The End of ArmyWeb

After seven years in the military I begrudgingly but wisely moved back to being a civilian. With that life change, I must also end my problem-posing missives posted on ArmyWeb.

However, while I may roll back my social media profile in the future, until that time I will keep ArmyWeb up on Blogger to languish but with the hope it will inform future generations of buck sergeants of arcane military topics.

Interestingly, a shocking number of people access the blog daily. Here are the top posts as of today:

DA 31 (MS Word)

Hands in Pockets: AR 670-1

How to Move from Specialist to Corporal

I Love Me Book (folder)

POV Risk Assessment

Hooah.

DA Form 4856 UCMJ Magic Bullet Phrase -- developing

The DA Form 4856, Developmental Counseling Form is one of the most powerful forms in an NCO's toolbox. They are used for myriad counselings including the event oriented counseling or in junior enlisted speak -- a bad counseling.

If a Soldier's sub-standard performance may eventually warrant UCMJ, you have to tell them of the consequences of their behavior. This is outlined for Active Army in AR 635-200 and National Guard and Reserve AR 135-178.

Focusing on the National Guard and AR 135-178, Section 2–4. Counseling and Rehabilitation, "Commanders must make reasonable efforts to identify Soldiers who are likely candidates for early separation and to improve their chances for retention through counseling, retraining, and rehabilitation before starting separation action."

Soldiers must be given a reasonable opportunity to overcome their deficiencies such as unsatisfactory performance, minor disciplinary infractions, pattern of misconduct or failure to meet Army body composition standards.

In other words, when counseling approaches UCMJ or separation level, the 4856 needs to state that continued behavior of a similar nature or additional misconduct may result in separation and it needs to spell out the consequences.

(c) The characterization of service that may be issued and the effect of each type if such action is taken and separation accomplished.

This is the 4856 "Magic Bullet Statement."

I am on the hunt for a good, short, CTARNG specific Magic Bullet Statement.

--to be continued--

Half-staff display of the United States Flag

As I drive around town, I see a number of flags at half staff. These flags are on town property. When I check the Web for flag status for my state it says full staff. What's going on here?

The United States “Flag Code” as found in Title 4 of the United States Code provides uniform guidelines for the display of and respect shown to the flag. The Code functions simply as a guide to be voluntarily followed by civilians and civilian groups. There are no federal restrictions or court decisions or penalties limiting an individual or civilian group lowering his own flag. This also applies to flying the flag at night, in inclement weather and in poor condition. If you want to pay proper respect to Old Glory, the flag code is your guide.

But what about town property like a park? Who can make a half-staff decision?

Title 4, Section 7 (m) covers position and manner of display. Basically it says the president or governor can make a half-staff decision. But there are caveats.

Setting aside the District of Columbia, the heads of federal departments, Peace Officers Memorial Day, the death of a president or Memorial Day, the president can order and the governor of a state, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff.

When the governor issues a proclamation requesting flags be flown at half-staff because of the death of a member of the Armed Forces, the National flag at any Federal installation or facility in that area covered shall also be flown at half-staff. Otherwise, Federal installations take their orders from the president.

Connecticut has no expressed laws or rulings giving statutory or constitutional authority to the governor on half-staffing. It is a custom granted from his position as supreme executive power in the state. There is nothing in writing that a mayor can request half-staffing or ignore a half-staff request from the governor. It is a custom codified by guidelines.

With the prolonged Global War on Terror, there has been some confusion because of the frequency of half-staffing from service member deaths. Look to the US Flag code for guidance.

A Google search pulls up the current flag advisory in the State of Connecticut on the CT.gov site.

US Flag at Full Staff and Connecticut Flag at Full Staff

Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks; AWT

Hot off the press and trimmed:
Soldier Training Publication
STP 21-1-SMCT, 2 MAY 2011

"I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills."

It is right there in the U.S. Army Soldier's Creed. But where can a Soldier find these warrior tasks and which ones are the ones they should know?

Army Warrior Tasks are selected common individual Soldier skills deemed critical to a Soldier's basic competency and survival on the battlefield. Examples include weapons training, tactical communications and lifesaving. Everyone in the Army is expected to know level one tasks. Battle Drills are group skills such as react to an ambush. 

The ALARACT 078/2012, 2012 'Best Warrior' Competition and Army G-3 specifies using the online manuals (http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/smct_1.html) as they "are the most current." These are the digital copies of the fat brown book you where handed in basic training that fell apart almost immediately.

If you look at the current manual, there are a lot of tasks missing from years past. Gone are tasks for the MK19, and M18A1 Claymore Mine. Why?

