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Kisha Coffey
Contract Mgmt Officer
JBLM, Washington

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Officers command units, establish policy, and manage resources while balancing risks and caring for their people and Families. This is a tall order judging by the climate of the unit but doable with time, patience and consistency. Be the change you want to see

- LTC (P) Shane must provide his command philosophy to the lowest levels
- Be vigilant with SHARP/EO violations. Violations are not tolerated regardless of who breaks the rules
- Mentor and Develop his leaders as well encouraging CSM to do so as well. Make a habit of counseling them and asking for their feedback. It is an on-going effort that will pay dividends in the long run.
- Prioritize the priorities and keep leaders abreast of everything that affects them and their units. Ensuring they have some predictability will alleviate some stress on everyone
- Set digestible goals that can be accomplished
- Protect Family time as much as possible while still accomplishing the mission

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So Are You Saying We Have Ethical Issues?

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So Are You Saying We Have Ethical Issues?

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What Are The People Saying about the Unit?

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What Are The People Saying about the Unit?

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4ABCT deployment was successful however it was plagued with tragedy, readiness and underlying issues that redeployed back with unit. Upon return and preparation for the next deployment the unit still faces issues that will pose a problem.

- Readiness-
o Personnel:
> The BDE CMD TM and x1 BN CDR was killed via VBIED 3 months into deployment
> Lacked the required amount of personnel for the SFAT mission
> 3 CoC within 60 days
> Undermanned BN staff led to inadequate replacements to handle operations which caused friction with the fully manned BDE Staff
> Armor, Engineer, Artillery Soldiers subbed as infantry squads; not properly trained
> BNs struggle w/100% crew qualification for NTC. Units lose over 50% of crews
> Red Cycle taskings overwhelm the BNs
-  Equipment:
> Poor commo equipment hindered C2
> Limited number of  of radio/satellites also hindered communication
> Units not willing to work together as a team to find a resolution for commo problem
> Lack of CL IX parts hinders OBJ T

- Lack of training:
> Trained on wrong METL- focused on combined arms training

- Lack of Family time-
o Led to increased divorce and infidelity rates

- Micromanaged Staff:
o Everything and nothing is a priority

- Leader Development:
o Leaders (CO CDRs) were not being counselled

- BDE CDR delegated his duties to DCO which confused the BNs; lacked structure

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- COL Gould-BDE CDR: He is a advocate for Family time, however doesn't provide time for it. He is dismissive and has a mission first people last attitude. He is not approachable or available.
- CSM Thornberry- BDE CSM: Took charge of the BDE upon the untimely death of the previous CSM
- LTC (P) Alan- DCO: He was the last standing of the old regime. He also is dismissive and possibly oblivious of the climate of the unit.
- CPT Donelson- BDE S1: Self starter with a reckless mouth. Provided unsolicited EO remarks concerning a new female LG officer who also is a ranger.
- MAJ Stanford- BDE S2: Holds himself personally responsible for the deaths of the BDE CMD TM and BN CDR
-MAJ Castillo- BDE S3: He works in reactionary mode and is a "the way things have always been done" type of leader. He also has bullyish ways.
-MAJ Reins- BDE S4: Has displayed suspect behavior with females that could potentially warrant a SHARP complaint. Lacks the ability to mentor and lead his section
-MAJ Springsteen- BDE S6: Feels powerless and struggles with lack of commanders intent and priorities. He is possibly on the verge of a divorce.
-CH (MAJ) Tyndell: She is concerned about the climate of the BDE. Fears the overarching trend amongst the unit can be more widespread than they imagine
-CSM Kuptain- BN CSM: He is worried his NCOs are burned out and is not as effective as they should be. There is also a disconnect between the officers and NCOs
-CPT Cooper- CO CDR: He is very impressive and everyone like him. Fraternization rumors have surfaced however the CPT seems to be the favorite which is AKA "untouchable"

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4ABCT at one point was a desirable unit with a culture and climate to match . Leaders were engaged, Soldiers were developed and morale was at an all time high. NOW- 4ABCT is a unit that initially appears to be agile with their temperature set in the mid 60s (not to hot nor too cold- but just right). However, once LTC (P) Shane peeled back the onion he noticed issues (notice something) that he would have to sift through (decide what to make of it) and then determine how to proceed (determine what to do about it).

There are a host of personnel within the BDE that has contributed in some form or fashion to the breakdown of communication, morale, mentorship, team work, etc. Some of these issues are discipline, character, empathy, humility, critical thinking, etc.

Upcoming Movements:

- Upcoming NTC rotation
- Upcoming BDE deployment to Europe ISO European Reassurance Initiative (ERI)
o One BN Atlantic Resolve North
o One BN Atlantic Resolve South

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LTC (P) Shane conducted an assessment which revealed that he was inheriting an unhealthy climate and culture. There is no unity of effort because no one knows what the objective is. There are no priorities set, so everything is a priority which leave everyone overworked and overwhelmed.

- The unit never bounced back from the deaths of the last BDE CMD TM.
- There is a clear disconnect between the NCOs and officers. Which means there are sub-cultures within the culture.
- The unit is riddled with an increase of divorce, DUIs and infidelity

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Each value was violated within the unit. Members of the unit do not trust leadership and it shows in reduced retention: officers are submitting unqualified resignations, increased  non-deployers, PCS and ETS.
- 4ABCT gained a reputation in Afghanistan for being very “heavy-handed” in dealing with locals. The conduct was inappropriate with being culturally aware in the environment that we operate in and it hindered the BDEs ability to conduct HN responsibilities.

- Leaders do not face consequences for their actions: Rumors of fraternization, EO violation, potential SHARP violation, Sexual Harassment rumors and bulling. Soldiers see how unethical decisions are made; swept under the rug.

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- Provided Drivers Training Program at Bagram to remedy lack of pre-deployment training
- Quality Officers/NCOs who continue to push and find solution to problems
- MSAF Results:
o BNs trusted the BDE staff
o NCOs were confident in their tactical and technical abilities