The central premise behind mass punishment is twofold: it will compel the targeted population to comply with the desired behavior, while encouraging the group to self-enforce norms that cultivate that desired behavior. If we demystify mass punishment, it becomes clear that good order and discipline can be reinforced without undermining our efforts to build trust across the chain of command. The truth is that mass punishment, in this context, is ineffective and often undermines the commander’s aim of discouraging undesired behaviors.
When subordinates find themselves spending another weekend in a base theater being reminded, again, that an unlawful act is, indeed, unlawful, they see it for what it is: mass punishment. Today, we try to rebrand the practice, telling Marines and sailors that we are re-educating ourselves on our shared responsibility to police each other, but our people are smarter than that. Years later, policy analysts and senior leaders wonder why the sea services are having so much trouble retaining top talent.įrom the Roman Army’s practice of decimation to today’s unit-wide safety stand-downs after a liberty incident, leaders throughout history have felt compelled to levy a tax on every member of the command to re-inforce good order and discipline when one member fails to follow the rules. Ultimately, small-unit leaders reflect with irony on the commander’s previous claim of giving them special trust and confidence, while hundreds of Marines who were on the fence about reenlisting put another point in the “EAS” column. Marines lose money canceling planned weekend trips spouses find themselves spending another weekend alone lieutenants begin the next batch of “Attritionist Letters” for submission to The Marine Corps Gazette and young Marines start posting a flurry of “Oki-traz” memes on social media. Have everyone in the base theater on Saturday at 0800 we’re doing a safety stand-down, and this time, no one’s going home until I’m satisfied that every Marine in this battalion is on the same page!”Īs the news spreads across the battalion, the wailing and gnashing of teeth begin. “Secure the battalion’s liberty, and tell everyone we’re dry until further notice. “I’ve got to send a clear message that this kind of behavior won’t be tolerated.” He calls his executive officer and sergeant major. “I can’t just sit by and let my battalion take another one on the chin,” the commander says. Hanging over his head is the constant pressure to do something in response to this latest leadership challenge, to turn the vision of his command philosophy into reality through action.
The commander furrows his brow he plumbs his operational experience, the leadership lessons from peers and seniors, the endless hours of study at Expeditionary Warfare School and Command and Staff College. Every Marine reported his or her liberty plan to leaders at the small unit level. Every company and platoon had its own safety brief before it secured, too.
“We just had a battalion-wide safety brief six hours ago, and I told the Marines I trusted them to do the right thing. The phone of the first unlucky battalion commander rings, and he’s told another Marine has had an alcohol-related incident. Every commander and senior enlisted leader crosses his or her fingers, hoping to avoid the “late night phone call” that will inform them some misfortune has befallen one of their Marines. Units across the island are securing for the weekend.
0 kommentar(er)
