IG after that, someone will eventually say that you can't throw a Soldier's clothes in the trash, and your E9 will move onto something else to fill his weekends, like room inspections every two hours.
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SFC Mark Klaers
i used to think that only my platoon did that. Everyone chipped in. In fact, when we came in from the field, the squads would divide up to get things done so everyone could pass inspection and LEAVE POST. You only needed two guys to clean the mortars, so the others would clean rifles, pro masks, etc. until they turned in the tubes. As I was in FDC, as soon as my radios, MBCs, etc. were done I'd grab weapons and start in. The LT and PSG would handle their business with command, then run over to the Class VI store and drop of a couple cases of beer for when we were done.
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SGT Jim Wiseman
SFC Mark Klaers - The days when it was common sense to help each other out and get things done so you could take it easy. Regrettably, I was a late life entry, so I missed out on that. But I learned from NCO's that if you could get the things done they needed done on a given day, you could relax a little. It would be the command level's time to scramble and find something for you to do. Often times, they had to do their own tasks, so, they didn't really have time to find something for you to do... except maybe do that task again because, "You couldn't possibly have done it right the first time." Good NCO's knew to double-check or triple-check while performing the task or have the SPC's/CPL's placed in charge make sure. Done this way, you could still finish early and "look busy" in order to keep from having to do stupid stuff, especially if they knew it was the only task needed to be performed.
As for the SGM who comes through the barracks multiple times... I'd say they're very efficient at completing daily tasks, they are shirking their responsibilities or are the political hire and not given any real tasks to do, so they have to make up or "look for things to do" to make enlisted life miserable. And if it's done on the weekends, I'd say that's one miserable MF with no life or on the path to one by neglecting family.
As for the SGM who comes through the barracks multiple times... I'd say they're very efficient at completing daily tasks, they are shirking their responsibilities or are the political hire and not given any real tasks to do, so they have to make up or "look for things to do" to make enlisted life miserable. And if it's done on the weekends, I'd say that's one miserable MF with no life or on the path to one by neglecting family.
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My first thought is "... there's an E-9 with nothing to do ... ". I encountered several of them during my time in uniform.
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PFC David Scoby
PFC David Scoby - Yeah,we had the same full service on laundry at Ft. Benning in 1960.I never had to bother with washers and driers at Benning or Kaiser in Korea.Guess I was lucky.
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SGM (Join to see)
IF THE SGM IS AN CSM THEN HIS TASKING (JOB) IS ASH AND TRASH - THIS WAS CONFIRMED IN THE SGM ACAD CLASS 10 77-78 - I RET SGM 75Z ON 31 DEC 1986 - YES I'M AN OLD RETIRED FART - - - -39*2+5 = ?
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I don’t agree with throwing other people’s clothes out, however, to resort to this measurement means leaving clothes in the wash/dryer is an ongoing problem.
Realistically there is no excuse for your laundry to stay in the wash/dryer for an extended period of time. Having your laundry in their for that long of a period is selfish because you’re not the only one who has to do laundry. Police up behind yourself and don’t make excuses to leave your clothes in the washer/dryer for an extended period.
Realistically there is no excuse for your laundry to stay in the wash/dryer for an extended period of time. Having your laundry in their for that long of a period is selfish because you’re not the only one who has to do laundry. Police up behind yourself and don’t make excuses to leave your clothes in the washer/dryer for an extended period.
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SFC (Join to see)
True, there also isn’t really a valid reason to lea e it in there for an extended period of time knowing they are not the only ones to utilize the laundry room. I remember staying in the barracks as an SSG in Korea and people would leave their clothes in there for days. We would remove the clothes and days later having to make an announcement in PT formation about the clothes that were left. So we ended up with a room full of unclaimed clothes that eventually had to be tossed in the trash.
There is only so much room to set clothes aside just to have it sitting there for days. Totally unacceptable. So I can understand why the course of action is to throw it away because it is probably already the last alternative.SSG (Join to see)
There is only so much room to set clothes aside just to have it sitting there for days. Totally unacceptable. So I can understand why the course of action is to throw it away because it is probably already the last alternative.SSG (Join to see)
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MAJ Doug Mattox
Finally someone with some sense. I am not being sarcastic. I just wonder what the hell has happened to the Army. I would think he is only there because leaving them in the machines has become a problem and he is addressing that issue. I have not read all the responses but this is the first one that addresses the real issue.
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CPL (Join to see)
No excuse huh? So he can refer to you the next time his laundry is in the washer or dryer and he gets an order to report to such and such a location to do a decon mission post haste? I'm sure that will fly with his command chain.
As for it obviously being an issue which is the ONLY reason the CSM would be going around doing this....bull. I had a CSM once that anytime he and his (now) ex-wife got into a fight he would nit pick everything and everyone looking for things to bitch about (including some of the lower rank officers). His ex-wife is his ex-wife because of his attitude and that he would take it out on everyone around him. I heard he was "encouraged" to retire.
As for it obviously being an issue which is the ONLY reason the CSM would be going around doing this....bull. I had a CSM once that anytime he and his (now) ex-wife got into a fight he would nit pick everything and everyone looking for things to bitch about (including some of the lower rank officers). His ex-wife is his ex-wife because of his attitude and that he would take it out on everyone around him. I heard he was "encouraged" to retire.
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