Can I change Agree to Disagree on a counseling statement? | AskTOP.net – Leader Development for Army Professionals

Can I change Agree to Disagree on a counseling statement?

Got a counseling statement. I checked the agree box, but now want to change my mind. Can I do this?

The Mentor - A Comprehensive Guide to Army Counseling and Leadership

That depends on your chain of command’s willingness to respect your change of position. There are several possibilities.

Option 1: You could type a statement up and take it to the individual who counseled you and state something like: “I wish to change my position from agree to disagree.” If they allow you to make the change, simply cross through Agree initial it with a time and date. Initial disagree and then in the comment block write: “Please see attached statement dated: _____.”

Option 2: If they do not wish to allow you to change your decision, request that a copy of your statement be placed with your counseling statement. If they refuse, see the 1SG and ask for a copy to be filed with the counseling statement. If he disagrees, keep a copy of the statement in your records with a note stating that you attempted to provide the statement and were not allowed to attach the statement or change your decision. You should include who you spoke with, the time and date of the conversation, and the name of anyone who was in the room at the time.

Option 3: At a minimum you should have your own copy of the counseling. Make the corrections to your copy of the counseling statement and attach your statement to it. Then simply approach your chain of command and provide them a copy of the counseling statement. At this point they should file it in your records. If they do not and it later becomes an issue you can state that on ____date at ____time you gave a copy your statement to:  ______.

Option 4: If it is not really that important, just write your notes or statement down and keep them to yourself.  If the issue ever comes up again in the future you can provide your comments at that time. The true question at this time is:  Is it worth the pain?  If the answer is “yes” consider options 1-3.  If the answer is “no” document your concerns and let it go.

Only you can decide if it is worth it. The questions you should ask yourself to determine if it is worth it or not would be:  What will be the benefit of submitting this document? Is it going to be more beneficial than doing nothing? Is my request an emotional response that will just make me feel better and make them angry or will this truly clarify the issue making the pain worth the time, effort, and emotion I must invest?

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Mark is a Retired Command Sergeant Major with 26 years of military leadership experience. He held 3 military occupational specialties (Field Artillery, Nuclear Weapons Tech, and Ammunition Ordnance). Mark is one of the leading military authors in the fields of leadership, counseling, and training.

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The Mentor - A Comprehensive Guide to Army Counseling and Leadership

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    Comments

  • Mark Gerecht

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    Bryan,
    He can get angry if he desires, the bottom line is there is nothing in any regulation that states what the agree/disagree block means specifically. If you disagree you disagree and tell your side of the story. I have provided 2 additional articles for you to review below. I would also encourage you to search the site under the counseling related subject area. There are many Q&A’s and Articles that address your concerns. There is absolutely nothing that prevents you from disagreeing with a counseling. The session closing block is designed for you to tell your side of the story.

    http://asktop.net/q-and-a/what-do-i-do-when-a-soldier-checks-the-disagree-box-on-a-counseling/

    http://asktop.net/q-and-a/how-do-i-tell-my-side-of-the-story-on-a-counseling-statement/

  • Bryan

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    I received a counseling today, and when i check the box i disagree my plt sgt got agree and started yelling at me. Telling me that box is just to state if i understand the counseling or not, and that i am not to make any comments in the remarks section. I inserted a regulation in the manual in the remark of why i was disagreeing. What is the right answer to this, were can i write i disagree and why?

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