Leadership Dilemmas: If you were me, what would you have done? (PART 1)

I'll answer from the perspective of the NCO:

Why isn't anyone asking me why I am perpetuating self destructive behavior? If someone asked, I would tell them why.

My responses would likely dictate your next move. Perhaps I wanted to be chaptered. Maybe I hated this unit; have a drinking/drug problem; marriage problems; trouble transitioning after my last three back-to-back deployments where we lost three guys.

I can understand why you want to transfer me, because I seem like a shitbird. My last unit transferred me, and my next unit will likely transfer me as well.

I will roll along until I ETS or until someone steps in and intervenes.

Intervention is the key. Do I want it, will I welcome it, or will I be oppositionally defiant with your every move? There are so many ways this could have been resolved, and at the lowest level....or esculated for chaptering.

Neither happened, so the cycle of violence in my personal life will likely self-perpetuate...I will not learn from my lessons, and what I have learned is when no one cares, they just make me go away.

My leaders failed me at all levels, therefore I will never be a leader period. They could care less and now I'm free to go onto my next unit...just like last time.

CPT, you need to follow what you feel is best, but I would like to add some insight…It sounds like SGT Jones is having a lot of issues but that is no reason to kick them to the curb. Have you tried talking to him and simply asking what is going on? Some other things to keep in mind is maybe he is having some behavioral health issues, PTSD or things happeneing at home. You could also send him to the Chaplin or Behavioral Health department for your unit. I would hate to let an illness go undiagnosed and something really bad happen.
If he refuses to get help with whatever is going on by all means you did your best and it’s time for him to move on. But if you didn’t even try to get SGT Jones the help that he may need then you may have failed him as a leader and as an advocate.

NEVER pass your problems to another unit. Face them and fix them, or face them and after all avenues are expended discharge or punish as appropriate. Remember leadership challenges are not only directed toward the affected Soldier, but are training opportunities for leaders.
***Edit***
Some leadership challenges may include rehabilitative transfers if the situation is a possible personality conflict, a clean slate approach, this situation doesn't appear to be that case.

Although it would be the easy step to ship him off to another unit. This Sgt has some large luggage. First being arrested for domestic violence is very worrisome. First I think I would try to talk to him one on one to see if he would open up. Hopefully in the discussion you could come up with a course of action to correct the problem. Then I would meet with his senior NCO's and him to discus the course of action. And in a perfect world the problem would correct itself. If the problem continues then I believe paperwork should be started for discharge. Also maybe bring in a phychiatrist to dig deeper into the problem to try and salvage this soldier.

My response might be too old school and maybe not doable these days. It's also a shotgun answer to a pretty deep problem but here it goes: Looks like there are plenty of UCMJ options here; AR15 with restriction. But to remediate I would have him running the extra duty program, remedial PT and any other activity that put him in a highly accountable position where time and responsibility are priorities. Inspect his gear, his shop, his troops, his weapon, his vehicle and whatever else he is responsible for until it hurts and until he gets it right. All accomplished on the left and the right side of the normal duty day. Get counseling for the spouse to find out whats going on and maybe move that butt into soldier quarters. This takes time and dedication of fellow NCOs but it might be worth it.

So I've dealt with a variety of people like this and the first step as a new supervisor is always to step up and lead him and give him a chance to improve. The statement "He can improve" maybe an oversimplification of where this guy is at, but sending him to another unit is not the solution we should be striving for. What is his history, what kind of documentation has done, what have we done to stop the behavior and/or improve the behavior?
To often we want to let the other guy handle the issues, because it is easier or they have more experience. The guy will hopefully appreciate your interest and be honest with you about what is going on and then you can make a decision on how to move forward. Otherwise you are just taking a whole lot of peoples opinions, with no first hand knowledge.

This is a tough call, and continued acts of disobedience and lack of fallowing guided instruction can not be accepted. First, You should have tried to lead him with specific checks set along the way. If he still continued down his path that he he should be prosesed for discharge.

SGT Jones is exhibiting signs of a very large problem. The kind that would concern me for the welfare of the Soldier and others. He has already (allegedly) attacked someone in his family - the domestic violence cited. Reporting late strongly indicates that he finds his livelihood unimportant compared to whatever excuses he might have. His poor performance indicates a lack of focus.

My (admittedly non-doctor, but very experienced) mind says that he has a declining relationship with his significant other, and that has bled into sleeplessness and a lack of attention to his responsibilities. He is about 70% of the way down the path of self-destruction, and crushing him as some might suggest may well send him over the edge. What he needs is to talk to two people he trusts, one in the Chain-of-Command who can relay information and strategize with the commander to find a workable course of action once the facts are known; and one who is a trained professional who can confirm or deny my assessment that his support system is breaking down and he is unable to cope.

