Where can a PVT in the Army go if they feel that a SGT is singling them out?

LCpl Sandy Moran — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 17:30:28 -0400

Is there anyone in the Army that a pvt. can go too if he feels that a Sgt. is signaling him out , then smoking that pvt. with extra exercise after morning p.t.. And why is it that a Sgt will not explain his orders so that pvt understand what they need to do. And gets mad when asked what he did wrong?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2019 5:34 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 17:34:00 -0400

There is sooooo much information missing from this in order for anyone here on RP to even attempt to make an educated piece of advice.

1) Is the PVT in question an APFT failure?
2) Is the PVT letting their mouth overrun their six?
3) Is the PVT not understanding the orders given based on what the PVT feels they want to hear/understand?
4) How is the PVT being singled out, specficially?
5) Why is the PVT not pulling up their Big Boy pants and seeking assistance/guidance from others in the unit?
6) How is the SGT not explaining their orders?

But, to give one answer to the basic question: If the PVT is feeling stressed out and needs someone to vent to, they can easily seek out the local chaplain or therapist.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2019 6:29 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 18:29:28 -0400

Respectfully, Privates generally don’t need to understand ‘why’. Just be quiet, and do what you’re told. Hypothetically,
SGT: ‘PVT, get down!’
PVT: ‘But why?’
*bullet smacks the PVT in the head

If the Private needs to talk it out, his Sergeant is a good person to start with. Maybe at lunch. ‘Hey SGT, if there’s something I’m not doing correctly, or to your expectations, could we please talk about what I need to do, exactly, to improve to get to standard and above?’

Honestly, Soldiers need to start worrying when their NCOs start ignoring them.

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made Mar 12 at 2019 4:59 AM

SSG Robert Perrotto — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 04:59:44 -0400

Is the troop in question a problem child? Constantly or consistently making poor decisions, habitually late, easily distracted from the task at hand, has priority issues, not a team player, shirks tasks and responsibilities. Second, are there counseling statements that set the expectations, and counseling where the Soldier failed to meet those expectations. There comes a time where the first line Supervisor makes a decision that "talking" does not correct the issues, and needs to apply alternative tools in order to readjust the Soldier into a productive part of the team.

Another aspect is, the first line supervisor believes the troop has potential, and does not want to create the "paper trial" to justify separating the Soldier.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Mar 12 at 2019 8:30 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:30:39 -0400

I think every Private in the Army feels like his Squad Leader is out to get him at some point. Generally it isn't true. That Sergeant's job is to get the Private, who was recently a civilian, acclimatized to military life and to see that soldier meets the standards of the Army. A surprising number of young people come into the service with little or no life experience, never been away from home for any long periods, never had to make hard decisions on their own, and often in school were not held to any real standards of appearance, behavior or performance. For those reasons, often the NCO's needs to be very directive, which can come as a bit of a shock if you aren't use to it. I would advise sitting down and talking with the NCO, which the NCO should be doing anyway in counseling sessions. Counseling sessions are not just derogatory, they should be used to tell the soldier what he is doing right, what he needs to work on, and to develop a plan for that soldiers progression in the unit and in rank. If he still feels he is getting a bad deal, he should always start within the Chain of Command and talk to the Squad leader, Platoon Sgt., and 1st Sgt. in that order to try and solve his problem.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 12 at 2019 8:54 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:54:29 -0400

The Private can always go to their squad leader if they feel they're being unfairly targeted. Honestly, though, he's probably being targeted for a perfectly good reason. Some Soldiers just need a little bit of extra love. Usually, if a Sergeant is an asshole, they're an asshole to everyone, not just one person.