Referencing the 2009 Army Posture Statement, "The Army conducts an annual review of WTBD to maintain relevance to current operations. Army Warrior Training, the program that replaced common task testing, focuses on WTBD training for all military personnel throughout the Army." 

In effect, they review tasks annually, add some and remove some in reaction to current operations.

Because of this review, even the manual may not be the most up-to-date resource available. In the Introduction to the SMCT, it says, "If a task identified in the SMCT is not current refer to AKO “my training” or “DTMS”, identify the individual task or task number. All tasks are reviewed annually and may change before the SMCT is updated."

So, if you have been ordered to teach how to perform safety checks on a hand grenade, don't reference your October 2006 Warrior Skills 1 book, but see if Task Number 071-325-4401 is in the current brown book. Then check the Army Training Network, ATN Task Search (https://atn.army.mil/) to get the most current task information.

NOTE: Don't throw those old books away. They are a solid, printed resource for weapons instruction on the crew-serve weapons. Great for hip pocket training when you have to teach a detail how to disassemble an MK19 and use LSA and not CLP. 

Saluting at parades

Figure 15.7. Position of the Colors at the Carry

With parade season approaching, I wanted to refresh my D&C knowledge. Here are some of the important things to consider when ground guiding a vehicle and driving in a parade.

• When driving, don't salute
• When alone, passing or being passed by the uncased National Colors, 6-step salute (look for yellow fringe)
• Salute when you recognize persons entitled to the salute (most importantly here--Coast Guard)

FM 2-21.5, 15-2. THE COLOR AND COLORS
b. Individuals or units passing or being passed by uncased Colors out of doors render honors. Individuals, not part of a formation, salute six steps distance from the Colors and hold the Salute until they have passed six steps beyond the Colors. The individual in charge of a formation calls the formation to ATTENTION and Present, ARMS.


f. During a review, parade, or honor guard ceremony, ordinarily only one National Color is present. [Ed Note: local commander can authorize subordinate groups to carry their National Colors in addition to the honor guard.]


A-1. WHEN TO SALUTE
Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled (by grade) to a salute except when it is inappropriate or impractical (in public conveyances such as planes and buses, in public places such as inside theaters, or when driving a vehicle).

a. A salute is also rendered—

• When the United States National Anthem, “To the Color,” “Hail to the Chief,” or foreign national anthems are played.
• To uncased National Color outdoors.
• On ceremonial occasions as prescribed in Part Two, Ceremonies.
• At reveille and retreat ceremonies, during the raising or lowering of the flag.
• During the sounding of honors.
• When the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag is being recited outdoors.
• When turning over control of formations.
• When rendering reports.
• To officers of friendly foreign countries.

b. Salutes are not required when—

• Indoors, except when reporting to an officer or when on duty as a guard.
• Addressing a prisoner.
• Saluting is obviously inappropriate. In these cases, only greetings are exchanged. (Example 1: A person carrying articles with both hands, or being otherwise so occupied as to make saluting impracticable, is not required to salute a senior person or return the salute to a subordinate.)
• Either the senior or the subordinate is wearing civilian clothes.

c. In any case not covered by specific instructions, the salute is rendered

A-6. SALUTING COLORS
National and organizational flags, which are mounted on flagstaffs equipped with finials, are called Colors. Military personnel passing an uncased National Color salute at six steps distance and hold the Salute until they have passed six steps beyond it. Similarly, when the uncased Color passes by, they salute when it is six steps away and hold the Salute until it has passed six steps beyond them.

NOTE: Small flags carried by individuals, such as those carried by civilian spectators at a parade, are not saluted. It is improper to salute with any object in the right hand or with a cigarette, cigar, or pipe in the mouth.

AR 600–25, Salutes, Honors, and Visits of Courtesy, 1–5. Hand salutes and salutes with arms

b. All Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled to the salute. Salutes will be exchanged between officers (commissioned and warrant) and enlisted personnel, and with personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard), the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service entitled to the salute.


d. When military personnel are acting as drivers of a moving vehicle, they should not initiate a salute.


IN ADDITION:

Colors
A U.S. flag trimmed on 3 sides with golden yellow fringe.



AR 600–25, 1–12. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag
Soldiers may recite the Pledge of Allegiance as noted below in accordance with Section 4, Title 4, United States Code (4 USC 4)—
a. During military ceremonies, soldiers will not recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
b. At official functions, social events, and sporting events, soldiers should—
(1) When in uniform, outdoors, stand at attention, remain silent, face the flag, and render the hand salute.
(2) When in uniform, indoors, stand at attention, remain silent, and face the flag.
(3) When in civilian attire, stand at attention, face the flag with the right hand over the heart and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Headgear should be removed with the right hand and held over the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.