It is unfortunate that you must deal with this situation. However there are several tools at your disposal.
You stated you wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself. That is honorable. Therefore I suggest you set up the counseling session in a manner that achieves your desired outcome. Keep in mind that you are his rater and you control the direction of the counseling. I would also suggest that before you move forward on the counseling that you ensure you discuss your course of action and your concerns with the senior rater. Both you and the Senior Rater need to be in step with the course of action and the desired outcome. One thought you might want to keep in mind as you prepare your counseling is that some SGMs/CSMs at times carry an attitude of I am now an E-9 what is someone going to do with me? They can’t be reduced me short of a courts-martial and I don’t care about my NCOER. The fact of the matter is most individual do care about their NCOER and you do have tools at your disposal to deal with an individual that fails to perform to standard.
Resources you may consider:
1. JAG: discuss the issue off the record with the JAG. You do not need to provide name or unit. Explain the situation and ask for suggestions that may assist you in correcting substandard behavior. Explain your proposed course of action. Make a note of who you spoke with their advice, time and date of the conversation.
2. IG: discuss the issue off the record with the JAG. You do not need to provide name or unit. Explain the situation and ask for suggestions that may assist you in correcting substandard behavior. Explain your proposed course of action. Make a note of who you spoke with their advice, time and date of the conversation.
3. Speak with another SGM/ CSM or Senior Officer: ensure you can trust this individual not to discuss this matter. Keep in mind the SGM/CSM world is extremely small and tends to speak with each other. Ensure you have absolute trust in the individual you speak with. Explain the situation and ask for suggestions.
4. Regulations: AR 623-3 (Evaluation Counseling, Relief, Rater Responsibilities), AR 600-20, AR 600-8-2 (suspension of favorable actions), AR 27-10 (Non-punitive measures, Non judicial Punishment)
Based on your comments the individual may be on the edge of or may have committed the following actions:
Disrespect
Insubordination
Abuse of subordinates
Failure to Obey and Order or Regulation
Items do you have at your disposal:]
Frank Discussion: It is also possible that this individual may not realize that he is acting this way. Potentially if he is newly promoted he could be a little power drunk. If you bring this to his attention in a professional manner and clearly articulate that his conduct is unprofessional and unacceptable, and that you expect more out of him as a senior leader. You expect him to be the example by which the enlisted members of your unit measure themselves and the junior officers of the command can come to him and seek guidance on how to handle enlisted matters. If handled well this action usually works.
Corrective Training: This would be a very humbling experience for a senior NCO to receive. Having to give a class on respect, how to handle conflict, how to resolve an difficult personnel issue, Have him write an essay on a particular title that say why “insubordination or disrespect”
Relief for Cause NCOER: A relief for cause NCOER is sometimes difficult to obtain but under the right conditions it is an effective tool to gain someone’s attention. If the NCO fails to respond to coaching and corrective training and the offense is severe enough a relief action is warranted. However the threat of a relief action is a good deterrent. In order to use this effectively the chain of command must be in agreement with the desired outcome.
UCMJ: If the offense like what occurred with the LT is sufficient an Article 15 could be used. By using this method you have effectively ended any chance of becoming a CSM and or of moving into a Nominative SGM/CSM position. If the NCO has any thoughts of ascending the career ladder to a more senior position the potential of receiving an Article 15 will definitely get his attention
Prepare for the counseling session:
1. Read AR 623-3 concerning Rater responsibilities and Relief for Cause Actions. ( I would recommend a book entitled the Evaluator, if contains a lot of information regarding Counselings, NCOERs, and Relief for Cause reports that you will not find in a regulation)
2. Discuss the matter with the Senior Rater, Ensure you have support
3. Determine what behavior needs correction
4. Determine what courses of action you will use.
5. How will you handle the session if the NCO becomes argumentative?
Document and Follow-up
Ensure that you document all your concerns and your plan of action in your counseling session. The goal here is to have the teeth in your plan if the NCO fails to respond to your counseling and coaching. You measure your response by the severity of his actions or inaction. Ensure you conduct an assessment at least quarterly more often if the situation requires.
I have listed several ideas that I hope with help. The best possible scenario is a well thought out professional discussion that coaches the individual to change their attitude. This puts the SGM in charge of making the changes and provides you the ability to put your foot down if you have to. He may sincerely desire to change, perhaps he may even be embarrassed by you calling him out, if he is willing to change help him…you will have a stronger team for it. If he is unwilling to change, make sure you have your facts together, ensure the chain of command is informed and will support your plan of action, then implement the course of action you require.
Set up your Counseling Session:
Organize the session so that you knock out all the items that you can achieve a quick success on right away. Things that he most likely will not have objections with like: duty description, long term and short term goals, etc. Build this part of the session so that it is positive and upbeat. Then slowly ease into the difficult areas you wish to discuss. Perhaps something like: SGM now I’d like to shift gears and discuss an issue that I believe to be very important to our overall success specifically I have observed that on several occasions you have displayed a very difficult attitude. Is there something going on that I am not aware of, we really need to address this because it is affecting the section and unit.
Bottom-line: No one deserves to be abused; Leaders need to focus their energy on mission requirements and taking care of their Soldiers. If he is detracting from this and causing a problem with Morale and mission success he needs to be corrected.
Please let me know if this information helped
