Posted on Jul 1, 2023
What should I do with a soldier who is always on profile who uses that excuse to not do simple daily tasks?
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Need advice. I’m currently a team leader and I am having issues with a soldier. Background on this soldier he is always on profile and uses that excuse to not do simple daily tasks. He is never at work always manages to have an appointment and does not listen to anything leadership has to tell him. Three weeks ago I counseled him for having an expired license. I showed him how to renew it. He still hasn’t done it and I feel like I’m running out of options on how to better this soldier. He plans on reenlisting but I feel like he just uses the army as a free paycheck since he has an “deadman’s profile”. Any advice would help thank you!
Posted in these groups: 
Profiles
Profiles
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
Provide him one last counseling stating:
"You will provide me a list of your scheduled appointments." This will put him in place to actually make it to his appointments. This way you are tracking his appointments and that you can call those locations to verify that your Soldier was their for the scheduled appointment. If they never showed...bam. Dead to rights.
"You will get your drivers license renewed by (insert date)."
Of course, you'd need to add more meat and potatoes to the counseling, but those would be the main points. Also, put in the counseling that if they fail to do these, then you will recommend to the Commander for UCJM for violation of the following:
Article 83: Malingering
Article 86: Failure to go to appointed place of duty
Article 92: Failure to Obey Order or Regulation.
At the end of the day, some Soldiers can't be helped no matter how hard you try. As for reenlistment, the Commander could put in place a Bar to Re-Enlistment. See AR 601-280.
"You will provide me a list of your scheduled appointments." This will put him in place to actually make it to his appointments. This way you are tracking his appointments and that you can call those locations to verify that your Soldier was their for the scheduled appointment. If they never showed...bam. Dead to rights.
"You will get your drivers license renewed by (insert date)."
Of course, you'd need to add more meat and potatoes to the counseling, but those would be the main points. Also, put in the counseling that if they fail to do these, then you will recommend to the Commander for UCJM for violation of the following:
Article 83: Malingering
Article 86: Failure to go to appointed place of duty
Article 92: Failure to Obey Order or Regulation.
At the end of the day, some Soldiers can't be helped no matter how hard you try. As for reenlistment, the Commander could put in place a Bar to Re-Enlistment. See AR 601-280.
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1LT (Join to see)
I second this. I took over a bad section at Campbell. I helped get over 13 Soldiers kicked.out because they could not maintain standards. They were dragging my NCOs down and driving them crazy. It was heart breaking, but necessary.
The key is putting down those deadlines and goals on paper, realistic measurements by which you can now measure their progress or failure. If they improve awesome, they're following your guidance. If not, the packet grows and you take it to your PSG + PL who will start the process of negative action.
Putting things on paper can be a soldier's greatest defense or worst nightmare.
The key is putting down those deadlines and goals on paper, realistic measurements by which you can now measure their progress or failure. If they improve awesome, they're following your guidance. If not, the packet grows and you take it to your PSG + PL who will start the process of negative action.
Putting things on paper can be a soldier's greatest defense or worst nightmare.
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COL Randall C.
Double up-vote for MSG (Join to see). SGT (Join to see), you've tried the "you're a responsible Solider and I'll give you leeway to conduct the mission" and that hasn't worked. Now you start being directive in nature and give him firm timelines and goals.
Two pieces of advice to add.
First, make sure you check yourself and that nothing you are doing is 'vindictive' because you are frustrated with the Soldier. For anything you're asking him to do, just make sure it passes the 'common sense' test if it's reasonable or not.
It is perfectly reasonable for you to ask him to give a list of all appointments and to notify you of all changes by text or talking to you in-person or by phone. It's perfectly reasonable to give him achievable deadlines to accomplish items. It's not reasonable that you require him giving you an individually signed memorandum for every appointment. It's not reasonable to tell him that he must accomplish three full days of work by close of business today.
