Can I be forced to counsel a Soldier?

This response is provided based on the information you shared and should not be used as the sole source for making a decision. You should seek guidance from the chain of command, IG, JAG or other certified agencies before making any decisions. How you chose to use this information is totally up to you and is your sole responsibility.

It depends this is a gray area. Let’s look at a couple of examples.

You have no knowledge of the events concerning the counseling other than hearsay and you are ordered to counsel the Soldier. You could counsel them by stating something like: I have been directed by the chain of command to counsel you for being late to formation on _(ENTER DATE). It is my understanding that the facts of the incident include……then you provide the following explanation of this event as the chain of command understands it and has relayed to you……. The chain of command has directed the following action (if any)….then complete the remainder of the form as you normally would with a plan of action and leader responsibilities. Using this method allows you to tell the truth and record the incident as directed but makes it clear you did not observe the behavior and you are simply formalizing the incident in accordance with the actions directed by your chain of command.