This man needs lifelines. He needs a way to rectify his domestic living situation, or cope with a change that is probably unwanted. He is going to need support to keep off the radar for things the command can't tolerate and still have good order and discipline - a buddy to make sure he gets to where he is supposed to be, but not a probation officer. He needs to be reminded, perhaps forcefully, that he is a Soldier and a member of a team, and that while the team can support him when he needs to take a knee, they need him to carry his pack.

I think he can't see beyond a very sharp, localized facet of his life being in trouble, and is allowing that to affect him in other ways. I have seen it dozens of times in my time in this man's Army. This is something his brothers can help with, but he has to find it to want to help himself too. A team effort is in order here.

Lastly, a call will have to be made by the commander on how much energy and resources he wants to expend on one Soldier when he has a unit to take care of. He has to be prepared to make the hard decision to cut sling load if this goes beyond his capabilities or detracts from unit performance. Then he will need to chapter Jones.
Until then, he has an opportunity to build his team through a execution of a carefully considered plan to care for one of their own. There is a real possibility that through success or even failure here, his unit will be better for the effort.

Would you have done the same as I did?

As a Company Commander, my first mission was to be a leader that meant stepping to the front of the formation and setting the example. The designation of Commander is always synonymous with the word Leader. People and soldiers think the words are one in the same, but they are not. A leader is a person who sets the tone and gets people to do what they would not normally do through respect and fortitude. A Commander has the authority to make someone do something, or fear legal retribution if they do not.
I was a Company Command of a M1A1 Tank Company for almost 18 months and during those 18 months I never gave out an Article 15, had a soldier show up on a blotter report and or come up hot in a urine analysis test. I never passed a soldier to another unit unless that soldier was getting an increase in rank or position that I felt he deserved. I also opened my command to all rehab transfers.
I belief there is no such thing as a poor soldier there is just poor leadership. I do believe that there are bad people that need to be kicked out of The Army for acts of violence, predatory assault and anything that has to do with Drugs, but first you have to ask how they got in The Army in the first place. That is another story. They need to place in an institution that was designed to handle the criminals they were before they entered this institution.
Here is a story I want to share with you and you tell me if I did what a leader should have done.
During my afternoon formations I noticed one of my Platoon Leaders was habitually late. I counselled him on his actions and his setting a poor example for his men. About a month later, he came to me wanting to give one of his soldiers an Article 15 for being late to formation. I asked him did he counsel the soldier on his tardiness. The Platoon Leader said no. I asked him if he asked the soldier was there something wrong or was there something happening at home that caused him to be late for formation. Again he said no.
I told him to bring the soldier to my office after final formation and that he and his Platoon Sergeant were to present the soldier to me at 17:30. At 17:20 the Company First Sergeant and I were sitting in my office to await the soldier and his leadership. The First Sergeant asked me what I was going to do. I told him was going to provide the soldier and his leadership with additional training. He began to laugh and said OK, I got to see how this works. I sad Top, I got this one.
At 17:35 the soldier and his leadership knocked on my door. They were 5 minutes late. But this was a good thing because it was a cause and effect to the additional training I was about to enforce. The Soldier and his leadership entered my office and stood in front of my desk at attention. I continued to look down at some paperwork I had on my desk. Without looking up I ask the Platoon Leader what time it was and he answered 17:35. I asked him what time I told him to be here and he answered 17:30, Sir.
I said, “you are late!” The Platoon Leader and Sergeant started to him and haw and I said, “enough!” We have an issue here gentleman, it seems that no one can tell time here in this situation, so, I am assigning the three of you some additional training. The three of them were taken back. I said that on this Saturday the three of you will report to me and the First Sergeant here in the office beginning at 0700 in PT uniform, then again at 0830 in class A’s, Then again at 0945 in BDU’s. Then at 1100 in NOMEX Uniform, and then a 1300 in in PT Gear and so on through the day until you get a T for Trained in this task from me and the First Sergeant.
Now was this punishment or extra training. I could have given the soldier an Article 15, but what example would that have set after only counseling his leadership for the same offense. No, I got my point across without Non Judicial Punishment and not ruining a good soldier with a lapse in judgment. I taught a lesson to the leadership about counseling, training and setting the example.
I was being a effective Commander and a good leader and that is what soldiers want and deserve.

Don't send him to another unit. Document, document, document, and get him out of the Army.

I've seen this backfire multiple times in my career. Aviators who can't hack it, either through lack of skill or lack of motivation, are shuffled to another assignment instead of being dealt with appropriately. Then a couple years later, they come back with increased rank, increased responsibility, and no increase in skill or motivation, which makes them even more difficult to deal with.

Deal with it now, up front, so that someone else isn't forced to deal with it down the road.