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daftandbarmy said:I'm with geo on this one. Any OC or CO who needs to go around his chain of command to 'get at the truth' is, knowingly or not, probably demonstrating a lack of confidence in the ability of his/her NCOs and Officers to do their jobs.
And obviously, any soldier who speaks up in this kind of forum could also be hammered for it later on, out of site of the OC/CO, so likely no mysteries there about why soldiers clam up in these kinds of public meetings.
+1 to what paracowboy said, BS to all of the above.
The best quote I've ever heard in respect to this issue is "We don't keep secrets in this company", from the CSM. This goes a long way in keeping the peace, because it means that everybody is in the know, in reference to course dates, exercises, TO&E etc. IMHE, a company in which everyone knows and understands why they are doing something and when is alot happier than the one in which everything is a surprise.
I've been to plenty of OCs hours where the lower ranks have spoken up, and even more informal times when the OC is out in the smoking area and someone takes a puff and says "you know what's fucked up sir?" Never once have I seen an officer not listen, and never once have I seen a soldier disciplined, formally or otherwise for bringing up a beef. More often, the target of the question will give a quick explanation of why things are the way they are. They might not change, but at least the reason why is known.
Bn COs hours are a little different, I believe because of the natural aversion most people have to bringing up an unpleasant point in front of 500 people, and the fact that timing can be an issue. If you sit down for a heart to heart at 16:26 on the thursday before a long weekend, after a 2 hour brief, the silence can be deafening!
As for an officer demonstrating a "lack of confidence" in his NCOs by asking the troops what's on their mind, I think that is BS. That sounds to me like an excuse for turning a blind eye to the concerns of your men, and IMHO, would be the stance of a very insecure leader. If you can't (or won't) face your men, you have a big problem as a leader, especially in the military.