Was I Wrong to Direct a Soldier to Complete Corrective Because they Failed to Wash and Dry Their Hands?
I received a negative counseling for having a Soldier write an essay on the importance of proper hand washing and drying because I observed him leaving the restroom and he did not wash his hands. Now my 1SG has me sitting in the orderly room as corrective training for giving a Soldier corrective training. The Soldier was not my direct report. Was I wrong?
Bottomline
Not necessarily
Discussion
Corrective Training Aspect
Having a Soldier write an essay on the importance of sanitation meets the requirements of corrective training. Specifically:
- It was not punishment
- It was directly related to the observed deficiency
- It specifically addressed the observed deficiency
- It was discontinued once the deficiency was correct
So your corrective training process was correct.
1SG’s Point of View
You stated the 1SG had you sitting in the orderly room doing nothing because he was unhappy with your decision to administer corrective training. I cannot tell you if the 1SG is right or wrong, just as I cannot tell you if you were right or wrong in your decision.
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.
