Chandler on Moerk
The Army Times headlines an article “SMA defends 1SGT’s actions that earned her an ARCOM” about outgoing Sergeant Major of the Army Ray Chandler’s comments on 1SG Katrina Moerk’s Army Commendation Medal for trolling the internet and reporting other trolls to the Pentagon;
“When we raise our hand and become Soldiers, we accept many responsibilities. One of them is to uphold the high standards that the American people expect of us — and that’s 24/7,” Chandler said. “When we say or do things that bring discredit to the Army, even when we are out of uniform or doing it online, we’ve failed in those responsibilities and that undermines the trust that the American people and our elected leaders have in all of us.”
Yeah, he doesn’t really address the controversy at all, he just tells folks to behave on the internet. I haven’t heard anyone in Big Army talk about how she took her complaints to the Pentagon. She just didn’t get the trolls in trouble, she got fellow NCOs and some commanders in trouble when she complained that unit training for sexual harassment was beneath her standards. You know, instead of confronting the units with her evidence, her fellow first sergeants. She just went right over everyone’s heads.
You’d think that the Sergeant Major of the Army would want to remind everyone about using the “chain of support” before they use the “chain of command” to correct discipline problems. Sergeants’ business should remain among sergeants.
Category: Big Army
Writing as an initiated CPO, SMA Chandler, you are flat out wrong.
This should never have left the senior enlisted community and Moerk should NEVER have gotten an ARCOM for this.
Couldn’t have said it better myself – should have been handled at the SNCO level.
What does he care, in 3 weeks he’s going to be on a golf course somehere.
I agree, fully with you. She’s one of ‘those’ folks that would be a pain in the ass to serve with. I mean calling out people for acting a fool is one thing, and that’s ok. But in the military we have proper ways of going about things. This wasn’t the right way.
Jonn, I troll Craigslist personals. Does that mean I can upgrade my rack with an OLC for the ARCOM?
Yup, 1SGT Katrina Moerk has gone full metal Streisand.
A 1SG who thinks that SHARP training is paramount for soldiering should not be a 1SG. E-8 Moerk (sorry, not 1SG material to me)benefits from a very PC climate that values superficiality over results. Her posting juvenile insults in response to criticism, calling others “asshats”, shows her lack of adult credentials one expects from a 1SG and is conduct unbecoming an NCO as well.
I agree. One of the Facebook commenters (a 1SG, according to AKO) on the first post about this on This Ain’t Hell said that SHARP is the Army’s first priority… What? I thought winning our country’s wars by killing our enemies was up there somewhere but what do I know?
Well SHARP is the Army’s biggest priority. that’s the official policy.
I have heard that statement from commanders in 3 different major commands.
I bet lots of America’s former enemies from long-bygone wars are in hell now wondering ‘where was this Army when we were fighting for tyranny; we would have won the war then’.
An ARCOM for being a snitch. Gaaaaah.
Yep!
When I saw the headline this morning, my first thought was that he should have said either “No Comment”, or we don’t comment on other command’s award decisions.
Seeing his comments now, he was pretty measured. He highlighted the standard that soldiers should follow on line, but went far short of defending her specific actions or in endorsing the award.
Many times, what is not said is just as important as what is.
But, I agree it would have been nice to here him reinforce using the appropriate chain of command/concern.
Amen. Whoop der it is…
Hey 1SG Grow some ball’s .. Oh never mind
1SG Moerk I seriously doubt you will ever have any respect or credibility with any soldier ever again.
So, how many bets do I have that she had one of those hysterical weeping episodes in Chanlder’s office, wailing that everyone is ‘picking on me’, and all the rest of that spoiled brat crap?
I still say she’s an embarrassment to the hard-working women in the military who don’t act like privileged snots.
I’d really like to find out how she plans to get even with all the nasty people who were so mean to her.
Just sayin’.
No bets
And what the hell is the SMA doing commenting on something this stupid? Odierno gonna come out with a comment next? Hagel? Obama?
I sure wouldn’t be surprised if she got a personal phone call from Obama. Sounds like his kind of thing.
He was asked the question during what I think is one of his final official interviews as SMA with Army Times.
So, his comments weren’t non solicited.
All he basically said was we are soldiers 24/7 don’t do stupid shit in public.
