You know what my problem at work is? Army wise I’m not a real hard-ass. I’ve never really had cause to be…up until now, most of my assignments have had me working either alone or with one other person.
But now I’m faced with the dreaded “Guy that will make you be an asshole when you shouldn’t have to be”. I’ll just call him SGT Smith since that is not his name. Yeah, he’s an NCO, which makes it even more frustrating. Smith used to work in the company HQ when I first arrived. He’s the guy that would forget to call me when I was in-processing to tell me if there was a recall formation. Because I was in-processing the unit no one noticed that I was missing, but still, it annoyed me. So I learned early on to be in touch with Private “Jones”. Yes, a private…who was more on the ball than this guy. A month ago I had to be in a certification class and Smith was still in HQ. His job was to arrange training. When I asked where the class was held he had no idea. Private Jones actually found out and told me. So now I was rock solid sure that Smith wasn’t going to be any help in the future.
Then I got my squad…I have three other NCOs (its a big squad) SGT A, SGT B and newly arrived SGT C. I never have to tell these guys what to do. They’re all over it. SGT A in particular is really good. This guy who is my second-in-command of the squad is so together he’s usually got things planned out and ready before I’m done with the paperwork. The other guys are good too.
But then they assigned SGT Smith to my squad. Now, he knows his MOS…he’s good at it. But he has a few leadership issues.
[ul]
[li]He was openly bitching about the first Segeant’s Phsyical Training runs…which admittedly, are miles long and gruelling at imes…but he was bitching to the soldiers. You don’t do that. The soldiers are gonna bitch and moan anyway. But guess what…I’m in my mid forties…and I make the runs the 1SG has. Smith is half my age and the soldiers in the squad are between 19 and 25. Top (a psuedonym for first sergeant) is trying to get them in shape, not punish them. Bitching about the 1SG isn’t something you do in front of the soldiers if you’re an NCO. Especially when the the 1SG is acting in the units best interest. [/li][li]I’m usually busy with paperwork and trying to train some of my soldiers to notice people walking in or out or our shop, but twice the platoon sergeant has come and asked me in the last 2 weeks “why is Smith in the *blah blah blah *room, bullshitting with the privates?”. She’s right. We have an assload of things to do. At first I thought that Smith would relish the chance to be working in our shared MOS and helping the soldiers. I’ve found that I have to micro-supervise him in it. I have to tell him directly “Work here, do this”. I should not have to. He’s an NCO. He knows we have missions to accomplish and the soldiers need his guidance. I shouldn’t need to fish him out of another squad’s shop and tell him this. [/li][li]A recently married private just closed on a house. The Platoon Sergeant wanted an NCO to go with him to make sure the house was decent and that the soldier wasn’t getting in over his head. She didn’t want me to go, as I had to many things on my plate at that time. My other NCOs were busy also so I suggested SGT Smith. She chuckled and said "No way, a private would be better than sending him.". At first I thought that was harsh but after observing Smith she’s right. In fact, that week Smith called me to tell me he was running late coming back from lunch because the waitress sucked. So I had to yank SGT C off of his task to do it. Smith is having a drag effect on my squad. [/li][li]Smith got a tattoo. I don’t really care. What I care about is that he had his sleeve rolled up because he had to put gel on it or something and that it was tender. Fine. It was on his upper arm, but if hs skin is so sensitive and this gel needs to be on it so much that he has to roll his sleeve why didn’t he fucking wait until Friday or saturday to get the tats? I didn’t even know he was walking around with a rolled up sleeve having been out of the office all day until the acting commander said something to me when I got back. It was one of those “What the hell you were thinking” moments. We have way too many officials and officer going through this place to do that. I probably would have lost it then but I had about five different things to do in one hour at the time. I meant to tell his team leader SGT A, to deal with it, but since I don’t like to dump extra stuff on my team leaders I had to handle it…which slowed me up in paperwork and slowed down the process of getting my people released for the day. Smith is having a serious drag effect. [/li][li]A normal day has me releasing the soldiers at 1630 (430 PM) for chow and they don’t normally have to return. The NCOs and I will be here until about 1730 and and if I don’t need them for anything else I release them around 1730 (530 PM). I’ll stay until the platoon sergeant has her meeting with the squad leaders which sees me leaving around 1800 or 1830. Everyday Smith moans about not being released at 1630. Its like clockwork. He bitches that he has stuff to do, he wants to see his wife, etc. Guess what dude, we all do. But you’re an NCO and you have to be here for another hour or so bvecause we have work to freaking do. I’ve tried to impart this to him with subtlety but it ain’t working. The kicker is this weekend. The 1SG has stated that he doesn’t like to interfere with anyone’s weekend. He doesn’t like to keep anyone late if it doesn’t have to happen. And that this friday he’s having a quick briefing with the company and then everyone goes home at 1600 (4 PM) . Smith asks me if he can leave at 1500 so he can get some extra weekend time in. Just him.Not the soldiers. (Just a note: If i let anyone go early just because it will be the soldiers because they busted their ass to get the job done, not becaue they just want to go home…and most of my…hell, all of my privates, have busted their asses,and they don’t bitch about about it) Oh, he adds, “I know its on you if the 1SG ask why I’m not there in formation”. Ya think? Thats not even the case. Why should you get to leave early just because you selfish bastard? The rest of us are here working and not one private complained about it, in fact they were all ready to stay until our work was done. [/li]
[/ul]
I’m going to have to pull this guy aside and be a dickhead. Because he doesn’t get it. This isn’t a game. We’re here to get a job done everyday, and its not always easy, pleasant or fun. But we don’t have it that bad. 'Ive had it better, and I miss those times. I’ve also had it worse and I know it can suck at times. But he needs to man up and stop acting like raw recruit. If he isn’t capable of acting like an NCO I’ll give his job to one of the E4s.
I won’t lie, I’m one of the laziest guys around. I’d rather not exert myself at all. If I can get the job required of me done with minimal work, great! But if I need to bust my ass to do it, then so be it. Smith isn’t being a team player…and I’m the easiest boss to have. All he has to do is be a freaking sergeant. The fact that I have to remind him of that is pissing me off. I don’t like to bite people’s heads off, but he’s forcing my hand.
Whats your biggest problem with coworkers? I can’t be the only one.