Department of the Army s2

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS, 2ND BATTALION, 4TH FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA 73503

REPLY TO ATTENTION OF

AFVI-XX 20 Mar 2007

MEMORANDUM FOR Staff Sergeant XXXXXXXXX, XXX-XX-XXXX, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd BN, 4th FA Regiment, Fort Sill, OK 73503

SUBJECT: Letter of Concern

1. I am concerned about the inefficient and derelict performance of your duties as Platoon Sergeant. Specifically the following:

 In that you did, on 19 Mar 2007, fail to report to accountability formation at 0600hrs. Further, you were unaccounted for at 0530hrs for the daily Platoon Sergeant meeting.

 This lack of accountability is of great concern to me for many reasons. Firstly, when contacted by SSG XXXX, you said you “would be in by 0830HRS.” Is this the type of response you accept from your Soldiers? You were obviously unaware that (1) your Platoon status was not filled out and (2) the 2-XXFA Commander was present at accountability formation and inquired as to your whereabouts. Your lack of accountability for yourself and your Soldiers impacted not only you, but also your 31 Soldiers, and the unit as a whole as the Battery status report was late by more than one hour to higher headquarters. The information distributed to the Platoons this morning was not imparted to your Soldiers because there was no representative here for the meeting. This implies that none of the NCOs in your Platoon, junior to you in position, are required by you to assume responsibility in your absence. Despite the combined efforts of them all, and only after being ordered to do so, they failed to submit an accurate Platoon status for 1st Platoon.

 This is not the first time you, or a designated representative for you, has been absent from the morning Platoon Sergeant meeting or has failed to provide a status. At least twice, by your own admission, you stated you had forgotten to provide an accountability status. On three other occasions, neither you, nor the next higher ranking NCO were present for the morning Platoon Sergeant meeting. All three times a representative had to be hunted down, and none of them knew the whereabouts of any of the NCOs above them.

 Accountability is a non-negotiable requirement in this unit, and the Army as a whole. Submitting a False Report carries severe penalties if committed knowingly. Your timely submission of the status of assigned personnel is integral in the unit’s ability to count for the Battery as a whole. Failure to do so, by you or any other person you appoint in your absence, is dereliction of duty. Dereliction through neglect or culpable inefficiency is punishable under Article 92 of the UCMJ and carries a maximum punishment of forfeiture of two-thirds pay per month for three months and confinement for three months.

AFVI-XX 20 Mar 2007 SUBJECT: Letter of Concern 2. The above INCIDENTS of INEFFICIENCY and DERELICTION OF DUTY are of concern to me. In your position as Platoon Sergeant you must constantly live AND PROMOTE the professional Army Ethics and Values. I want you to know that these incidents are a major disappointment to the Chain of Command and Corps of Noncommissioned Officers. It is not the conduct expected of a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. It is certainly not the conduct expected of a Staff Sergeant with your time in service. If you need help for how to accomplish your duties or how to lead soldiers, either by negligence or willful dereliction, you have failed to pursue it. Your INEFFICIENCY in the above incidents cannot and will not be allowed to continue.

3. Your dereliction is not in keeping with the standards of a Noncommissioned Officer in today's Army. It demonstrates a lack of leadership ability, self-discipline, and raises serious doubts about your potential for continued service in the United States Army. Understand that you have subjected yourself to the possibility of adverse administrative actions that may include removal from additional duty; Relief for Cause Evaluation Report under the provisions of AR 623-3; possible action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, negative comments on your next NCOER, and Administrative Elimination under the provisions of Chapter 13, AR 635-200 for SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE OF DUTY. This may result in a discharge characterized by "Other-Than-Honorable".

4. Your performance of duty will be monitored very closely for the next 90 days. You will show significant improvement in the mentioned areas of deficiency or subject yourself to measures in the Commander’s Policy Letter #07-03-01, Relief of Noncommissioned Officers.

5. This memorandum is imposed as an administrative measure under the provisions of AR 600-37 and is not punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. THIS MEMORANDUM DOES NOT PRECLUDE YOU FROM CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION OR ACTION UNDER THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE EITHER. This memorandum will be filed in your unit file only.

6. Pursuant to AR 600-37, paragraph 3-6, you have the opportunity to review this memorandum and comment on the information contained herein. You will reply by endorsement, acknowledging receipt of this memorandum, no later than five calendar days after receipt. Your endorsement will include one of the statements contained in AR 600-37, paragraph 3-6.

JOHN M. DOE CSM, USA

CF: SSG X Local Unit File