I could see Chandler crying about this, but…
When I was in Iraq a had a female dog handler attached to my Platoon. That woman was hard, and I would fight by her side any day. She would slap the crap out of this e-8.
“…the hard-working women in the military who don’t act like privileged snots.”
We call those ‘unicorns’. Maybe they exist, but no one’s managed to get better proof than an occasional grainy black-and-white photo.
“When we raise our hand and become Soldiers, we accept many responsibilities. One of them is to uphold the high standards that the American people expect of us — and that’s 24/7,” Chandler said.
Yes, we accept responsibilities that even the lowliest Private knows. Things like following the chain of command. This is the reason why SMA Chandler needs to go. Any true NCO would have read her the riot act for jumping the chain and making this something other than ‘NCO business.’ I remember past CSMs that I served under. They were tough as nails, but fair. They would never have condoned something like Moerk did.
SMA Chandler is going away. He should be well into his retirement(?) outprocessing phase by now as the changeover with incoming SMA Dailey is scheduled for the end of January.
The most important word in that whole piece was “outgoing”. Maybe the next SMA will have the balls to reinvent the true NCO support channel and remind everyone how the chain of command works.
Okay, we now return you to the regularly scheduled world of reality.
I just listened to Ding Dong the Witch is Dead in honor of the moment he is gone.
SMA Chandler is following in the footsteps of another shitbag, SMA Tilley.
Hopefully with the new Infantry SMA coming in things will get better.
The fact that the 1sg has the attention of General Officers and the SMA just gows to show how fucking broke the Army is.
Patton would have slapped her ass and told her to fix him a sammitch
I guess I wasn’t worthy of E8 Moerk’s attention. She would have at least got a Meritorious Service Medal and possibly a Legion of Merit if she noticed some of the things I typed about her and the entire “internet butt-hurt trolling” incident….
Link pleez?
Anonymously on other places as I have been reprimanded by my CoC (someone who lurks here but doesn’t comment)because of comments I made here regarding a different topic.
Correcting stupid and/or improper behavior is part of every military leader’s duties. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do make such corrections.
For example: if an officer or NCO observes a more junior soldier wearing nonregulation eyewear in uniform, for example, one simply tells the soldier to fix the issue. If they’re recalcitrant or disrespectful when corrected, you find out their unit and take the matter to their immediate chain of command – starting with their immediate NCO supervisor, and working up from there if/as necessary.
You don’t find out the individual’s unit, then immediately go directly to the first GO in their chain-of-command and tell them they have a soldier who is d*cked-up. A GO doesn’t need to be wasting his/her time on matters that should be handled at the company level.
Apparently the Army has stopped emphasizing that these days. It needs to start emphasizing it again.
Maybe the new SMA will do that.
Don’t know Hondo, I would have gone to the individuals 1st shirt rather than mess around in their unit, maybe even the CSM first depending on circumstances.
Club Manager: as a 1SG, maybe going to the miscreant individual’s 1SG would be apropos. Going to their CSM would blue falcon her 1SG peers IMO.
But even then, I’d think it better to go to the miscreants’ PLT SGT or NCOIC instead if I could ID them.
Problems should generally be handled at the lowest level possible. That way, leadership at the lowest level has a chance to un-f**k the situation, then tell higher about it.
He’s not gone yet? WTF?
This morning when I woke up I was actually wondering what, if anything, was going on with Katrina. Funny how coincidence works sometimes.
I’ll take a stab that SMA Dailey won’t speak on this one, maybe he’ll have a couple closed door discussions with people and leave it at that.
I’d like to think that Katrina is regretting her actions every second of everyday, but I could be wrong.
Katrina Moerk will forever be known as Doozie Rottencom. I could write an entire book on how wrong this entire incident is. The Command failures, the corrosive action is has on what used to be called integrity.
She introduced herself to Gunnery Sergeant Hartman:
http://cdn.meme.am/instances/49307986.jpg
Hey, Moerk do you know what people really think about you…..
http://cdn.meme.am/instances/49307986.jpg
1stSgt Moerk, what do your friends say about you when you are not around?
http://treasure.diylol.com/uploads/post/image/374942/resized_smeagol-meme-generator-you-don-t-have-any-friends-nobody-likes-you-fe07c9.jpg
Sorry Jonn, I have probably made TAH unfit for viewing by active duty Army personnel. I try but can only hide my extreme right wing views for so long.
