It is so important to me that I have to say it...
There were some soldiers who I deployed with who were amazing. What made them amazing was thier heart. They genuinely cared about the mission, other soldiers and they were not into playing games. Take this one soldier - she was a former marine. She was a squared away soldier. She knew her job and she did it. You didn't have to tell her or ask her. It was done.
There was a couple of male NCOs who were loyal to their wives loyal to their families and loyal to the soldiers. One in particular stood out to the point of being everyones friend. He looked after the soldiers even if he talked shit behind their back - don't we all do that to some degree. This talk wasn't out of disrespect it was out of disbelief. He dealt with a lot of idiotic issues. Some he put squarely on the commanders desk and a lot of others he mentored, (toutalidge) There were a couple of male NCOs who kept to themselves, they went to the gym, they went to work and they were doing their best to stay out of the fray.
The problem with all of this good stuff is that these soldiers witnessed what was going on and they didn't do anything to stop it. They were just as responsible for the debaucle as those directly involved in it.
It is the responsibility of every NCO to do the right thing even when no one is watching. It isn't always easy to be the responsible one. But if you are the one wearing the stripes - it is your primary responsibility to keep your troops in line. If you choose to ignore the behavior or turn a blind eye to the behavior then you are a piece of shit. Nothing that you do has any meaning and you cannot be trusted.
Being part of a team doesn't mean you area a patsy. a push over or blind. Being part of a team means you hold the moral compass for your actions as well as the actions of your team. It is NEVER OK to accept immoral behavior for the sake of friends. If not you then who? Who will step in and take responsibility?
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