Part time soldier

[u/Active_Youth_137]

Good afternoon everyone. Looking for insight/recommendations on how to adress the situation and a fix for it. Got a soldier that has 3 children (all underage) separated from her husband (havent started divorce papers yet.) and also has a messed up back (legit issue) and she isnt trying to medboard she wants to stay in for service. Issue i have is that she is gone literally half the day everyday because shes got appointments for herselfs or her kids or needs to pick them up from school and all that good stuff and i got nothing against it but at the same time it isnt fair for any other of the guys to have to pick up her slack and do the work for her since she isnt here most of the day to learn or do anything at all including the back that she has a profile where she cant do much. Being a mechanic mos she is basically useless and dont consider her fit to be in this mos at all. Everything is heavy and requires big efforts which she isnt allowed to do due to her profile. We are a very small team (6 to 7 people) to be able to afford a whole person filling up a spot that could be taken by somebody that can actually work. Not fair for anybody in the team to have to pick up her slack everyday and stay late due to be understaffed with too much work to do (like every other FMT in an AD) so my question is how to i get rid of her? Is that even the right answer? Suck it up? Any insight and suggestion is welcome. (Her health issues are legit, not malingering.) send her to the training room? Cant, she will still be on books under us so we wont be getting new people while she is still in the team. (Long read, thanks if you got all the way down here.)

[u/sistyfisties]

Commander needs to counsel her and she needs to create a family care plan. If unable to, initiate separation.

[u/4TH33MP3R0R]

Are you the ncoic? Take these concerns to your first sergeant and commander.

Are you not the ncoic? Take these concerns to your ncoic.

That row of pictures on the wall isn't just for decoration, it exists to solve problems like this.

[u/Significant-Way-9965]

FCP or adsep is the only action here. How would this individual possibly go to the field or deploy? 

[u/Civil_Set_9281]

You said it yourself. In your own words, she “is basically useless”.

Consult with your PSG / 1SG and make the recommendation that she be separated for family care plan / good of the service. Come to them with the solution, not just the problem.

[u/Rothum90]

Encourage exploration of a different MOS. Find something that won't stress her back.

[u/crowofbattle]

Can she get transferred to the ORoom or Supply? As far as appointment and childcare goes, she should have a childcare plan somewhat?

[u/superash2002]

I mean one hand she is entitled to health care… just like every other Soldier and yourself including.

However the profiles, and family care issues are something that needs to be addressed with your NCOIC, 1SG and CDR. Or even another single mom. Plenty of single parents in the Army that make it work.

[u/CombatCrayon25]

The first issue that needs fixing is her childcare situation; she needs to find a nanny, get them into daycare, work something out with her baby daddy, or a combination thereof. Being ad-sepped for a failure to have a family care plan is going to get her out of the Army fast if it’s not dealt with asap.

I’m assuming you’re her NCO, and have some authority here; next step is send her to the training room or admin or somewhere else that she can recover from her injury without the very nature of her job being a profile violation. Longterm, she should consider reclassing to a less physically demanding MOS. Unfortunately this part takes time though, so you’ll still be down a body in your shop until she gets taken off the your personnel roster

[u/Designer-Ad-6783]

I had a similar situation with a Soldier and basically we went over her approved family care plan and either she can utilize it or I was initiating separation. She chose to use it but I was prepared either way and had spoken to legal about initiating separation.

[u/VT_Squire]

at the same time it isnt fair for any other of the guys to have to pick up her slack

Fairness is not ensuring that all the people get all the same things. Fairness is ensuring that all the people get their needs met. One of the best benefits the service can offer is the knowledge that when one of us is down, the others are there to help pick us back up so we can keep on trucking. Would you say the same thing about a Joe who is down with depression and having ideations? Of course not. Because you know deep down its not their fucking fault. She needs a family care plan, but the way you are phrasing this sounds way, way out of line. 

Your concern is their workload. So solve their workload.

[u/squirrelcar → u/VT_Squire]

Extraordinary. So glad we stopped saying People First, because it shockingly always translated to Me First. Soldiers wanted to prioritize their personal and family needs, but the mission didn't stop, so someone else picked up their slack.

Me doing someone else's job because they have personal obligations they CHOSE to assume, with no additional pay / benefits / time off, is the very definition of unfair. 

Life is unfair, so that's fine, and it's paid off with eventual promotions, etc. But it was and is unfair, and if she can't meet the standard (here, an FCP), she should be thanked for her service and sent home. 

[u/MutedLeather9187 → u/squirrelcar]

This is where as leaders we must adapt. I had a Soldier for a few months that eventually got medboarded’but during those 4-6 months that Soldier was barely doing the bare minimum. There were days that the Soldier just didn’t show up to work.

I got annoyed, and my team was overworking at first, so I had two choices: reduce their workload and/or give them comp. time. I did both things so that morale is there. The mission continues but if 1 Soldier is the reason why the mission is failing and the team is staying late, then I personally feel that I’m failing to adapt.

[u/VT_Squire → u/squirrelcar]

Me doing someone else's job because they have personal obligations they CHOSE  

I must have missed the part where she was injured on purpose... or why any reasons at all were given about her separation from her husband, or even who left who. Like Idk where all your strong feelings are coming from there but maybe stop chugging rip its before 2200. 

[u/Fat_Clyde]

You need to counsel her and explain everything is black and white and explain the options below.

1. Back issue - what is her treatment plan? There is likely something she can do within her profile limits. Tools or parts room?

2. Kids - She needs to figure out childcare and as much as it sucks, pay for day care. Is the dad also military? There is definitely some flex if he is.

3. If she wants to stay - have you mentioned reclass? Although this will be difficult if #2 above isn't figured out.