Commander fired in war zone

[CommunityEditor]

An Army battalion commander was relieved of duty in the war zone, leaving many to wonder what a rising-star officer did to get fired.

Now he’s back home shopping for a lawyer.

His command sergeant major was fired, too.

[MCGYVER]

Sex scandal?

[justin0495]

Guess we'll find out with the Feb 1 Army Times issue. Glad I'm a subscriber :D

[MCGYVER]

A Fort Bragg battalion commander and his top enlisted adviser were removed from their jobs in Afghanistan and sent home for using "poor judgment," an 82nd Airborne Division spokesman said Friday.

Lt. Col. Frank Jenio and Command Sgt. Maj. Bert Puckett were leaders of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 82nd's 4th Brigade Combat Team, which deployed in August to Afghanistan.

An investigation found their "actions were of poor judgment which fostered a command climate that was not consistent with our Army values," the spokesman, Lt. Col. Clarence Counts, wrote in an e-mail from Afghanistan in a response to questions. "We are a values-based and professional organization committed to Army values, and this change reflects a continuous commitment to adhere to the highest standards of excellence while maintaining good order and discipline."

Counts did not say what specific actions led to the decision. He said removal of a battalion commander from a war zone is rare.

Jenio, reached by telephone at his home Friday, said he is looking for a lawyer and did not want to comment. Puckett could not be reached Friday.

When they deployed in August as part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, the 800 soldiers in 2nd Battalion were spread across southern Afghanistan in small teams training Afghan security forces. In mid-December, they regrouped in an area called the Arghandab River Valley just north of Kandahar as part of a team creating a ring of security around the city. The valley is a key staging ground for insurgents and a transit point into Kandahar.

Lt. Col. Guy Jones, who was the 4th Brigade Combat Team operations officer, was tapped to replace Jenio as battalion commander.

In a letter on the battalion's Facebook page, Jones wrote that Puckett's replacement is Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Guden.

"Though not under the circumstances anyone desires, (Command Sgt. Maj.) Guden and I are very excited to be given this opportunity to assume the helm of this great organization," Jones wrote. "I am confident the unit will adapt to this change in leadership and continue successful operations in the Arghandab River Valley."

http://www.facebook.com/pages/2-508-PIR/121978657838?v=info#/pages/2-508-PIR/121978657838?v=wall

[Your_Name_Here]

My guess (and that's all it is), is that there was possibly some kind of EO incident, or something even more serious, they knew about it, or should reasonably have known, and did not take appropriate action.

Just my take reading between the lines...

[MADAMESINCERE]

So where exactly is the "story" if the people who wrote it don't even know what's going on? I wasted 5 minutes of my life that I won't get back!

[MCGYVER]

I just google newsed it.

[aegis9]

Tom Ricks has picked up on this: http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/01/25/82nd_airborne_battalion_commander_fired#commentspa ce

[aegis9]

Comments have been made at the Observer and elsewhere that Jenio was a rising star. Here he is on the SSC board list for 2010 as an alternate

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/07/army_SSClist_073109w/

and
http://www.militarytimes.com/static/projects/ssclist.pdf

[Roberttheright]

Here is the the thing I don't understand. FOB Apache in Zabul, Afghanistan a 1SGT from 1/508 HHC Company in Jan 2010 Stabs three Paratroopers and is not behind bars; is this another sweep it under the rug kind of justice in the US Army? What message is this sending to all who are watching? why the cover-up?

[MCGYVER]

Roberttheright, who told you this story?

[ChiefB]

"A racially offensive PowerPoint slide meant as a joke led to the removal of two 82nd Airborne Division leaders from their positions in Afghanistan this month, an Army official has confirmed.

Lt. Col. Frank Jenio and Command Sgt. Maj. Bert Puckett were in charge of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which is part of the 82nd's 4th Brigade Combat Team. The team has been in Afghanistan since August.

