5 Pet Peeves for Army Leaders

#5, someone always on there smartphone. When your on duty in full view of the public, put the phone away. Just looks unprofessional.

Number 6 - whining about PT at 06:00. That always pissed me off. If I could get my button out of bed I expected my men to do so as well without the whining.

It isn't always a sign of disrespect when referring to another soldier by their pay grade. However, many things could be clarified if they were just addressed as their rank. These all are personal preference and don't always apply. "TOP" isn't just used for meaning Trainer of Personnel. It holds higher respect to some being called that. Only being addressed as your rank can be seen as more condescending.

I had received an email addressed as "SSG". Not my name, and not anything stating it was a personable message. If I am called merely my rank, I find it as a sign of disconnection and possibly a sign of blatant disrespect. It all depends on the situation.

"Hooah" can be a form of morale booster. But, I agree. It most often is just a replacement for "Fine" or "If you say so."

The issue of the cell phones? There are many resources in PDF format that can be easily accessed through ones phone. It becomes a matter of application. The Common Task books are a good tool to have a hard copy of. But, if it can be used digitally, it is a more convenient way to have all the resources on your person. We have removed cell phones from our soldiers before. It made them get into the mix. They all talked to each other directly, and got jobs done quicker than they normally had.

There is a generation gap concerning some of these issues. But, as leaders, we need to make sure standards are enforced and make decisions regarding some of these issues as they arise. Much of it can be rectified if it is just brought forward immediately.