Posted on Apr 28, 2024
Is it our fault as NCOs when a soldier doesn’t develop?
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We have a soldier who has a bad attitude and a bad mindset, we have tried everything in the book to try to develop the soldier from from having these bad qualities, but nothing has worked and when I say everything I mean everything such as counseling, corrective training, one on one talks, getting higher involved and just about every other way in the book. The issue is the soldier doesn’t want to change and get better. Our 1sg just recently told us it’s our fault as ncos. That made us a little mad because we put so much work into this soldier we will never give up on the soldier but, the soldier doesn’t care. My question is, is our 1sg right it our fault as ncos in a situation like this even tho we tried everything?
Posted 7 mo ago
Responses: 12
I would suggest, asking your 1SG for specifics in guidance they feel would be effective in guiding the SM to a better place.
If the 1SG can only give you "Just fix it" or "You figure it out" or "That's your job, I'm the 1SG" Then you may have an issue.
If the SM's 1st line supervisor through platoon leader feels all has been done to guide this SM to be a useful and effective part of the unit.... the Platoon sergeant and Platoon leader should be taking this up with the commander with a request for bar to reenlistment, and administrative separation.
If the 1SG can only give you "Just fix it" or "You figure it out" or "That's your job, I'm the 1SG" Then you may have an issue.
If the SM's 1st line supervisor through platoon leader feels all has been done to guide this SM to be a useful and effective part of the unit.... the Platoon sergeant and Platoon leader should be taking this up with the commander with a request for bar to reenlistment, and administrative separation.
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Your 1SG is lazy. He is falling back on the old axiom "there are no bad Soldiers, only bad leaders."
It's lazy, because it's not 100% true, and your 1SG should have learned that as a SGT or SSG.
Most times an NCO can fix a bad Soldier in a few months.
But occasionally you get a problem Soldier who just dedicates 100% of everything he has into not getting better.
After you have exhausted every method, the only choice remaining is to impose that bar to reenlistment, (assuming nothing else has happened to warrant an earlier separation), and then find a method to make the Soldier wish like hell he just did the right thing, every day, with minimal impact on your unit and mission.
It's lazy, because it's not 100% true, and your 1SG should have learned that as a SGT or SSG.
Most times an NCO can fix a bad Soldier in a few months.
But occasionally you get a problem Soldier who just dedicates 100% of everything he has into not getting better.
After you have exhausted every method, the only choice remaining is to impose that bar to reenlistment, (assuming nothing else has happened to warrant an earlier separation), and then find a method to make the Soldier wish like hell he just did the right thing, every day, with minimal impact on your unit and mission.
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I once had an irredeemable Soldier. It was to the point where my section spent more time supervising and correcting this Soldier's work then he spent actually working - having him in my section COST me productivity - and this was while deployed.
At the time, I was the NCOIC, a SFC with 12 years TIS, 2 years TIG, and about 5 years experience as a PSG. I was not new to the "leadership game.". Finally at my wits end, I went to my 1SG to ask for any advice, tips, or tricks. I had exhausted my tools and was asking for advice My combat arms 1SG sneered at the incompetence of my MI NCO skills and said that if problem Soldier was REALLY a net negative, 1SG would take him off my hands and put him to work. 1SG would show this Soldier what a REAL NCO could do.
So, problem Soldier was shifted out of my section and put in Company HQ. I went on leave two weeks later. When I came back from leave, problem Soldier was back in my section. 1SG had given up and re-assigned him back the day after I left.
Some Soldiers can't be helped.
At the time, I was the NCOIC, a SFC with 12 years TIS, 2 years TIG, and about 5 years experience as a PSG. I was not new to the "leadership game.". Finally at my wits end, I went to my 1SG to ask for any advice, tips, or tricks. I had exhausted my tools and was asking for advice My combat arms 1SG sneered at the incompetence of my MI NCO skills and said that if problem Soldier was REALLY a net negative, 1SG would take him off my hands and put him to work. 1SG would show this Soldier what a REAL NCO could do.
So, problem Soldier was shifted out of my section and put in Company HQ. I went on leave two weeks later. When I came back from leave, problem Soldier was back in my section. 1SG had given up and re-assigned him back the day after I left.
Some Soldiers can't be helped.
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