The slide - a parody of ubiquitous motivational posters - shows a picture of Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo with his arm wrapped around point guard Mateen Cleaves. Izzo is white; Cleaves is black. The text below the photos reads, "Slavery Reinstated," with smaller letters adding, "Catch yourself a strong one."

He said the offensive slide was inserted into the projector by a black soldier under their command and that Puckett never saw it before the presentation.

Jenio had directed his team to insert humorous slides at the end of command briefings, and slides such as the one in question - known as "demotivational posters" - were common."

"Jenio, who graduated from West Point, was McChrystal's executive officer when McChrystal commanded the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg."


Full article: http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2010/01/30/972239


ChiefB

[SailorDave]

Then LTC Jenio got shafted. His soldier put that slide in, and he never knew it was there, yet he gets canned for it ??

[ChiefB]

Then LTC Jenio got shafted. His soldier put that slide in, and he never knew it was there, yet he gets canned for it ??

I think "Command" looked at it like he and the CSM "fostered" the atmosphere....so they take the hit.

But some DB had to pitch a bitch for this to happen.

So much for "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas".:(

Methinks the "Slide putter-inner" got hammered also.

ChiefB

[MCGYVER]

Typical political correctness gone haywire. The more the miltary bows to outside pressure and worries about "appearances" the less respected and therefore less capable we become. This ain't your Daddy's military any more (no shit) and it's rolling downhill like a ball of shit. Just my personal opinion.

[FatCat40]

Yet in a universe not so far away a caucasoid female SPC calls an African American male PVT the n word in formation, in front of an entire platoon and the command team deems her punishment to be writing a 100 word essay and then recommend her for WLC not 2 weeks later. Unbelievable.

[SailorDave]

I think "Command" looked at it like he and the CSM "fostered" the atmosphere....so they take the hit.ChiefB

I think they can only make that claim if there were multiple instances of this kind of thing happening. And perhaps there were. But a single incident, which you can't even call racism because it was performed by a member of the "offended" race, shouldn't be any reason to relieve an otherwise effective command team.

Methinks the "Slide putter-inner" got hammered also. ChiefB

I sure hope he was on the plane with them, bags in hand.

[ChiefB]

I think they can only make that claim if there were multiple instances of this kind of thing happening. And perhaps there were. But a single incident, which you can't even call racism because it was performed by a member of the "offended" race, shouldn't be any reason to relieve an otherwise effective command team.


I sure hope he was on the plane with them, bags in hand.

Sorry, SDave...I read the article and it clearly shows, this was not an isolated incident.

"....slides such as the one in question - known as "demotivational posters" - were common."

"Puckett once asked Jenio if the slides were becoming too racy after one showed scantily clad women, the friend said."

If the CO and CSM condone the type of atmosphere indicated here, they seem to be trying to be non-PC. That leadership shortcoming and miscalculation smacks of trying to be "Just one of the boys" and it bit them in the ass.

What part of your perspective can't accept this as being unacceptable for COs and CSMs? Is having a cavalier attitude about sex and bigotry something to be displayed in formal military presentations?

I fully realize this seems like chickenshyt standards for men in combat theaters but this isn't your Daddy's military, anymore.

If leaders can't lead without reverting to the lowest common denominator, then they shouldn't be in leadership positions.

Don't ever forget.... familiarity and inappropriate command involvement in tacky, cheap activities will breed contempt and insubordination.

Your understanding of "racism" is way off. The slide could have offended "ANYBODY" in that room and including other Black soldiers, regardless of "who" created it and the fact that command was the "presenters" is unacceptable.

This whole thing is simple if you look at it from the perspective of "was it right?", "who is responsible?".

ChiefB

[kojack]

A Fort Bragg battalion commander and his top enlisted adviser were removed from their jobs in Afghanistan and sent home for using "poor judgment," an 82nd Airborne Division spokesman said Friday.

Lt. Col. Frank Jenio and Command Sgt. Maj. Bert Puckett were leaders of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 82nd's 4th Brigade Combat Team, which deployed in August to Afghanistan.

