Posted on Nov 14, 2019
I'm currently being involuntarily separated due to unsatisfactory performance. Is there a way I can fight this?
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I'm newly enlisted and my chain of command is extremely toxic. I've been berated, assaulted, and felt more and more unwelcome in my infantry unit. At first, my chain of command seemed nice. Then, they started to be mean and toxic. I've noticed that it's not just with me they're being toxic to. I've witnessed two new people come in and they were nice to them at first, too. At NTC, I've been hazed and bullied by a staff sergeant. This staff sergeant also put his hands on me while he was smoking me. He also kicked my hand during one of the times he smoked me. He called me a "Russian spy" and he also called me sexually derogatory terms and belittling ones as well. I felt targeted during the entire time. This NCO also had me wear full MOPP gear and recite the general order for 5 hours in the night. I couldn't find a person on the radio guard roster and I was looking for him for the entirety of his shift, I look at the time and the list and woke up the next person and told him he has a radio guard shift. I woke him up before
As a result, I've had a horrible experience. The only friend that I made here died in a car accident and he was my coworker. The battalion commander's speech about Russian soldiers wanting to harm Americans really hurt me when I first arrived to the unit, being originally from Russia and all. I don't want to hurt anyone and I want everyone to come back to their families happy and in good health. All I want is a positive experience in the military and improve as a person. I'm not perfect and that's one of the reasons I wanted to join. I didn't sign up to be treated like an adversary who just joined to "spy" on my current employer. I wanted to learn how to talk to people, be part of a team, and improve as a human being.
I went to IG and they told me to go to MP for the assault matter. It happened when I was being smoked by this guy.
Is there any way I could ask to be transferred to a BSB while my chapter is taking place? I don't want to be in this unit. I read in the regulations that me getting transferred out of the unit is supposed to be one of the rehabilitative steps they're supposed to take. They haven't given me those options. I asked my company commander if I could transfer units during NTC and he said no and that I'll stay with my unit for the remainder of my contract. I feel trapped here and I don't know what to do. I'm about to go to the MPs to report what happened a few weeks ago at NTC.
My chapter looks like it's going to be chapter 14 after everything goes through. I have less than a year in service, but over 180 days.
As a result, I've had a horrible experience. The only friend that I made here died in a car accident and he was my coworker. The battalion commander's speech about Russian soldiers wanting to harm Americans really hurt me when I first arrived to the unit, being originally from Russia and all. I don't want to hurt anyone and I want everyone to come back to their families happy and in good health. All I want is a positive experience in the military and improve as a person. I'm not perfect and that's one of the reasons I wanted to join. I didn't sign up to be treated like an adversary who just joined to "spy" on my current employer. I wanted to learn how to talk to people, be part of a team, and improve as a human being.
I went to IG and they told me to go to MP for the assault matter. It happened when I was being smoked by this guy.
Is there any way I could ask to be transferred to a BSB while my chapter is taking place? I don't want to be in this unit. I read in the regulations that me getting transferred out of the unit is supposed to be one of the rehabilitative steps they're supposed to take. They haven't given me those options. I asked my company commander if I could transfer units during NTC and he said no and that I'll stay with my unit for the remainder of my contract. I feel trapped here and I don't know what to do. I'm about to go to the MPs to report what happened a few weeks ago at NTC.
My chapter looks like it's going to be chapter 14 after everything goes through. I have less than a year in service, but over 180 days.
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 6
Your lengthy note is suspiciously devoid of any information about what you actually did to warrant any administrative separation. Regardless, you still can't move while you are being separated. Flagged for separation is a non transferable flag. If you feel you could do better under other leadership you could use the open door policy to speak with the BN CDR or CSM and ask them to hold off on the separation and give you an rehabilitative move. Commanders are not required to move you before initiating separation, and it would be a lot easier for them to move you internally within the battalion than to another battalion.
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Two wrongs don't make a right, they just make a whole lotta wrong. Even if everything you allege is true, if you STILL had unsatisfactory performance, then you still had unsat performance.
In what way(s) was your performance unsat? How was this documented? Was that documentation accurate/truthful? If it was innacurate, did you fight the inaccuracy at the time of documentation?
