A Soldier's Perspective

A Difficult Week

I have a serious flaw: I care too much. Some would ask how that could possibly be a flaw. Sometimes, I try so hard and care so much, that I miss important or crucial details. Most of the time those details aren't very important and become a simple nuisance that simply causes me work longer and harder. But, every once in a while, it causes me HUGE headaches.

My dream job has always been to be a First Sergeant. Not because I've got a big head and want to be the "top" dog, but because I can have a very real impact on both Soldiers and NCOs. I could go the rest of my Army career and never get promoted to Sergeant Major and be happy with that. In my line of work, there aren't a lot of us at my rank anyway, so I'm happy just to have made it this far. Hell, I'm happy just to be alive! I'm not the kind of guy that is out to achieve 100% reenlistment rates in my company either. If a Soldier wants out of the Army and has a plan, I will gladly help that Soldier out. If a Soldier wants out of the Army and does NOT have a plan, I will counsel him/her about the mistake they are making. If a Soldier wants to stay in, I will ensure they get the best possible deal for their service. Above all, I will NEVER lie or misrepresent anything to make numbers.

I never talk specifics about my Soldiers, so I won't talk in terms of names or locations. Many of my Soldiers have recently come down on orders to other duty stations. Most of them are first term Soldiers, which means they are still serving their initial enlistment in the Army. Enlisted Soldiers serving their initial enlistment are authorized to "refuse" a set of orders to report to another duty station without being penalized under certain circumstances. Normally, if a Soldier "refuses" or "declines" an assignment, they get flagged for promotion and cannot reenlist. They fulfill their contractual obligation and are sent on their way. If the military can't send them where they needed…they're not needed.

One of my Soldiers was on assignment to Korea. About a week prior to departing, he decided he wanted to reenlist for another assignment. The Army, like all government organizations, is a lumbering behemoth of bureaucratic steps and timelines. I found out on a Tuesday and had to get an answer by Thursday, since we had a 4-day holiday and everyone would be off work on Friday and Monday. I had NO idea if it was even possible to get him out of his Korea assignment so soon. I called my reenlistment dude and branch manager. Supposedly, it was simple: he just needed to sign a first termer refusal statement, take the airborne physical, and all would be well. He would be pulled off assignment. Wrong. Nothing could have been further from "well" than what came next.

My Soldier was supposed to be leaving that weekend. I called to ensure that he would be okay and was told (remember, I'm keeping people's reputations in tact here) not to worry because as long as the statement was somewhere in the pipeline, he would be all right. I was comforted and felt like I could enjoy my weekend. We pulled him off leave so he could take his physicals, which he did during the day when most of us were off work. We were able to get some help from one of the SF medics on post to get the physical done quicker than normal.

When I went back to work on Tuesday, I called up our branch manager to inquire about how long it would take to get the Soldier into Airborne training because I needed to in-process the Soldier back into the unit. This is when the crap hit the fan, was flung on the wall, dripped down into the floor vent, got sucked into the air ducts, recirculated and flung back out onto the fan to begin again. The Soldier couldn't be pulled from the assignment because he was already in transit status!! Mentioning "in-processing" lit the proverbial light bulb. Oh, and his report date to Korea had already passed. When a Soldier is on orders and doesn't report by the date on the orders, he/she can be processed as AWOL. Now, naturally he's not AWOL because he's with us, but technically he doesn't belong to us. If a Soldier is "AWOL" for 30 days, they are dropped from rolls (DFR). That means they drop off all Army systems, including pay and medical. In other words, this is bad!!

Remember at the beginning of this post when I said that sometimes I care too much. In my zeal to get this Soldier reenlisted and his new assignment worked, I had forgotten that we already out-processed the Soldier and that he was on transition leave. This little piece of information would have prevented a LOT of headaches. It just simply didn't cross my mind. I was on a mission and singularly focused – something a 1SG can't afford to EVER be. This means that our reenlistment person can't technically help him even if he wanted to. It also means that we had no authority to sign him back off leave. The branch manager had overlooked that little tidbit as well when advising me on how to make it work. The reenlistment NCO didn't think about it either. It was the perfect storm.

Once I figured this out, I realized that I was suddenly in over my head. I called my S1 to get some assistance as to what to do next. In typical staff fashion, they were no help. All they could do was explain to me everything that I did wrong and how much it was all screwed up instead of offering me solutions. Trying to stay focused, I told them I wasn't looking for blame; I was looking for solutions. "I don't know," came the answer. When I was on staff, I never said "I don't know." At least, I never said it without following up with, "but I'll find out for you." The purpose of staff is to implement and advise the commander and support the companies. My staff doesn't think this way. And the few times they say, "I'll find out for you" they never get back to me. So, the ball was back in my court.

I tried desperately to reach someone in Korea where the Soldier was going, but due to the time difference the phones just ring. I couldn't find a staff duty number anywhere. It was time to bring in the big guns. I needed to call my Sergeant Major.

I've never had a hard time admitting mistakes. I don't try to hide my mistakes either because you never know if doing so will only make things worse. In my line of work, information can mean life or death. So, to the casual observer it may seem like I screw up a lot, but in reality I just admit all my mistakes. I've been told many times that I shouldn't bring up my errors so much, it may make me look bad. I believe in honor and integrity. They mean a lot to me. I think that to be a good Soldier – and to be a good American – you need to take responsibility for good AND bad, right AND wrong. If I mess up, I expect consequences. That's why I never make the same mistake twice. People who cover up their mistakes tend to never suffer the consequences of those actions which could teach important lessons. The thing is that most of the time I bring up my faults, the response I get is, "don't worry about it." I'm a perfectionist, so no one can punish me more than I punish myself when I mess up. But, I never make the same mistake twice!!

So, I called my Sergeant Major to own up to my unfortunate and hasty decision (which were based off of advice by subject matter experts, I'll remind you). As he should be, he wasn't happy at all. The good news is that he was getting ready to call me. He had gotten wind of what was happening. Thankfully, I had called to talk him before he contacted me. That means a lot, I think. But, my position as a First Sergeant was put in jeopardy over this problem. There's a lot I'm leaving out for the purposes of brevity and dignity. Some details you don't need to know. If taking care of Soldiers means I lose my job as a First Sergeant, that's the price I'm willing to pay. Let me be clear here: I don't screw up a lot, okay! I actually pride myself doing things quite well. In reality, I don't think I would really lose my job because this is the first time I've REALLY screwed up. If my command wants to fire me over one mistake, so be it. They can kiss my ass and I'll go where people aren't as perfect as they are (sarcasm). Thankfully, my company commander has my back, as do the senior civilians I work with.

While things didn't turn out the way the Soldier wanted them to, I just hope he realizes I tried. I may have done it the wrong way, but I tried. I literally put my career on the line for him and I'd do it again – though next time the right way. In the end, everything got worked out and I got to keep my job, "unless I have to call you again this week" the Sergeant Major said. He didn't have to. I'm so thankful for weekends.

Used by permission. Cartoon by MSG Mark Baker.