I definitely think LT McDonough made the correct decision in relieving Sergeant Hernandez. While he provided much-needed stability and experience for the platoon, his apparent actions threatened the entire culture of the group. Up until that point, it was clear McDonough held his men to a high standard and as soon as he left his progress was threatened. While he wasn’t caught red-handed, McDonough trusted his instincts just from the body language of the Vietnamese woman he suspected Hernandez of violating. I think this is a good indicator of how competent of a leader McDonough had developed to be, he trusted his gut and made a crucial decision despite possibly impacting the effectiveness of his platoon. While Hernandez was a good platoon sergeant, being relieved of his duties demonstrated to the rest of the men that this kind of behavior was not going to fly even for the most talented and experienced soldiers. In my opinion, the benefits far outweighed the risks because allowing Hernandez to stay threatened to cause a toxic environment for the platoon. If he was allowed to get away with what he apparently did, then more and more people would start breaking rules which would degrade the overall quality and the relationship the platoon was forming with the Vietnamese people.

It is interesting to examine the correct response in this type of situation, especially in a combat-intensive conflict such as Vietnam. While having a solid platoon sergeant is crucial for success, the apparent crime Hernandez committed is egregious enough in my opinion to warrant his removal. If it was a smaller offense I think I would be more lenient and utilize other methods of discipline, however, violating someone is a serious crime especially with so many SHARP violations occurring in the modern force.