Is a “no field duty” profile valid? | AskTOP.net – Leader Development for Army Professionals

Is a “no field duty” profile valid?

I have a Soldier who went on sick call and came back with a no field duty profile. We are getting ready to go to the field for two weeks. I need this Soldier. Is there anything I can do?

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Typically “no field duty” or “no overseas duty” and other general comments are not appropriate for use in an official profile. Soldiers who are pregnant can get profiles that state no field duty or no overseas duty as a result of their pregnancy, but usually the profile will focus on what the Soldier can do as opposed to what they cannot.

The doctor writes the profile but the commander determines what a Soldier will do. Typically a commander will not go against a doctor’s recommendation. I would suggest you have the Soldier return to sick call and have the profile rewritten to be more specific.

As a side-note,  be realistic. If the Soldier is broken, don’t provide them the opportunity to hurt themselves even worse or endanger others. I recall having a Soldier with two broken legs. I recommended he stay in the rear during an FTX. The commander insisted he come to the field. This was the old Army, we did not have hardstand or tents. It rained so hard during our FTX that he had to put his legs in trash bags to keep the casts dry. That evening, he slipped in the mud on his way to the field latrine and broke his arm. Hmm… guess he should have stayed in the rear after all.

AR 40-501 states that determination of individual assignment or duties to be performed is a commander’s decision. Limitations such as “no field duty,” or “no overseas duty,” are not proper medical recommendations.

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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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