Drill Sergeant
Drill Sergeant
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For privacy, this will be anonymous.
My friend worked hard to get their E-5, as everyone does. They're in the reserves, so with the promotion came with a transfer into a E-5 slot at another unit, a DS unit. 1SG said, if you don't want to go to DS school, that's fine, we'll find another place for you. The E-5 tested the waters for a month (meaning discussed it with their family, looked up the requirements, talked to other DS's, etc.) and decided it wasn't the best idea for their family right now, wants a different unit.
Now, 1SG says go to DS School or get demoted and transferred out. I was enlisted for over a decade, I understand getting handed unwanted assignments, but this smells fishy. In their promotion packet they did not check the box that said "Are you willing to go to DS school?" Should such a box be interpreted as informative, not definitive? Meaning, "needs of the Army" regardless what they checked? The 1SG says their promotion was conditional and this is their only choice, they have to go.
Most concerning aspect is that they will lose their rank over this, Should they go to JAG/IG to fight this?
***In all honesty, this will probably break them. They'll go back to E-4 and ride out their time remaining. It's a shame to not have more options here and to see the leadership handling it last minute and with an abrasive attitude. The deciding factor really is their family. 3 kids, one just born in December, they're graduating college in MAY with their BA and then getting a new job. They got put in a corner and nobody went to bat for them.
Resolution:
It turns out that their Commander from their original unit, who was stalling their promotion until IG got involved, rushed their transfer through by finding a slot for them in a nearby DS unit, despite the fact soldier that the soldier did not want DS school and left the box unchecked in their promotion packet. The CMDR felt that they were doing this soldier a favor, but neglected to communicate as much and thus it wasn't received that way by the soldier. Rather, it appeared to be the Commander covering up their own mistakes, as events that continued afterward also seemed to suggest.
The situation has been resolved mostly, but it didn't end well. I am hoping they can make the most of it, many NCO's have sympathized with the soldier for the situation they were put in, regardless of the mistakes made on their part. I hope this is a lesson for them in future leadership positions and connects them to a professional philosophy of humbly serving others and communicating with integrity.
My friend worked hard to get their E-5, as everyone does. They're in the reserves, so with the promotion came with a transfer into a E-5 slot at another unit, a DS unit. 1SG said, if you don't want to go to DS school, that's fine, we'll find another place for you. The E-5 tested the waters for a month (meaning discussed it with their family, looked up the requirements, talked to other DS's, etc.) and decided it wasn't the best idea for their family right now, wants a different unit.
Now, 1SG says go to DS School or get demoted and transferred out. I was enlisted for over a decade, I understand getting handed unwanted assignments, but this smells fishy. In their promotion packet they did not check the box that said "Are you willing to go to DS school?" Should such a box be interpreted as informative, not definitive? Meaning, "needs of the Army" regardless what they checked? The 1SG says their promotion was conditional and this is their only choice, they have to go.
Most concerning aspect is that they will lose their rank over this, Should they go to JAG/IG to fight this?
***In all honesty, this will probably break them. They'll go back to E-4 and ride out their time remaining. It's a shame to not have more options here and to see the leadership handling it last minute and with an abrasive attitude. The deciding factor really is their family. 3 kids, one just born in December, they're graduating college in MAY with their BA and then getting a new job. They got put in a corner and nobody went to bat for them.
Resolution:
It turns out that their Commander from their original unit, who was stalling their promotion until IG got involved, rushed their transfer through by finding a slot for them in a nearby DS unit, despite the fact soldier that the soldier did not want DS school and left the box unchecked in their promotion packet. The CMDR felt that they were doing this soldier a favor, but neglected to communicate as much and thus it wasn't received that way by the soldier. Rather, it appeared to be the Commander covering up their own mistakes, as events that continued afterward also seemed to suggest.
The situation has been resolved mostly, but it didn't end well. I am hoping they can make the most of it, many NCO's have sympathized with the soldier for the situation they were put in, regardless of the mistakes made on their part. I hope this is a lesson for them in future leadership positions and connects them to a professional philosophy of humbly serving others and communicating with integrity.
Posted in these groups: 
00G: Drill Sergeant
Reserves
00G: Drill Sergeant Reserves
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
11
11
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As far as I understand, with the reserves your rank is contingent on your slot. He moved into an E5 slot to get promoted, unless he finds another E5 slot somewhere he might be out of luck.
Look at it from the Army point of view, if people just rotated into DS positions for a few months and rotated out there would be a surplus of E5s and that DS spot would never stay filled.
Look at it from the Army point of view, if people just rotated into DS positions for a few months and rotated out there would be a surplus of E5s and that DS spot would never stay filled.