An investigation found their "actions were of poor judgment which fostered a command climate that was not consistent with our Army values," the spokesman, Lt. Col. Clarence Counts, wrote in an e-mail from Afghanistan in a response to questions. "We are a values-based and professional organization committed to Army values, and this change reflects a continuous commitment to adhere to the highest standards of excellence while maintaining good order and discipline."

Counts did not say what specific actions led to the decision. He said removal of a battalion commander from a war zone is rare.

Jenio, reached by telephone at his home Friday, said he is looking for a lawyer and did not want to comment. Puckett could not be reached Friday.

When they deployed in August as part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, the 800 soldiers in 2nd Battalion were spread across southern Afghanistan in small teams training Afghan security forces. In mid-December, they regrouped in an area called the Arghandab River Valley just north of Kandahar as part of a team creating a ring of security around the city. The valley is a key staging ground for insurgents and a transit point into Kandahar.

Lt. Col. Guy Jones, who was the 4th Brigade Combat Team operations officer, was tapped to replace Jenio as battalion commander.

In a letter on the battalion's Facebook page, Jones wrote that Puckett's replacement is Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Guden.

"Though not under the circumstances anyone desires, (Command Sgt. Maj.) Guden and I are very excited to be given this opportunity to assume the helm of this great organization," Jones wrote. "I am confident the unit will adapt to this change in leadership and continue successful operations in the Arghandab River Valley."

http://www.facebook.com/pages/2-508-PIR/121978657838?v=info#/pages/2-508-PIR/121978657838?v=wall

So, who will be in command of the unit? Guden or his enlisted union leader?

[MCGYVER]

I don't know but that's one job that you REALLY don't want to have right about now.

[chucksnee]

So, who will be in command of the unit? Guden or his enlisted union leader?

The XO will take charge, and the next highest ranking Compnay 1SG or S-1/2/3/4/5/6 SGM will become the CSM until sutiable replacements can be found....

[Bruce]

For anyone paying attention over the past few years, our Secretary of Defense takes no prisoners. "Accountability" has been the code word since he took office from Rumsfeld. A lot of flag officers have been relieved, in every service, for varying offenses ranging from sex scandals, failure to lead, nuclear control issues, and more. Today there's a report of a Marine 2-star, who was PO for the F-35, getting canned for "accountability" issues, whatever that means. Being a flag officer in the Gates era means that you do your job with excellence and integrity, or you get out of the way of those who can. Personally, I find that very refreshing and something that was long overdue.

[Turbo Teg]

This subject came on the new's tonight i was like damn, i saw this on mt just the other day!

[ChiefB]

It's not just our commanders that are taking heat.... some with reprimands being the sole punishment.

ChiefB

Israeli general reprimanded over Gaza shelling:

http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/Art/source_Reuters3.gif updated 5:27 a.m. CT, Mon., Feb. 1, 2010 function UpdateTimeStamp

JERUSALEM - The senior Israeli field officer in the Gaza war has been reprimanded over artillery shelling in a heavily populated area that hit a United Nations compound during the fighting, the military said on Monday.

The officer, Brigadier-General Eyal Eisenberg, still heads Israel's Gaza division. Colonel Ilan Malka, an infantry brigade commander also disciplined over the incident, now runs military operations in the West Bank under the same rank.
"It (the reprimand) goes on their record and will come up in their careers any time a promotion comes up," a military spokesman, Captain Barak Raz, said.

Full article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35178502/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/


ChiefB

[beesknees]

I have an acquaintance that was present for these briefings. He said the "humorous slides" had gotten completely out of control. 90% of the jokes were very offensive and degrading especially towards women. This last "humorous slide" was just the final straw.

[SailorDave]

It's not just our commanders that are taking heat.... some with reprimands being the sole punishment.

