Is my platoon leadership allowed to micromanage appointments by requiring their approval before scheduling an appointment?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 May 2021 00:06:54 -0400

My platoon has new “rules”, they said that we have to confirm with our command team if a certain day for an appointment is acceptable before scheduling that particular appointment. They claim it’s from higher up, like everything that seems “babysitter” like, but no other company has even heard of this so called “new rule” from higher up. Is my platoon leadership allowed to micromanage appointments like this?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2021 12:30 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 May 2021 00:30:21 -0400

To put it simply someone is interfering with one's medical care. Then again military leadership is severely lacking these days as it gotten worse since I was in.

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made May 19 at 2021 12:51 AM

SSG Robert Perrotto — Wed, 19 May 2021 00:51:54 -0400

The answer is yes, Command can do this. Every unit I have ever been in had a policy letter that Command Maintenance Mondays, no appointments will be scheduled. Soldiers abuse appointment scheduling, deliberately scheduling appointments to avoid field training, maintenance, and other mission essential tasks. What Command cannot do is prevent you from going to sick call, and even THAT is tracked to show patterns.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2021 1:09 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 May 2021 01:09:43 -0400

Your appointments could very well carry over onto a day that is filled with training that cannot be shifted to the left nor the right. So yes, they can have some oversight as to when you can make an appointment. They aren't telling you that you can't make an appointment, just that you need to check the schedule first.

Response by Capt Nate Le made May 19 at 2021 1:16 AM

Capt Nate Le — Wed, 19 May 2021 01:16:25 -0400

Depends on the appointment. Is the appointment extremely necessary and can only occur on x-date? Or, is it a standard appointment which can be scheduled so that you’re not missing mandatory training and/or deadlines? Micromanaging can occur, and at times, should be expected. Sounds like a few too many people were scheduling appointments to get out of things and the command responded in kind.

Response by SPC Cathy Goessman made May 19 at 2021 2:06 AM

SPC Cathy Goessman — Wed, 19 May 2021 02:06:41 -0400

They can do it unless it starts restricting your access to medical/legal/whatever.

I know my company tried to do this at one point but it simply wasn't compatible with the medical appointments line so it quickly stopped. The appointment line gave us an appointment time/date and that was it. You were lucky if they let you pick the general time of day let alone the exact hour or date. Changing the time at the whim of your command resulted in unpleasant phone calls to the unit.

We were expected to know to work around major events like field and range cycles or mandatory training though. If people haven't been doing that you can expect some increased oversight. I would generally just do a quick check with leadership on date/times that would be problematic and they took that as covering the requirement to check appt times with them.

Response by MSG Greg Kelly made May 19 at 2021 6:50 AM

MSG Greg Kelly — Wed, 19 May 2021 06:50:56 -0400

this is the policy in most units but the units also often will give soldiers a chance to be adults until it is realized soldiers use appointments to miss training or just become malingers (that's sham masters) then the soldier is watched more closely

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2021 9:15 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 May 2021 09:15:25 -0400

Short answer, yes.
If it feels like "babysitting" then you probably just haven't learned how important it is to your own work and the team that relies on you to get the first or last appt of the day on a day of the week you and your team can most afford you to be gone.
It's not just an Army thing, in a civilian job if you continue to make appts in the middle of the busiest days, your employer will eventually give you unlimited time for appts by letting you go.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made May 19 at 2021 9:19 AM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Wed, 19 May 2021 09:19:02 -0400

As pretty much everyone has already said, yes they can do this.

I have seen it happen quite often - and it is almost always a reaction to not having enough Soldiers available to complete missions (even if the missions are white cycle taskings like post police). When the Command sees an issue of Soldiers having appointments that conflict with the mission, they tend to react and make sure it does not keep happening.

I would bet that if everyone just complies and works through the process, slowly the reins will be loosened as the perceived issue goes away. But that means everyone has to get on board, and that is not always an easy task.

Response by GySgt Kenneth Pepper made May 19 at 2021 10:34 AM

GySgt Kenneth Pepper — Wed, 19 May 2021 10:34:14 -0400

Short answer, they absolutely can. Should they? Probably not.
I think micromanaging has become the new normal, and not just in the military. With information being so immediately available, middle level leaders (Plt Leadership etc.,) are so afraid of their bosses seeing something even slightly irregular it forces them to manage minute details that were typically left to front line Supervisors (NCOs). That goes all the way up the higher command levels, where field grade officers are asking specific questions down the line, i.e "Why did PFC Schmuckateli schedule a dental appointment on the afternoon before a 96 and miss the safety briefing?".
The problem is, once the Battalion forces the Company leadership to do the Platoon leadership's job, they start doing the squad leaders job, and on and on.
My specific guidance to you would be to go with the flow. This too shall pass. Ask your front line leader to provide a schedule of dates/times that are blocked out for appointments.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made May 19 at 2021 11:59 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Wed, 19 May 2021 11:59:20 -0400

It's not out of the norm for leadership to screen appointment scheduling to prevent troops from setting appointments on days where there is training or some other evolution previously scheduled. They aren't denying you medical treatment but ensuring that non-emergency appointments don't negatively impact the mission when they could be scheduled on an alternate day or time. This isn't a new concept.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made May 19 at 2021 12:57 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Wed, 19 May 2021 12:57:55 -0400

STOP...TRYING...TO.SCHEDULE...ALL...YOUR....APOOINTMENTS....DURING...THE ...DUTY DAY!

Other Soldiers have to pick up your slack. If you did this as a civilian, you'd be fired.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2021 3:21 PM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 May 2021 15:21:30 -0400

Yes, their focus is readiness and the mission always. Managing your "appts" is not the same as denying you care. More detail is required to assess your situation and "appts." Once you become a liability rather than an asset to your unit, they would be negligent by not trying to fit you into Mission First always. Maybe you now fit that category. It's your responsibility to personally manage your situation within regulations if you plan to stay.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2021 9:05 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 May 2021 21:05:44 -0400

It’s not babysitting, it’s due to others gaming the system. All you need to do is go to your supervisor and let them know the situation. Even as a Squad Leader I still give my PSG a heads up about future appointments and I would look at what was going on that week. Also if more than half the team is on appointments it just burdens everyone else to pick up the slack. E-4 mafia should take the tag team approach to details, connex life, and the motor pool.

Response by PFC Chester Southworth made May 19 at 2021 9:57 PM

PFC Chester Southworth — Wed, 19 May 2021 21:57:26 -0400

Yeah, even when you got no legs or arms and in Walter reed center. You can't be there and have existed ch 15's for being there as AWOL, even if you're in the hospital on life support or died. You still get written up derogatory as a no-show. I was at a hospital and got Ch 15 three times for a heart attack. So the answer is no you can't schedule appointments in the Army whether dead, lame, or broken dick from a terrorists attack. You're still considered Army property in 1st ID at least, and command is command.

Response by PFC Chester Southworth made May 19 at 2021 10:00 PM

PFC Chester Southworth — Wed, 19 May 2021 22:00:09 -0400

So don't get dead or armless even heart attacks are adverse to command and punishable. Death is an automatic ch 15, I saw it before. So is sick call, appointments, and whatever under the moon or sun. Even this question is an adverse ding on your record.