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1LT (Join to see)
LTC Jason Mackay - That's what I was tracking. Thought it was voluntary until now. Didn't know they grabbed from any MOS either, thought they preferred some branches over others.
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LTC Jason Mackay
1LT (Join to see) - I'd say it's not much different than if you were in an Engineer Dive Det in a dive billet or any RC Airborne unit. If you aren't qualified, or won't, you can't slot. I don't think it's dirty pool, just rough going for this Sergeant.
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SSG (Join to see)
I used to work in a DS unit, that was a voluntary slot, my question why did the soldier accept that slot, he could have turned it down. For one DS slots are non MOS specific slots,
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1LT (Join to see)
It turns out that their Commander, who was stalling their promotion until IG got involved, rushed their transfer through by finding a slot for them in a nearby DS unit, despite the fact soldier that the soldier did not want DS school and left the box unchecked. They felt that they were doing this soldier a favor, but neglected to communicate as much and thus it wasn't received that way by the soldier. Rather, it appeared to be the Commander covering up their own mistakes, as events that continued afterward also seemed to suggest.
The situation has been resolved mostly, but it didn't end well. I am hoping they can make the most of it, many others have sympathized with the soldier for the situation they were put in, regardless of the mistakes made on their part. I hope this is a lesson for them in future leadership and connects them to a professional philosophy of humbly serving others and communicating with integrity.
The situation has been resolved mostly, but it didn't end well. I am hoping they can make the most of it, many others have sympathized with the soldier for the situation they were put in, regardless of the mistakes made on their part. I hope this is a lesson for them in future leadership and connects them to a professional philosophy of humbly serving others and communicating with integrity.
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8
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You can always turn it down, but branch will not look favorably on you and they have long memories
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From what it sounds like based on what you're saying, your friend likely entered into a specific Drill Sergeant billet/slot (SQI X). Correct me if I am wrong about that, but if what you are saying is accurate, I doubt it, because drill sergeant school (like airborne school) requires the slot. That being said, being in that billet and not being qualified for it by SQI is essentially the same as being non-MOSQ (because the SQI is apart of the MOS). So accepting it is essentially like saying, "I agree to get qualified in my MOS" and by association, "I volunteer to go to Drill Sergeant School" or whatever school will qualify him for that position. Now, this 1SG may have lied to him as it seems you are saying, which in that case the Soldier should try and voice his concern. However, if you accept a position/promotion into a slot it is your obligation to do everything you can to meet the qualification requirements for that billet. If you can't, the Army assumes you have not kept up your end of the deal in accepting it. To give another example, my previous unit was an airborne unit and I was asked before joining if I would volunteer to go to airborne school to accept the position. I said yes and went. If I had not, they would have kicked me out of the unit, because I would be useless as a paratrooper in an airborne unit not being qualified. Likewise, a Soldier filling up a Drill Sergeant billet in a Drill Sergeant unit, but not willing to go to school is not helping that unit in its mission either. Anyway, regardless of what this 1SG may have told him, this is the way it works.
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1LT (Join to see)
That's a good point, I'll have to ask about their specific slotting. They made it seem like that was the case as the 1SG quoted their contract specifically. There are more details about how everything was handled by the E-5 and by the leadership, but I want to stick to the facts as best I can and not make too many judgments from the outside.
That being said, there are certainly elements of miscommunication. This E-5 did not have all the details or they were simply misinformed, most likely both. It seems the stipulations all line up, they just weren't given a fair shake at lining this new assignment up with what is going on in their life right now. The way things happened, their family was put in a corner, unbeknownst to them, and when they figured it out they didn't have any room to maneuver.
They turned it down today, some sort of form they signed. They are going to call IG tomorrow to discuss the finer points, long story there, hope it works out for both parties.
That being said, there are certainly elements of miscommunication. This E-5 did not have all the details or they were simply misinformed, most likely both. It seems the stipulations all line up, they just weren't given a fair shake at lining this new assignment up with what is going on in their life right now. The way things happened, their family was put in a corner, unbeknownst to them, and when they figured it out they didn't have any room to maneuver.
They turned it down today, some sort of form they signed. They are going to call IG tomorrow to discuss the finer points, long story there, hope it works out for both parties.
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CW3 (Join to see)
1LT (Join to see) - I'd find it hard to believe that this Sergeant didn't know what they were getting into. Accepting a position or promotion often comes with stipulations (be it location, assignment, ASI/SQI). And, I have never heard of an SQI coded position being offered to someone without it being clear that they *will* be required to meet the qualifications of that billet.
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