Posted on Jan 24, 2014
SSG Battalion Career Counselor
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</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri">CQ's and Staff Duties were detained by the Military Police
for <span style="color: black;">Dereliction of duty while on 24 hour duty, the
directive came from the CG. I personally think this is outstanding, too many
times when I am on Staff Duty I have walked through the barracks&nbsp;and seen &nbsp;"LOGGED"
as&nbsp;the action taken on the duty log, stair wells are filthy, bathrooms
destroyed, CQ's were asleep, NCO's were not present. I think it’s time that we
start destroying those not holding the standard up of the NCO. I fully support
the CG's decision and hope this spreads Army wide. What are your thoughts?</span>
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Posted in these groups: 0 Staff DutyImages 20 NCOsDuty honor country tadhc 4t Duty
Edited 11 y ago
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Responses: 37
1SG Steve Stone
27
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0
My question is, why has it gotten to the point where a general officer has to create a policy letter like this?  Where are the Senior NCO's? 1SG's, CSM's, and PSG's?  It is there duty to enforce and inspect their junior Soldiers, whether it's during normal duty hours or after duty.  Personally, I would be embarrassed as a Senior NCO if this was happening in my unit.  I'm pretty sure there are a few lines in the NCO Creed that apply also!!
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SSG Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
SSG (Join to see)
11 y
I don't think someone should get arrested for something like this.
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SGT Senior Warrior Liaison
SGT (Join to see)
11 y
Made an example out of him, sure. Arrested, why?
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1SG Operations Sergeant
1SG (Join to see)
11 y
How else would you make that example? Sometimes people need that stark reality check.
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SSG Kevin McCulley
SSG Kevin McCulley
11 y
I think the issues are that NCOs are apprehensive to act because they don't trust their Officers to back them up. That was a HUGE problem when I was in 1AD. 
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LTC Jason Bartlett
14
13
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Edited 11 y ago
I think the Chain of Command (CSMs) should be held accountable as well. I remember when I pulled SDNCO (back in my enlisted days) my CSM briefed me before he left and when he arrived in the morning read my log (and we had to back brief him) ect. This was pretty much the same at every unit I was in. If my 1594 was jacked up we had to rewrite it.  
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SSG Cannon Crew Member
SSG (Join to see)
11 y
might as well join the rest of us with that fancy little thumbs down ya gave everyone...
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CSM Command Sergeant Major
CSM (Join to see)
11 y
First of all I disagree that the CG had to go to the extreme of enforcing CQ duty with MPs.  As a CSM I would be professionaly embarrased if this happened in my unit.  As far Maj Bartlett's response, I would be happy to take responsibility if this happened in my unit, but there are a lot of leaders and levels of the COC between the CQ and the CSM.  Leaders such as LTs, CPTs and MAJs as well as other NCOs in the unit.  Everyone in that unit should be embarrased for not doing their job as leaders and all leaders regardless of Officer or Enlisted have a professional obligation!  
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LTC Jason Bartlett
LTC Jason Bartlett
11 y
Note: I said Chain of Command that would include everyone.  I highlighted the CSM because in every Infantry unit I was assigned to in 20 years the Command Sergeant Major briefed the SDNCO prior to their assumption of duties (the 1SG briefs the CQ). Obviously this was not happening in this particular unit, but I bet it gave a wake up call across the Army.

 
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SSG Unit Supply Specialist
SSG (Join to see)
11 y
I can tell you that in my BN, we don't get briefed. I took over duty on a Sunday without getting briefed by the S3 SGM the Friday before. All I was told by a 1SG the next day was didn't I read the SOP. I did read it and noted that it was so out of date as to how they do everything.
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SFC Sniper Oct
10
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Getting arrested by the MPs for falling asleep on SD/CQ is
horse S&*%$!!!!



As the SDNCO the welfare of your Soldiers is first if I am
not mistaken. If you force a Soldier to stay awake for 24 hours without sleep
and then he has a 20 minute drive back to his residence and has an accident,
who is at fault? Who completed the risk assessment for that drive?



I let my Soldiers catch a few so that way they are alert
when the CSM/CMD enter the building as well as for their drive to their home.
As far as the NCO sleeping on duty, I do not while I am on duty but the same
goes for them. As long as someone is at the desk and all task are complete i.e
hallways clean, bathrooms clean etc then I have no problem with the NCO
sleeping. If I go in and no one is awake and the barracks look like crap then I
have a worthwhile discussion with the young SGT or SSG.



Love me or hate me, but when it comes to the safety of my
Soldiers they will always come first.



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SSG Senior Accounting Analyst
SSG (Join to see)
11 y
SFC Angel

I am with you; we have to take care of our Soldiers. It is not realistic to expect that a Soldier, it does not matter his/her rank, would be able to stay awake for 24 hrs. Worse if the Soldier is performing duty in one of those "old school" units where they do not let you bring anything to keep you awake. Let it be tv's, laptops, game systems, books magazines, etc. Telling a Soldier that the only thing that he can read in CQ is regulations does not help. The Chain of Command always says that they "care" for their Soldiers but the reality is how much do they care about their safety when they expect them to stay awake for 24hrs and drive home afterwards? A Soldier can get involved in a accident because he/she would not going to be 100% alert or functional. Who is going to be responsible if we have a death or injury caused by one of our Soldiers returning home from 24 hrs duty? I am pretty sure that if the Soldier survive he/she would have UCMJ action taken against them for the accident. What about the "old school" Chain of Command that provoke this situation in the first place? Would they take responsibility? Somebody mention that the cleaning duties are not performed, well let me tell you that in the units that I had served we always perform all the duties assigned to the CQ but all the cleaning and driving around would not keep you busy for 24 hrs. The point is not to overwork the Soldier the real point is that no Soldier should be awake 24 hrs. This affect the performance, time of reaction, and decision making of the Soldier.  We as Leaders require from our Soldiers to plan for rests and sleep as part of their Risk Assesment when they request leave; so how come it is okay to keep a Soldier awake 24 hrs and expect from them to drive home afterwards.  It is time to adjust the duties and have them be perform on  shorter shifts; example 2 - 12 hrs shifts or 3 - 8 hrs shifts. We have enough Soldiers to be able to pull this. But unfortunately one of the things that I have learn in the ARMY is that is "if it makes sense" we can not do it.  
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SSG Retired!!!
SSG (Join to see)
11 y
I've been stuck in the wrong units. I've never heard of being able to sleep at CQ or SD. I have heard of the mandatory 6 hrs in the cot after your duty in a very nice and quiet day room.
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SSG Fire Support Specialist
SSG (Join to see)
11 y
I agree with you 100% I know I had duty on a day we happened to have a 0300 alert so my day started at 0300 then I reported to SD at 0845 and it just so happens that the SSG that was suppose to relieve me had a meeting at 0900 that morning well even though he told his Platoon SGT they never bothered to find him a replacement I was stuck on the desk til 1200 the next day and ran off the road several times on my 15 minute ride back to my house. 
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