Purpose of Counseling:
You are being counseled for multiple incidences of insubordination and failure to follow lawful orders in the field, as well as your contravention of the OCS SOP, due to locking your door for an extended period to avoid speaking with your Team Leader and Squad Leader.
Key Points:
On Tuesday, 11 Jul 2017, during formation you were given a task to complete. Your task was to get packs of hydration powder for our squad from the water point. You failed to take action and instead argued with me, resulting in another OC having to complete your assigned task. You did not have a valid reason for your inaction and your explanation later was that you were joking. You were verbally counseled by me at that time of the importance of following instructions in the field and told to promptly follow all orders in the future.
On Wednesday, 12 Jul 2017, you were told to get in the prone position and pull security repeatedly. At first you refused to get on the ground and then you refused to get into the prone position and instead reclined against your rucksack. When corrected as to what the prone position was, you refused to move and responded "give me peace." Only after your Team Leader and several of your team members also told you to get prone did you follow instructions, and then shortly afterwards went back to reclining against your bag while the rest of your squad remained prone.
I and your Team Leader, OC M______ have made several attempts to speak to you regarding your substandard performance and insubordination but have been met with resistance each time. During our last attempt on Thursday, 13 Jul 2017, you tried to assign your Team Leader unrelated reading (AR 25-10, Reduction and Control of Information Transfer in an Emergency) during his attempts to address your behavior informally, and told him that you refused to speak to him.
Finally you locked your door for over an hour (1800-1900) in contravention of OCS SOP, and refused to open it to speak to either your Team Leader or Squad Leader, and instead turned on music when your Team Leader was attempting to communicate instructions to you for the following day.
Failing to follow instructions, no matter who delivers them or how trivial you may consider them to be, is a serious offense and will not be tolerated. Your actions and example have a negative effect on unit morale and discipline and threaten our team's cohesiveness and strength.
Failing to follow instructions is the same as disobeying a lawful order. Failure to follow orders is a Violation of Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) of the UCMJ.
This documentation will serve as evidence of your failure to follow directions for peer review and OCS cadre consideration.
Plan of Action:
To help you understand the importance of following instructions, I want you to write an original 1,000 word essay on the importance of following orders, with emphasis on how it applies to unit effectiveness and efficiency in the field. It is due by 1830 on Saturday, 15 Jul 2017 and must be delivered in hard copy by you to my room.
Additionally, you will be a part of the XO's detail until the acting Squad Leader determines that you understand the importance of following orders and moving with a sense of purpose.