Ermey was USMC, not Army.
Try this: http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/57977389.jpg
Memo to E-8 Moerk:
I wouldn’t follow you into a bar if you screamed free beer and had a fistful of $100 dollar bills.
Just trying to keep it PC for your whiny ass, E-8. Now do everyone a favor and go away. I wish I was in your first post-military job interview. Pure comedy gold, that would be.
I can’t agree more. You can’t help but wonder if this pathetic excuse for an NCO has realized yet that she has not only blackballed herself in the Army, but she is internet famous in the civilian world too. I would absolutely love to sit in on a hiring interview with her. Even civilians know self-aggrandizing trouble makers that don’t follow protocoal when they see it. And that’s the best part! What she did is so flagrantly FUBAR to what an NCO is supposed to be and do that even civilians see it!
The fact that the SMA saw fit to get involved the way he did is pathetic. I would make a ribald comment dogging the Army, but God knows, we just had ours in Gen Amos, so I’ll keep my mouth shut on that one.
I would love to see this whiny snot enter my favorite watering hole on the highway, when I’m sitting with a bunch of milpers from a nearby base, shooting the breeze and listening to them lie to each other about shooting scores and begging them to record those stories before they get lost to us.
I’d prefer a cold, rainy, gloomy day, with a heavy wind driving the rain, so that the restaurant appears to be a haven in the gloom. But whine-snot is by this time gone from the Army and so of course, has no authority but being the dipstick she is, will attempt to exert it. Everyone will recognize her as She Who Screws Her Own Pooch.
The fun I could have!
So she must still be holding down a 1SG’s slot. Now I didn’t say this, but I was hoping they had issued her a couple of cans of Brasso, some polishing cloths and a set of TDY orders to the Gettysburg Battlefield. The monument to GEN George G. Meade is there and his horse “Old Baldy” is in need of a good ball sack polishing. “Old Baldy” was quite the soldier, some estimates say he was wounded 14 times during his service to GEN Meade and our nation. So, Purple Hearts for “Old Baldy” – Zero. ARCOMs for Blue Falcons – One and counting.
I’m just waiting for the day when this officious bitch actually has to work for a living and becomes the last person to be told anything.
That should be interesting.
How soon is she leaving the Army? I can hardly wait until she’s gone.
From what I read on the storyline, she has 17 years in as of now. It would sure be a pisser if her current enlistment contract didn’t have enough time left on it for her to make it to 20.
Some current AD folks can correct me if needed, but I think the Army still has “INDEF” for ETS dates once you hit E6. Although it says indef, your ETS is based on rank and Retention Control Point i.e. E6 – 20 yrs, E7 – 22, and so on. They could be stuck with her for a while.
I’m not AD, but this source (generally reliable) mirrors my understanding of current US Army AD policy, with the caveat that RCPs changed slightly about a year ago. Source says vol indef status is currently mandatory; I believe the decision point is at 10 years service or end of enlistment with end date of 10 or more years service. *I could be wrong about that last.)
http://military.answers.com/veterans/what-is-the-indefinite-reenlistment-program
I believe RCP for non-promotable E8s today is a bit short of 30 years.
Unfortunately Ex-PH2, she’ll probably end up as an HR rat in some large corporation pulling down $90,000 a year. THen she can continue her shitbaggery in the civilian world.
I was thinking the same thing, propsguy, but there is only so much shitbaggery that private sector companies will put up with. Besides that, they do a lot of ‘due diligence’ online now to find out what people are like, which is why it’s so important to not be an idiot online.
I don’t think this little episode of self-congratulation and jumping the chain will look appealing to a lot of companies. It looks like a play for attention.
When did HR pukes start making $90K a year?
Bio Pharm industry for one, but then again they pay warehouse monkeys %60,000+
60,000+ percent of what? (smile)
(Just pulling yer chain over a trivial typo, amigo – we understand what you’re saying.)
She violated the chain of command, one of the biggest no-no’s in the military. Now, how many other feminist soldiers (feminists first, soldiers second) will skip their chain of command because a guy was staring too hard at them while they were doing the APFT, which is why they failed.
