What were some of the most stupid command decisions you saw?

SFC Gary Fox — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 12:46:00 -0500

One of the most stupid decisions I saw was made by my BDE CSM. A female Soldier in one of our BNs was sexually assaulted in her room at the barracks by a civilian who drove her home from a bar on a Friday night.

The CSM blamed the E-7s in the BDE for the event taking place. He accused them of not walking around the barracks enough at all hours of the night to ensure all was well. He stated if the E-7s had been doing their job, the sexual assault would have not taken place. Let me note at this point there was always a CQ on duty who was required to make rounds of the barracks area (consisted of six large buildings each three floors high).

The CSM then created a duty roster for "roving patrol" of the barracks area that would consist of one E-7, one E-5 or E-6, and junior enlisted. There was also the CQ and two runners. Those on the roving patrol were required to be in full battle rattle minus weapon as well as their PT belt so the CSM could identify them as the roving patrol.

One weeknights, the roving patrol had to report for their duty after their duty day at 1700 hrs. Roving patrol was until 0500 and the E-7s were required to make work call at 0800. The others to include the CQ and runners were off duty once relieved until the following day's morning PT formation.

I had known this CSM for a long time. I served as a First Sergeant prior and he was my mentor. I took it upon myself to discuss this decision with him. He told me every First Sergeant, each of the BN CSMs, and himself never saw an E-7 in the barracks area when they walked through. I told him that didn't mean they didn't walk through and check things. He then stated if he never saw any of them, it meant they were not making their presence known. I told him I don't ever recall seeing him or any of the CSMs or 1SGs walking the area while I did, but that didn't mean they didn't.

I also told him I thought his decision on creating these roving patrols was an unnecessary knee jerk reaction to punish E-7s and making them wear full battle rattle was to humiliate them. He said it was to identify them as roving patrol members. I told him that could be accomplished by wearing PCs and PT belt. He said he'd take that under advisement and a few days later changed the duty uniform to my suggestion.

I also told him he was risking a lot by requiring the E-7 to report to 0800 work call after being awake and on duty for more than 24 hours, while allowing everyone else to have the remainder of the day off. I asked him who would be responsible if an E-7 having been required to work for more than 24 hours without sleep was to get in an accident by falling asleep at the wheel while driving home? On that issue he would not relent.

The roving patrol duty lasted for three months before he announced he was ending it because he now felt the E-7s had learned their lesson.

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made Dec 29 at 2013 12:51 PM

SGM Matthew Quick — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 12:51:21 -0500

Do you want examples or are you just venting?

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 29 at 2013 3:24 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 15:24:22 -0500

That's just stupid. I actually addressed what you are talking about (blaming the wrong person) in this thread:

https://www.rallypoint.com/questions/28135-when-did-the-army-lose-focus-on-personal-responsibility

When did the Army lose focus on personal responsibility?

A comment in another thread sparked this discussion question. Since when did we lose focus on accountability?Some things are a leader responsibility. But the Army has become much like the rest of...

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 31 at 2013 9:20 AM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 09:20:14 -0500

SFC Fox, What is considered not walking around the barracks "enough"? Can "enough" truly be defined without having an established policy of some sort? Enough seems subjective to me, unless there was a policy of some sort that stated, "E-7s will walk around the barracks between XX time to XX time". Additionally, I don't agree with the statement of, "if the E-7s had been doing their job, the sexual assault would have not taken place". How is he 100% sure of that? I won't even began to elaborate on anything else, too much to fathom as I continue to read your post. SMH and glad you were able to address your concerns during that time. You may have encouraged the CSM to rethink his TTPs on future matters. Thanks for sharing SFC Fox.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2014 10:38 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 10:38:41 -0400

First deployment watching the chain of command conduct themselves.

1) watched a LTC slaute the gate guard with loaded M4 with left hand by bringing the barrel of the weapon to his head and tapping on side of kevlar.]

2) CSM handing out article 15s for neglegent discharge because its unacceptable then doing not one but 2 himself.

3) Stopping while on a long convoy to urinate outside the HMMWV and a random test fire of smoke launchers.

Entertaining Yes however not too professional.

Response by Sgt Randy Hill made May 23 at 2014 9:33 AM

Sgt Randy Hill — Fri, 23 May 2014 09:33:46 -0400

I don't call it a command decision as much as I call it a political decision. Gutting out the military and especially the strategic air command after the cold war was a grave mistake in that we cut too far. I still feel that with some SAC presence in the air 9/11 would have not happened or the outcome would have been not so tragic. At least the power of deterrence may have thwarted the plan to begin with. Again when we make military cuts we need to keep a stronger baseline of people like /SAC who can keep the 3rd dimension safe.

Response by SGT Michael Glenn made Jan 11 at 2015 2:11 PM

SGT Michael Glenn — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 14:11:14 -0500

Keeping us up with no food or sleep for 36 hours, which ended in a soldier almost shooting a E-6 with a 50 cal. when the Co was finally ordered to let us sleep the gunner didnt properly clear the 50 but instead just laid it into the tracked vehicle and the next day mounted it. As he was pulling himself up into the hatch he grabbed the butterfly and discharged the 50 cal, the E-6 was just bending over to retrieve his night sights and said he felt the round go over him. It hit the gunners hatch and ricocheted out into the woods, if the hatch hadnt been locked it would have closed on the gunner, two lucky people you ask me. If we were in a combat situation I wouldnt have minded, but not on a training mission.

Next one: A PLT SGT over riding my orders to my gunner to NOT engage a moving target on our left. Again this was training and the target was our 2nd Squad .We were told all moving targets would be on our right. Had the gunner not listened to me he would have fired on and killed a track full of soldiers because the SFC didnt know his head from a hole in the ground.

Next one: To tell a Lt who had DA select orders to ranger school he was going to the field instead and that he would be allowed to go as soon as we returned only to laugh in his face when we get back and tell him to get on the duce because he was going back out and was going to have to get daddy to bail him out ( daddy was a 2 star) . Daddy wound up coming by and relieved the CO on the spot, wound up going back home to his state patrol job.

I could keep going as I feel my entire time I was enlisted I was surrounded by morons in command.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2015 7:26 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 07:26:10 -0400

255A WOAC at Fort Gordon last year. One of my classmates tore a ligament so bad he was on crutches. Our class leader, being the reasonable, rational leader she is, told him to stay in his room because she didn't want him having to hobble out on to the PT field (which is a field).

When she asked cadre, prior to formation, how to report my classmate, the response was "Report him out of ranks". Way to empower
subordinate leaders there!!!!!!