Sorry for going off tanget here, but I have to jump in. No RSM has the authority to lay on extras. That would be considered punishment and no one can be punished without first being charged, tried, found guilty and sentenced to said punishment.
Now, before the dogpile starts - I am well aware that RSMs, XOs, Adjts, etc often assign extra duties to all and sundry for a variety of reasons. My usual advice to minor miscreants is to suck it up and do it because once it's done, it's done. All is forgotten and we all get on with out lives. This is often preferable to having a formal charge on record. However, the fact remains that no one has the authority to punish without a trial.
Slightly off topic but I'm posting this here (because I
think it falls into the “funny story about the old days”) rather than in the thread in which is was originally posted by
Pusser:
About 45 years ago everyone was reorganizing (if that's the right word to describe chaos) everything; some were trying, usually in vain, to make everyone fit into some sort of
purple mould which often seemed more suited to the girl guides than a fighting unit.
Anyone, one sub unit had a middle aged plus sergeant major – a tall, quiet and, actually very pleasant, even kindly man with a pretty spectacular World War II resumé that included parachuting behind enemy lines (before 1944). The sub unit was housed in some old temporary buildings, with which many of us were (fondly) familiar. At one end of the HQ building was stores – with the QMS and storeman and who ever else could hide there, at the other was the OC's office. In the middle was the OR (with a counter to separate the clerk and his helper from the great unwashed) and offices for the sergeant major and the 2IC – leading to the OC's office.
But the highlight of the OR was a big board – everyone had big talc covered boards in those days, but this one was better than most: nicely painted in the unit colours, proper, near professional lettering, and “data fields” that were large enough to be read, easily, from the counter. The title was
“Sergeant Major's crap List” and the columns were (roughly) name, reason, from, to, remarks. Thus a soldier could walk into the OR, look at the wall and see:
Bloggins Boots 16 Sep 21 Sep Paint B4
Smith Weapon 16 Sep 25 Sep Wash Vehs
It was a pretty good system, well understood by everyone up and down the unit's chain of command and, while
open to abuse (as ALL systems are) it was, as far as I knew, properly and fairly managed.
In any event, one of the
agents of change from some higher, but unknown, HQ came for a visit – in order to impose the
purple/girl guides standards on a not especially receptive unit. Of course that
agent of change saw the sergeant major's board and, very nearly, squeeled and peed his pants. “You cannot have a
'crap List,' he said to the sergeant major, this is the modern era, we treat our people with respect.” (I
suspect he (the
agenct of change) couldn't bring himself to actually say 'soldiers.') The sergeant major answered, quietly and politely: “Of course you are correct, sir. I will get with the programme immediately.”
Later that day the board was revised. All the data remained the same and the intention was abundantly clear, but the title said, in very nice lettering: “Sergeant Major's
Should
Have
Intensive
Training List.”
Everyone from the CO on down – except the
agents of change – was pleased, and everyone - including that
agent of change, I
guess - went on about the Queen's business, as well as they understood it.