Any chapter packet, from bad conduct discharge all the way through to retirement has to have supporting paperwork. Your packet is no different. If the supporting paperwork is accurate and/or uncontested, there is not a lot you can do about the Chapter. If it is inaccurate or contested, you can go see JAG regarding your options.
If your CoC is, indeed, toxic, then yes, you can absolutely drag some of them through the mud with you. But that doesn't get you, yourself, out of the mud.
My first Article 15 was due to a toxic squad leader (SSG), whom I blatantly disrespected (as a PV2). My 1SG gave me a pep talk identifying that I was factually accurate in my disrespect, and that the SSG certainly had it coming - just not from a PV2, and certainly not from a PV2 in front of the rest of the squad. He then proceeded to tell me that regardless, I was STILL disrespectful, and therefore WOULD be seeing the Commander the following day for an Article 15. At the time it seemed like a gross injustice - the squad leader was wrong, even the 1SG knew it! But looking back, I can see that I was JUST AS WRONG, if not even MORE wrong.
So.... You have laid out how others are wrong. Can you identify how YOU were wrong, and fix yourself? Chapters (usually) take time. IF the situation is truly how you describe it, and IF you can fix yourself in a hurry, and IF you can DEMONSTRATE your newfound attitude/demeanor, and IF you have a forgiving Commander, there is a possibility that going to CSM/ BC may get you a rehab transfer. This is a VERY SMALL CHANCE so do not get your hopes up. And IF it is granted, expect to be on a VERY short leash regarding future unsat performance. You WILL get a fresh start - kind of. If you move forward to bigger and better things, then all will be forgiven amd forgotten. But any evidence of reverting will cause all of the old stiff to come crashing down. HARD.
(After my rehab transfer, I went on to be Company, BN, BDE, and then DIV Soldier of the year - in the same BN where I had two Article 15s.)
In what way(s) was your performance unsat? How was this documented? Was that documentation accurate/truthful? If it was innacurate, did you fight the inaccuracy at the time of documentation?
Any chapter packet, from bad conduct discharge all the way through to retirement has to have supporting paperwork. Your packet is no different. If the supporting paperwork is accurate and/or uncontested, there is not a lot you can do about the Chapter. If it is inaccurate or contested, you can go see JAG regarding your options.
If your CoC is, indeed, toxic, then yes, you can absolutely drag some of them through the mud with you. But that doesn't get you, yourself, out of the mud.
My first Article 15 was due to a toxic squad leader (SSG), whom I blatantly disrespected (as a PV2). My 1SG gave me a pep talk identifying that I was factually accurate in my disrespect, and that the SSG certainly had it coming - just not from a PV2, and certainly not from a PV2 in front of the rest of the squad. He then proceeded to tell me that regardless, I was STILL disrespectful, and therefore WOULD be seeing the Commander the following day for an Article 15. At the time it seemed like a gross injustice - the squad leader was wrong, even the 1SG knew it! But looking back, I can see that I was JUST AS WRONG, if not even MORE wrong.
So.... You have laid out how others are wrong. Can you identify how YOU were wrong, and fix yourself? Chapters (usually) take time. IF the situation is truly how you describe it, and IF you can fix yourself in a hurry, and IF you can DEMONSTRATE your newfound attitude/demeanor, and IF you have a forgiving Commander, there is a possibility that going to CSM/ BC may get you a rehab transfer. This is a VERY SMALL CHANCE so do not get your hopes up. And IF it is granted, expect to be on a VERY short leash regarding future unsat performance. You WILL get a fresh start - kind of. If you move forward to bigger and better things, then all will be forgiven amd forgotten. But any evidence of reverting will cause all of the old stiff to come crashing down. HARD.
(After my rehab transfer, I went on to be Company, BN, BDE, and then DIV Soldier of the year - in the same BN where I had two Article 15s.)
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All of this is very suspicious, the information provided in itself is would warrant your CSM be informed. Set up an office call, bulletins your issues into a coherent grouping and present your case. Be right, if a CSM worth a grain believes the stuff identified he or she will take immediate action and get to the bottom of everything. If it is determined that you lied or others failed in their duties they will take action either way.
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