So, I got off.

I didn’t find out till some weeks after my 1SG talked to me, but he went to bat for me. We were out in Yakima doing battalion force-on-force exercises when my new platoon sergeant gave me the good news.

“Yeah, 1SG told the Brigade Commander that he was making a mistake trying to harpoon a young career over something a O4 had done. They decided to let it die, so you owe him.”

This whole incident taught me a number of extremely valuable lessons, the most important being to keep your mouth shut. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a loud asshole, always have been. That said, it’s more important to just shut up and choose your words carefully. To any young soldier that finds themselves in a situation where UCMJ is likely, before you make any statements or sign any paperwork, get legal counsel.

Second, if you’re a leader and one of your soldiers is going through something similar, advocate for them. This goes hand in hand with building a strong professional relationship with your people. Too many times I have seen young soldiers get hung out to dry by disinterested leaders, both commissioned and noncommissioned alike. As leaders we have an obligation to advocate for and guide our subordinates through processes like I went through. If not for my PL giving me great advice, several E-5’s staying up to date and my 1SG speaking up for me, I might not have made it through that incident with my career intact.

If you are a leader, take care of your people, you owe them your loyalty and respect.

If you are a Joe, earn that loyalty and respect.