ChiefB

Israeli general reprimanded over Gaza shelling:

http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/Art/source_Reuters3.gif updated 5:27 a.m. CT, Mon., Feb. 1, 2010 function UpdateTimeStamp(pdt) { var n = document.getElementById("udtD"); if(pdt != '' && n && window.DateTime) { var dt = new DateTime(); pdt = dt.T2D(pdt); if(dt.GetTZ(pdt)) {n.innerHTML = dt.D2S(pdt,((''.toLowerCase()=='false')?false:true ));} } } UpdateTimeStamp('6xxxxxxxxxxxx70000');

JERUSALEM - The senior Israeli field officer in the Gaza war has been reprimanded over artillery shelling in a heavily populated area that hit a United Nations compound during the fighting, the military said on Monday.

The officer, Brigadier-General Eyal Eisenberg, still heads Israel's Gaza division. Colonel Ilan Malka, an infantry brigade commander also disciplined over the incident, now runs military operations in the West Bank under the same rank.
"It (the reprimand) goes on their record and will come up in their careers any time a promotion comes up," a military spokesman, Captain Barak Raz, said.

Full article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35178502/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/


ChiefB
I wonder if he was reprimanded for the shelling of a heavily populated area, or just because it hit the UN compound.

[ChiefB]

I wonder if he was reprimanded for the shelling of a heavily populated area, or just because it hit the UN compound.

"Referring to the UNRWA incident, the Israeli document said shells were fired "in violation of the rules of engagement prohibiting use of such artillery near populated areas."
"Based on these findings, the Commander of the Southern Command disciplined a brigadier-general and a colonel for exceeding their authority in a manner that jeopardized the lives of others," it said.
International conventions allow white phosphorus as a battlefield weapon or for creating smokescreens for ground forces but strictly limit its use in civilian areas."

Evidently he was hammered for violating the ROE restriction on the use of "white phosphorus" weapons in a pop. area. Some of the artillery struck a U.N. Compound.

ChiefB

[SailorDave]

I should have been better in implying "tongue in cheek".

[ChiefB]

I should have been better in implying "tongue in cheek".

Scusi. :)

ChiefB

[ArmyMan97]

"A racially offensive PowerPoint slide meant as a joke led to the removal of two 82nd Airborne Division leaders from their positions in Afghanistan this month, an Army official has confirmed.

Lt. Col. Frank Jenio and Command Sgt. Maj. Bert Puckett were in charge of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which is part of the 82nd's 4th Brigade Combat Team. The team has been in Afghanistan since August.

The slide - a parody of ubiquitous motivational posters - shows a picture of Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo with his arm wrapped around point guard Mateen Cleaves. Izzo is white; Cleaves is black. The text below the photos reads, "Slavery Reinstated," with smaller letters adding, "Catch yourself a strong one."

He said the offensive slide was inserted into the projector by a black soldier under their command and that Puckett never saw it before the presentation.

Jenio had directed his team to insert humorous slides at the end of command briefings, and slides such as the one in question - known as "demotivational posters" - were common."

"Jenio, who graduated from West Point, was McChrystal's executive officer when McChrystal commanded the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg."


Full article: http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2010/01/30/972239


ChiefB

Here's the pic for those who want to see. I know I did!
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uQsFBZ6aaQg/RzdoRwIJ2nI/AAAAAAAAAMA/0nKp_ptg6Bs/s320/slavery.jpg&imgrefurl=http://baconsrebellion.blogspot.com/2007_11_11_archive.html&usg=__Gu-RXPyWrX-AFwZGFyBWfpz8NP8=&h=256&w=320&sz=25&hl=en&start=9&itbs=1&tbnid=p50Eo-3XCHRHnM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3DTom%2BIzzo%2Band%2BMateen%2BCleaves%2 6gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

[SailorDave]

I wonder if Jenio's relief came because perhaps he failed to punish the offender for inserting that slide into the briefing and someone else reported his inaction. I can't say that's what happened, but it's one possible scenario.