Second, regarding his "dead man's profile" (DMP) - You are not allowed to violate the profile, however this does not mean you can't question the profile or have it reviewed. Discuss the profile with leadership with the inadequacies you view in the writeup of what the Soldier is allowed to do. While they slip through, there was a big crack-down on DMPs about five years ago when the large push to make the Army more deployable happened*, the Medical Readiness regulations were updated. No Profiling officer (not all doctors are necessarily Profiling officers) should be writing a DMP unless they are new and nobody explained what they should and shouldn't be in a profile*.
The unit commander has full authority* to discuss the profile with the profiling officer to address any questions or concerns they have. Additionally, the commander can request that a fitness for duty evaluation be conducted including a review of the profile and a second opinion from another profiling officer. This is especially applicable if the Soldier has been going from profile to profile for different items over an extended period of time.
Overall, set achievable standards and hold the Soldier accountable to meet those standards in a defined timeframe. The Solider will either come into compliance or will dig a hole for themselves.
--------------------------------------------
* Army Directive 2018-22 - Retention Policy for Non-Deployable Soldiers - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN13963_AD2018_22_Final.pdf
AR 40-502 - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN37126-AR_40-502-001-WEB-3.pdf
* AR 40-502, para 3-3e - Profiling officer's responsibilities
* AR 40-502, para 3-3d - Commander's responsibilities/options
Two pieces of advice to add.
First, make sure you check yourself and that nothing you are doing is 'vindictive' because you are frustrated with the Soldier. For anything you're asking him to do, just make sure it passes the 'common sense' test if it's reasonable or not.
It is perfectly reasonable for you to ask him to give a list of all appointments and to notify you of all changes by text or talking to you in-person or by phone. It's perfectly reasonable to give him achievable deadlines to accomplish items. It's not reasonable that you require him giving you an individually signed memorandum for every appointment. It's not reasonable to tell him that he must accomplish three full days of work by close of business today.
Second, regarding his "dead man's profile" (DMP) - You are not allowed to violate the profile, however this does not mean you can't question the profile or have it reviewed. Discuss the profile with leadership with the inadequacies you view in the writeup of what the Soldier is allowed to do. While they slip through, there was a big crack-down on DMPs about five years ago when the large push to make the Army more deployable happened*, the Medical Readiness regulations were updated. No Profiling officer (not all doctors are necessarily Profiling officers) should be writing a DMP unless they are new and nobody explained what they should and shouldn't be in a profile*.
The unit commander has full authority* to discuss the profile with the profiling officer to address any questions or concerns they have. Additionally, the commander can request that a fitness for duty evaluation be conducted including a review of the profile and a second opinion from another profiling officer. This is especially applicable if the Soldier has been going from profile to profile for different items over an extended period of time.
Overall, set achievable standards and hold the Soldier accountable to meet those standards in a defined timeframe. The Solider will either come into compliance or will dig a hole for themselves.
--------------------------------------------
* Army Directive 2018-22 - Retention Policy for Non-Deployable Soldiers - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN13963_AD2018_22_Final.pdf
AR 40-502 - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN37126-AR_40-502-001-WEB-3.pdf
* AR 40-502, para 3-3e - Profiling officer's responsibilities
* AR 40-502, para 3-3d - Commander's responsibilities/options
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MSG Livingston hit the foundation. The articles cited are post counseling and subsequent failure. You mention Dean Man Walking profile and stated always on profile which is it? If his profile is permanent, what type is it? Is it you unit medical PA or Doc issuing these profiles, or some other military source? Malingering is especially challenging when the profiles are issued by a competent authority. You should request that your Platoon or Company leadership discusses these profiles if issued locally.
Do your homework, the Company should have a copy of each issued profile, the offices visited will have a record of past appointments as well. When doing your homework, verifying appointments is a good way to build the foundation of your counceling and path forward.
Do your homework, the Company should have a copy of each issued profile, the offices visited will have a record of past appointments as well. When doing your homework, verifying appointments is a good way to build the foundation of your counceling and path forward.
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You counsel them every time they fail to do their mission/task. After accruing a handful of these- see the Chain of Command about chaptering said troop!
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