How much pull do platoon sergeants have in the chain of command?

Question

Do upper echelon officers take the opinion of platoon sergeants into account when they are trying to decide the fate of a soldier who has broken the law? If a platoon sergeant (or several) from a soldiers unit were to write letters recommending that the soldier not be given a bad conduct discharge, but retained in the unit following some other punishment, would command listen?

Answer 1

A good commander takes all things into account before a decision is made or a verdict is rendered.  It's all about relationships.  

Answer 2

The military is not a democracy. If a soldier is exemplary in all other ways and simply made a mistake then that will be taken into account. If the said soldier is a known f***up or a Sh**bird then that will seal their fate. Command is simply that, command. I'm sure that the said soldier will be treated fairly and if a BCD or OTH is given then it will be deserved. By necessity the military is a lot less forgiving than a civilian court; and that is as it should be.

Answer 3

  Possibly, that is if their assessment of the situation exonerates the individual of the punishable actions or inactions !

Answer 4

It depends on the Platoon Sergeant and the Unit.  In a line unit, the PS has a little more pull than in say an HHC.  However, if a Soldier has done something really wrong, it doesn't matter what anyone says about them.  Say the Soldier Raped someone, it doesn't matter if the Platoon Sergeant said the Soldier had stellar performance, he still needs the max punishment.

Answer 5

It dependes on the charge and if the platoon sargent was there when the law was broken plus his record of following orders comes into play. Platoon sargents do have a lot of pull when it comes to the dicipline of his soldier.

Answer 6

Technically, the Platoon Leader (usually a second lieutenant) is the one who is in charge of the platoon and has a final say. But most 2nd Lt. know to take into heavy consideration the opinions and advice of the more seasoned Sgt.  

Answer 7

The Platoon Daddy sits at the right hand of God, Company Commanders do not have the time to train Lieutenants so it is left to the Platoon Sergeants to train Butter Bars, so Company Commanders do listen to their Platoon Sergeants.  If the NCO chain operates correctly the Platoon Sergeants intercede with the Battalion and/or Brigade Sergeant to redeem an individual soldier, there are however some s***w-ups you just can't recover from!  If a soldier commits a criminal offense and is rightfully conflicted of it, it is extremely difficult to get anybody to cut him a break.  Everybody will be waiting to see the offender s***w up again, as the police are fond of saying "Once a CS'er, always a CS'er!".  

Answer 8

Depends on the CO and PSG.

I know that anytime I recommend UCMJ actions against a Soldier in my Platoon my CO has always agreed with me. He even allows me to decide the punishment.

Answer 9

It depends on what law the soldier has broken. If the soldier has been counseled on the law they broke such as DUI (basically they were told don't do it! No exceptions!) The platoon sergeant has no choice but to uphold the law. If it is a situation where the soldier was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they were not necessarily trying to get away with breaking the law, a platoon sergent may plead on behalf of the soldier. A lot of what the platoon sergent does depends on the soldiers past conduct.

   If the soldier does not agree with there chain of command's decision they can appeal the decision. The soldier must contact a defense lawyer at the J.A.G. office.