Posted on Apr 14, 2015
At what point do you decide its time to cut your losses and realise that a soldier isnt made for the army?
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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?
Posted in these groups: 
Leadership
Training Soldiers
Leadership Training Soldiers
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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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.
- 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.
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
Great advice CSM (Join to see), I've been with the soldier day and night trying to help him understand his role in the Army in his current rank and also with classes we are currently attending. Its not that he misbehaves, but rather is a slower learner than most. His very respectful and well manured, but the "whole soldier concept". I feel I can still help him, but I cant do it for him, just guide him and give him the tools that he needs to succeed.
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CSM (Join to see)
SSG(P) (Join to see)
Great job, get the rest of your team involved in developing this Soldier. He will respond much better if his peers are helping him instead of harassing him.
Great job, get the rest of your team involved in developing this Soldier. He will respond much better if his peers are helping him instead of harassing him.
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
Thats the thing, hes not being harassed. For example during pt his battles push him and he responds great. He pushes and pushes till there is nothing left. But for him its not his willingness to be better, its his competence. Not to put him down, but in the signal world there are certain things you must pick up quickly in order to be an asset, and he just doesnt pick things up... Not sure how I can relate or even make him understand the terms and how it all works.
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CSM (Join to see)
SSG(P) (Join to see)
That's pretty tough. Has he finished SSD1, does he need to attend FAST class? Is it an intelligence issue or is he pretty smart just doesn't grasp the Army "way of doing things"? If the kid is trying his hardest it is hard to "punish" him for that. How long exactly has he been in the Army? I would give him some time and see if he comes around. Have him do MOS specific correspondence courses and focus your Sergeants Time Training on things he needs to do better, again involve the whole team and even have him give a class or two.
Continue to counsel and point out his weaknesses but, also point out improvements that he makes. You may just have to limp him along until it's time for him to ETS/PCS and let him know that it probably isn't a good idea to reenlist.
Hope he turns around for you, be patient some times the light bulb suddenly turns on and those Soldiers end up being squared away.
That's pretty tough. Has he finished SSD1, does he need to attend FAST class? Is it an intelligence issue or is he pretty smart just doesn't grasp the Army "way of doing things"? If the kid is trying his hardest it is hard to "punish" him for that. How long exactly has he been in the Army? I would give him some time and see if he comes around. Have him do MOS specific correspondence courses and focus your Sergeants Time Training on things he needs to do better, again involve the whole team and even have him give a class or two.
Continue to counsel and point out his weaknesses but, also point out improvements that he makes. You may just have to limp him along until it's time for him to ETS/PCS and let him know that it probably isn't a good idea to reenlist.
Hope he turns around for you, be patient some times the light bulb suddenly turns on and those Soldiers end up being squared away.
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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.
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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
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