I frequently hear from Soldiers who believe their Chain of Command is out to get them, either through use of an Article 15 or separation from service. While these events can and occasionally do occur, it is my professional opinion these events are extremely rare. So let’s explore this issue from both perspectives and look at some professional alternatives to resolving this issue.
Typically your leader especially a 1SG/CDR have so much going on within a unit that they have very little time left over. So my initial questions to Soldiers who believe the Chain of Command is out to get them are:
- Do you really believe your leadership has nothing better to do then to sit down and plan your demise?
- If you are taking up significant amounts of your Chain of Command’s time what are you doing that is requiring so much of their attention?
- Are you consistently bringing their attention to you because of substandard performance?
Chain of Command Perspective