Your Not Alone!
You are not alone in your feelings. Many Soldiers have these type of feelings with regard to their situation. In most cases I would say you concerns are unfounded as your leaders have more important things to do than think about being unprofessional concerning a complaint you make. Now does it happen yes it does. That is why it is important you are absolutely professional and factual and calm in determining how you deal with the issue.
Can I be transferred or go into the Reserves?
Depending on the severity of the issue and the facts of the case it is possible to be transferred out of a unit. This is only done in severe situations. I do not believe a switch to the reserves is even a remote possibility. Usually you have to deal with the issues at hand. There are several options available to you. As you have describe the situation it might be best to contact the IG. You can do this in several ways.
OPTIONS
- You can go to them or call them and explain your situation and get their advice. If you tell them not to contact the unit they will typically respect your wishes. Keep in mind you must be factual. Make sure you state the facts and are not emotional. Telling the IG things that are not factual will only make things worse.
- You can call the IG and remain anonymous. You do not have to tell them your name or unit. They can them provide you information and make suggestions
- Your 3rd option is to contact the JAG if you believe a crime has been committed. Again you can go see them or remain anonymous.
- If your Commander has somehow wronged you and Army regulation does not provide you a formal way to appeal then you can request an Article 138 complaint against a commander.
Give Senior Leaders a Chance
Last but not least most leaders want to do what is right. Usually when you get 2 levels above a problem you usually are above the emotions of the matter and these leaders that will look at the facts of a situation rather than the emotions of an issue.
USEFUL ASKTOP POSTS
There are several posts on ASKTOP that talk about how to address issues you might want to consider reading the following
Soldier Threatens to Call the IG?
My Chain of Command is out to get me!
Taking the Venom out of Toxic Leadership!
How to convince a Toxic Leader to Treat Me with Respect!
A guide for communicating with Congress.
Summary
In the end only you can decide the best course of action. I hope I have provided you enough information to make an informed decision. Last but not least if you are dealing with an unprofessional leader it is most likely because they lack the experience and/or maturity or they are doing things a certain way because one of their previous leaders did it to them. This is not an excuse just want you to think about it from the leader’s perspective because it will help you build a better professional argument and make you a better leader.
Help Us Help Others!
If you think this site is useful please tell your peers, subordinates, and superiors. Also we are always looking for examples, classes, briefings, SOPs, templates and other information we can share for free in the ASKTOP.net Armsroom. Please help us help others by sending your ARMS ROOM stuff to: mark.gerecht@mentorenterprisesinc.com
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