She will have zero respect from her subordinates now, and her superiors will be too afraid of reprisals from the Pentagon if they say anything bad about her. That is probably what SMA Chandler supports. It’s the New Army, just like 0bama’s New America.
This guy is enlisted?
When did the U.S. Army turn into Leave It To Beaver? What a joke.
Big Army just can’t let this one fade away…the comments on the Army Times Facebook page say it all.
1SG Moerk, achieving infamy as internet memes. How fitting.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129759978@N02/16250121532/
Some of the memes at Army Times’ Facebook page are absolutely hilarious. And the reason (like so much of comedy) is that they hit the truth right on the nose.
She needs to get deployed and sent on point wearing a road guard vest.
I’m sure Big Army, as well as some flunkie for the outgoing (thank God) SMA and SP8 Moerk monitor this “subversive” website. Hey, Ray, way to not forcefully state that problems are addressed and solved at the lowest level, by the NCO support channel and chain of command, not elevated immediately to DA. SP8 Moerk is a lamentable symptom of the self-absorbed, selfie-taking narcissism rampant in today’s Army.
This shit pisses me off. Fuck Ray, fuck Moerk, and fuck the Army Times. The Army Times writes neither about the Army, nor the times. It’s a piece of shit rag and it has always been a piece of shit rag. It’s basically the New York Times with Army in the title. Complete bullshit. Oh and Ray, go fuck yourself you worthless POG fuck.
It used to be good, back in the early 90s.
I suspect the officer corps shares some blame for this. The DOD civilian SHARP rep probably took it to some senior staff yahoo and soon they were off to Abilene. Didn’t bother to check with the nearest CSM or SGM who’s first question would have been did she contact the miscreants 1SG and if so what did they say?
SNCO’s are there for a reason, utilize them.
Actually, she emailed the SHARP director. It didn’t go through a civilian.
Actually, the Army’s SHARP Director is a civilian, her name is Dr. Christine Altendorf. It was she who brought the (cc’d) E-Mail to the attention of a 3 star and that’s when the feces struck the oscillating cooling device.
My bad. I got the impression she emailed the Lieutenant General directly. Still, it’s great knowing that a civilian is in Moerk’s chain of com… oh, wait, Moerk’s chain is missing some links.
Oh, SHe’s the missing link all right.
What a combination:
Moerk and Windy
Nanoo, nanoo!
Chandler is one of the faces of the corporate Army, and, as such, can not condemn actions taken by corporate Army in public. It has become ingrained in the no balls, rise to the top at any cost culture of Army colonels who aspire to be generals, generals, and senior NCOs.
That said, I’m guessing that, if Chandler were an NCO who was responsible for one of the offending solders and called on the carpet by a GO or SES for the soldier’s actions, he wouldn’t be as supportive of Moerk’s course of action.
Headline of this thread is “Chandler on Moerk”.
I’m sure she’s complained about that too. She strikes me as being the one on top.
So a bunch of 18-25 year old males were making inappropriate comments online?
Wow, who could ever have predicted that in the precise age group where testosterone overwhelms brain cells in a ratio of millions to one that this would be an issue?
Nice to know there are people like Moerk making sure the world is safe for the tender feelings of those who might feel slighted by some words spoken on the internet by some chucklehead young men….it’s not like there’s a war on global terror where images and words are getting people killed or anything so some inappropriate jokes about Ms. Crotchrot are no doubt the most serious issue facing a budget strapped, mission overloaded Army at the moment.
It’s also nice to know that we are giving medals to tight-assed school marms who are offended by a great many words while withholding medals to soldiers who are actually performing acts worthy of medals on the fields of conflict.
I agree with Sparky’s comment that I would love being that first post-military job interviewer.
So many people have no idea how the dreaded private sector works in an employment at will state, it will be an eye opener…of course she could get a job in the HR department of some larger corporation and spend her days making other people fucking miserable as a tight assed little HR twerp….I’ve long ago decided I don’t need the money that some corporate gigs offer, I prefer to be the biggest fish in a private pond…more fun less aggravation and tons of freedom to come and go and do the life things I like around my employment that I like.
Corporate tight asses make employment life a pain in the ass…
What a miserable twatnozzle. I’m glad I’m retiring soon.