At what point do you decide its time to cut your losses and realise that a soldier isnt made for the army?

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 06:27:26 -0400

As an NCO, we spend numerous hours training, guiding and helping soldiers. But at what point do you cut your losses? Or do you continue trying to help the soldier understand simple military concepts?

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2015 6:59 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 06:59:47 -0400

Here is my advice for Soldiers that misbehave or have discipline problems and continue to do it after you try rehabilitative measures. Do these in order if the Soldier keeps stepping on their crank.

- Counsel and give extra training
- Initiate a bar to re-enlistment
- Flag and recommend a summarized Article 15
- Recommend a company grade Article 15
- Recommend a Field Grade Article 15
- Initiate separation under Chapter 14 for patterns of misconduct

Counseling is a continuous process throughout. If worse comes to worse and the Soldier continues to misbehave, he/she will be separated because they will not be bale to overcome the bar to reenlistment.

If it just a matter of the Soldier failing to adapt to military life you can separate for that but it is a hard road. Some Soldiers require extra leadership and you have to spend a lot more time with them than others. Those are the Soldiers that really need your leadership, exhaust all effort to train them before giving up on them.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2015 7:54 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 07:54:30 -0400

I've taken a soldier and groups of soldiers from worst to best, from disciplinary actions to Soldier of the Month/Quarter...but I didn't do it by myself. If it takes a village to raise a child it can take a battalion to raise a soldier...and we do not always have the time for that....so,
When you realize a soldier is not a soldier yet he/she is being all that they can be.
When you realize that Mr or Ms Minimum Standard sets the bottom of the curve, and that curve is dragging down the rest of the crew.
When you realize that one person requires a disproportionate amount of time and resources to the detriment of other people.
When you realize that one person is a liability, not an asset.
That said, everyone deserves a fair shot and a level playing field. If you have provided that and they do not respond, time to weed the garden so flowers can grow.

Response by SPC James Gildersleeve made Apr 14 at 2015 8:46 AM

SPC James Gildersleeve — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:46:11 -0400

Stick with it man. I'm a SPC but I've been in a NCO position and I know it isn't easy. But remember what it was like when you first got in and how hard at times( not hard for everyone) it got. I don't what everyone else experienced but I miss my old unit and all I served with. I've learned a lot from my NCO's but the learning didn't fully kick in until we deployed unfortunately.. I would suggest trying alternative methods. Corrective training always motivated me. I'm not sure if you can do that anymore but be creative and show your soldiers that your getting on them for a reason not because you want to make them feel like they crap. I always respected a NCO who dropped and did exercises with me

Response by CPL Jay Freeman made Apr 14 at 2015 10:08 AM

CPL Jay Freeman — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 10:08:14 -0400

It's a toss up. I drove for the company commander and the mps brought us an awoler the cpt put me in charge of him he was set to be discharged from the Army on desertion and dereliction of duty. I didn't like the kid mostly because I'm was not fit to baby sit I didn't talk to him much the first few hours and I was not allowed to jeep him in cuffs or tied up. I started to talk to him and he showed remorse for his actions told me he would like to stay in and the Army mentioned so much to him. I told him his best chance was to write a letter to the cpt and see where it gets him he stayed in then latter got busted for smoking pot I felt like he was a waste of time and effort. So I guess it is save or don't save

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 15 at 2015 7:01 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 19:01:29 -0400

We had a new soldier integrating into my platoon who was not value added. He flunked the APFT twice, he was gone in a month.