Warriors,
This month’s JAM Question was about discipline. Now that we’ve had a few weeks to let it simmer in our brains, I wanted to stretch the conversation into the month of April for this important topic.
I would really like to hear your thoughts because reading the replies to the original post, I noticed something AWESOME. There was a relatively consistent motif of, “nobody expects Junior Officers to know much about the Army… but, that’s not an excuse for indiscipline (personal or organizational)…” What a super kick@$$ point! Mind… tick, tick, tick, blown!
Lack of experience or ignorance can produce mistakes, but it should NOT produce indiscipline. Discipline, like battle drills, should be KNOWN standards executed automatically without commands. Our professional values, relevant regulations, and an internal moral code produce the discipline that directs our actions as Leaders and the actions of our Soldiers. Where/When are these known standards communicated? How do we communicate them as Junior Leaders? What do we do if/when we fail to uphold our own personal discipline? How do we correct standards violations or indiscipline in peers and superiors?
Where/When — every day, all the time
How — by deed and word
A story on failure — As a platoon leader, my responsibilities exceeded those of my Squad Leaders and Team Leaders. So, I needed to plan the training, resource the training, inspect the training, and participate in the training myself. Well, occasionally, young L-T is going to forget his gloves or eye-pro for the range. I can’t shoot without this important personal protective equipment (PPE), or I am contributing to a lower standard, I am eroding discipline… But! There’s a way out… that BUILDS discipline. Remember how discipline is built on valueS and standardS those are plural for a reason. Thorough PCCs and PCIs are an indication of discipline, but L-T blew that one when he forgot his gloves and eye-pro. Fortunately, “teamwork” is also a good organizational value that contributes to organization discipline. “Hey team, I goofed and forgot my gloves in the office, can someone help square me away? I won’t shoot without wearing the same PPE as everyone else (the discipline/standard is too important), but the training timeline (mission first) is too important to drive all the way back because of my mistake. Does someone have some shooting gloves I can borrow?” You cannot be perfect as a Leader, but a good Leader can build a perfect team, through discipline.
Peers — My unit was piggy-backing on a range run by another unit. The Range OIC was a new 2LT and I observed the ammo point was out of standard. When I arrived at the training, I asked my unit OIC (a seasoned 1LT who knew the standard) why the ammo point was incorrect, and he replied, “Sir, this isn’t our range…I just…” I told my OIC, “The ammo point needs to be fixed. Is it better your peer hear that from me, or from you?” [flashback] On a deployment when I was a new 2LT, I had a peer that I would occasionally encounter on patrol (we had adjacent areas of interest). I always saw him with cuffed sleeves, unbloused boots, and non-authorized eye-pro. I never said anything, because he wasn’t in my company… Until the day my CO was tagging along on my patrol, and we ran into that peer of mine… the conversation I watched between my CO and that LT was uncomfortable, and I wished I had said something to him much sooner about standards and discipline. When he returned to the vehicle, my CO made a mumbled comment about, “…indicators of relaxed discipline standards…” A month later, that same platoon had a vehicle rollover. Two Soldiers were killed because the gunner’s restraint was not worn properly and the ammo was not properly secured inside the vehicle. Peer leadership is HARD, it’s awkward, it’s even embarrassing. But, when it comes to standards and discipline, embarrassment over an awkward conversation will always be better than the potential consequences of not saying anything. You might save a peer from a call to the carpet, you might save a life.
Superiors — Three times in my career I have felt compelled to correct a senior leader. I’ll spare the details. Here are the takeaways:
1. Three times in my career! That’s all! It’s a significant emotional event, but far from common to need to correct a superior.
2. They ALWAYS appreciated it and thanked me profusely. No quality Leader WANTS to be outside of standards and discipline. One time, I even got a coin for having the courage to make the correction.
3. Tact. Tact. Tact. This is my favorite technique AND how I ask subordinates to correct me. “Sir, someone is calling for you on the radio.” Then, away from an audience, the appropriate corrections are made. In my units, this “magic phrase” is so well known that I have been “called on the radio” during command and staff meetings when my 1SG needed to interrupt me to correct my numbers reporting. We all do/say stupid things sometimes. With the right tact, any and all corrections are always welcome.

So, what are your thoughts?
I’ll look for you in the comments section below!
 

 
~Jeff