What is the purpose of the "no profanity" policy in WLC?

I had a MSgt once that if he had me at attention and was yelling at me, I knew I was fine. If he called me in his office, sat me down, and talked normal, my sh!t was weak.

As a Senior Small Group Leader for BLC (formerly WLC, formerly PLDC, Etc.) I do not curse when interacting with students or professionally with my SGLs, Peers, or Superiors. However I do in a none professional environment. I have noticed that I do not do this consiously. I guess it is just a switch that gets flipped depending what situation I find myself.

MSgt John Carroll - Oh, oh, no using "fecal."

SFC James Liedtka Sure there is a switch. Nobody with any sense goes to church and drops F Bombs like you do in the barracks. It is part of being an adult. I think you setting the example in BLC is exactly how it should work. It is how my instructors did it and I respected them for it.

SFC Don Ward apparently my tongue-in-cheek humor was lost on you. That being said, you'll be hard pressed to find a leader in the Infantry who doesn't cuss on occasion.

CPT Mitch Goenner find anyone in the infantry that doesn't cuss routinely. Not that I hung around officers much while in the infantry, I can tell you on the NCO level down to PV1 fuck is just about every other word, or at least was while I was in.

And these comments bring up another great point: language (cussing) depends on your audience and situation. Even my Chaplain slipped out a few cuss words in Afghanistan during a firefight in one of our bases.

MAJ (Join to see) - You said it - on occasion. There are two really good ways to make a point at times, one being the appropriate profane dressing down. The other being very still and quiet and angry. I've seen times I would rather be cussed than have that quiet, disappointed voice directed at me.

It IS against regulation, and it IS in writing. Profanity is a violation of the UCMJ, Article 134, Indecent Language. It has been for a few decades now..

We all, well let me rephrase that, a lot of us have dropped the F-bomb like it's going out of style but one needs to be able to flip that mental switch to know when and when not to use it. When conducting briefings and as an instructor profanity was never used. Most briefings were with senior enlisted or even Area Commanders which in my case were O-6 and above. As an instructor I was providing training to our Foreign National counter parts so when conducting this training it was extremely important to remain 110% professional. Of course when in the field we flipped that switch and went back to field language but once we picked up the radio or stepped off of the boat, that switch was flipped back on. It is always good to get into a habit as if you were speaking with a high level civilian where profanity can get you fired or lose a contract quicker than anything else.

Believe it or not it contributes to a hostile environment in the workplace. I do my best not to use profanity while I engage my Soldiers. I am getting ready to retire in a few years and interacting with civilians in my last unit I can tell you it is a complaint waiting to happen. You can't assume that everyone that is in the military or works for the military was raised familiar to that language or appreciates the use of it in conversations. The commander has the authority to put an end to that conduct. Look at AR 600-20 under paragraph 7-6. Under Hostile environment "A hostile environment occurs when Soldiers or civilians are subjected to offensive, unwanted and unsolicited comments, or behaviors of a sexual nature. If these behaviors unreasonably interfere with their performance, regardless of whether the harasser and the victim are in the same workplace, then the environment is classified as hostile". I can't tell you that I don't use profanity but the use of it makes me look unprofessional in front of my peer and subordinates. Remember when you leave the Army or even interacting on an off post establishments the rules still apply. You still a Soldier 24/7 and until you retire you have to play by the rules. If an Infantryman can minimize or eliminate the use of profanity while at work trust and believe each one of you can do the same.

"Hostile Enviroment?" , tell that to my BIA's!- Thanks SSg DeWease (RIP) for bringing me through my first serious contact and SSg Moss (DI) for trying to get me up to speed. "Hostile Enviroment"- go figure.