US Military's Top Enlisted Leader Is Reinstated After Investigation

What folks don't seem to get is that as rank and experience go up, so do expectations. Or at least they used to. A CSM shouldn't be making SPC level "mistakes".

Read it - the IG substantiated two ethical violations. You did catch that? You cannot use soldiers to run personal errands, and you cannot use your position to hawk commercial goods even if it doesn't really give you any gain. A senior CSM cannot recommend Nike shoes, for instance.

Did you even read the article? Two substantiated violations by the IG.

SFC Don Ward did you? Posting about protein powder on government social media page and having underlings run personal errands are not legal or ethical violations. A bit unprofessional, but it would be up to his boss to simply tell him to cut that out. To be fair, this dude may or may not be a jerk, but we don't know that. Considering the investigation came through the IG means that more than likely the complaint started from someone immediately below him. If it was one of his peers, they would have gone to his commander. If it was his commander, there are all sorts of things they can do that doesn't entail the whole unit being scrutinized.

PFC Elijah Rose - I guess your years of experience are speaking there, right. Those are both violations of ethics for a Senior NCO, the IG already determined that. That is what is met by a substantiated finding.
You might also want to look up what a whistleblower is and what protections are afforded them. Look up joint ethics standards while you are at it. And if you are old enough to be in the Army, drop the hero worship, he's just another man.

SFC Don Ward- Agreed even I know you cannot command a person under you to do things like that. The endorsements I do not know much about so I am not going to claim I do.