European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday March 6,1987 letters sergeant major defends response to Ngo 1 was to agitated at the Rop Onse from command sgt maj Theodora a. Jackson to an no who fell he was Umu itly disciplined when two of his troops we rearrested while intoxicated that i fell compelled to write. While i Don t know All of the fact pertaining to this particular situation in sounds awfully familiar command sol maj. Jackson stated that alter he conducted his own investigation into the no s allegations he found that the so s first sergeant was no drunk at the Lime that he picked up the two intoxicated troops at the my station contrary to what the no had stated. I just came from n base where the motor Pool seemed to have More problems pertaining to drinking than did other organizations on the base. That included supervisor. But whenever an incident occurred involving the problem Drinker there was always a cover up. In Many of the situations the incidents involved accidents while driving under the influence. He also stated that the no is responsible for the actions of his troops 24 hours a Day. Unless they arson duty 24 hours a Day that s a Bunch of baloney the no can attempt to instill respectable values in his troops but he cannot be with them 24 hours a Day tomake sure they stay out of trouble these individuals have had Many years of ingrained parental training whether Good or bad prior to being assigned under this no s supervision and their Char Acter is More or less determined before they even sign on the dotted line if they Are problem individuals from the word go nothing this no says will even come close to reach ing then. Granted it is the no s responsibility to ensure the troop is performing a Quality Job but thence can Only do so much. Tie should not be held responsible for something he has no control Over. The problem troop is the one who should be reprimanded. This particular situation needs to be looked into a Little More closely because there is definitely a prob Lem Here of misplaced responsibility and for the Sake of National Security the drinking problem also needs to be dealt with. Karen Shorette Val Hingen Germany i have a few questions concerning the no that got chewed out at the my station by the first sergeant for having troops hat were in trouble. My first question is do you really think that this no can instill morals into these soldiers at their age it seems to me that if a Parent failed at this project then it is the individual s responsibility to instill mor als in themselves. An no can Only Tell a Soldier what he she expects then punish if these orders arc disobeyed. Secondly do you really believe that these soldiers had no reason to lie these soldiers arc probably i enough trouble without bumping Heads with the first sergeant. If they told on the first sergeant would you remove them from under his command third Why Are you jumping on this no s Case and defending the first sergeant 1 am not claiming to have insight into this incident but it does seem As if your letter was unfairly slanted against the no. Spec. 4 Heather Larkin Neunie Cuce Germany i feel that the first sergeant should not blame the no for what the two privates first class did even though it s the duty of an no to know about his or her troops. Basically everyone in the armed forces is of an adult age and knows right from wrong. If a private does wrong it is his or her fault and the no in charge of that person should not gel chewed out for the wrong doing of a lower ranking Soldier. Even though an no instills Good values in his people that docs not mean they will be Good soldiers or follow the example of a Good no in a leadership position. Command sgt. Mai. Jackson made a Point we expect our soldiers to be Able to survive on the Battle Field independently and without the need for one on one supervision but i feel an no s Job is to guide you More than to be a watchdog. As an no you Guidea Soldier by advising the difference Between right and wrong. In my opinion you should not be so against the no for the wrongful doing of two privates. Name withheld Wiesbaden editor s note command sgt. Maj. Theodore a. Jackson command sergeant major for the 56lh Field arty cored replies i joined the us. Amy More than 29 Yean ago and turn seen it undergo dramatic change during that  Many people refer to it As the new army let me assure you that several things have Dot changed. National and army values Haven t changed and the responsibilities of an no for his soldiers hawn l changed. The letter writer would hire us believe however that cos cannot be responsible for their Soldier actions after 5 pin. Because unless they Are on a  14 Boon do Thart � Bunch of baloney"1 or these individuals a had ,11 which cannot be undone or if  failed. It is the individual s responsibility or that we Are All adults and therefore know right from wrong. Let s begin by Clearing up a few misconceptions. American soldiers Are on duty 24 hours a Day just a potential aggressors Are not limited to attacking be tween the hours of 8 and 5. Just Astl is stated in our oath of enlistment we must be continuously ready lode end our country and Constitution against All enemies foreign and Domestic. Combat readiness depends on every Soldier being ready All the time. 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