1. JTF-HAITI INSPECTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE MARCH 2010
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From the Foxhole of the JTF Haiti Inspector General
Welcome to the second installment of the JTF-Haiti Inspector General Bulletin. First, we would like to thank all of
you for the great feedback we received regarding our bulletin—we’ll strive to continue providing relevant information and
answering your questions, issues, and concerns. The focus of this edition is to provide information concerning four
important issues you’ve asked us to address—counseling, awards, safety, and complacency avoidance. Keep in mind
that all good things start with accountability. The JTF is doing extremely well on all assigned missions and along all three
of our major lines of effort—again, the credit goes to all of you for your professionalism, selfless service, and dedication to
the overall humanitarian assistance/relief operations effort—keep it up! Let us know how we can continue improving our
services to you and your Warriors. Thanks for your service. COL Ray Valle
complainant indentifies several issues
ranging from not knowing the rating
COUNSELING 101 chain to not receiving any initial or
follow-up counseling. Consequently,
Throughout the theater, the IG team the rated Service Member did not fully
has identified the lack of counseling understand the scope of his/her
as a major issue in most units. This responsibilities and never received an
issue leads to problems with our azimuth check on areas they should
Service Members and can adversely maintain or improve. Our inquiries
impact unit morale. often reveal that the unit did not have
Although leaders can verbally an updated rating scheme or had
counsel Soldiers, formal counseling is failed to post the rating scheme.
a requirement and must be Additionally, in many cases, leaders
documented. These documents are had failed to counsel the Service
essential for evaluation reports or Member in writing and contended that
administrative actions, e.g., promotion they had conducted verbal counseling
Counseling is the best way to inform or bar to reenlistment, awards. in lieu of written counseling. In order
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, to avoid any misunderstanding or
Coast Guardsmen, and DOD civilian Why Counsel? conflicts, leaders should comply with
employees about your expectations, the following regulations:
provide frequent constructive Guide the Service Member.
feedback, and chart a course towards Counseling is a formal process to ARMY
improving their performance, and review an SM’s performance and plot AR 623-3
reaching goals. a course towards personal and
YES—even while deployed here in professional success through periodic Rater’s responsibilities
Haiti!! We all have to take the counseling sessions. - Counsel rated officer using DA
required time to develop and take 67-9-1 and 67-0-1a for junior officers.
care of our most valuable assets—our Develop future leaders. Counseling Counsel rated NCO using DA 2166-8-
people. Unfortunately, some leaders is one of the most important 1. Initial counseling must be done
are not properly counseling those leadership development within 30 days after the beginning of
they lead--many Service Members responsibilities for all military leaders. the rating period and follow-on
haven’t been counseled since they counseling must be done quarterly.
deployed. First Sergeants, senior Counseling Requirements - Discuss scope of ratee’s duties
enlisted advisors, commanders, - Provide support forms of the
supervisors, and directors alike, need Some of you have approached us rater and senior rater to the rated
to get involved in the process to with concerns about receiving an officer
ensure counseling sessions are adverse or referred evaluation report - Advise rated officer of changes
scheduled and conducted. or not getting the type of award you in duty description and performance
though you deserved. Often, the objectives.

2. JTF-HAITI INSPECTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE MARCH 2010
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- For junior officers, use DA 67-9- report cycle IAW midterm counseling AWARDS
1a throughout the rating period, in schedule in BUPERSINST
addition to DA 69-9-1 - At a minimum, form should
- Obtain the senior rater’s include duty description, rater/rate
approval and initials on DA 67-9-1a. admin data, and ratees signature
- Senior raters should ensure that - Identify performance
rating officials conduct the required expectations, strengths and
counseling weaknesses, and provide a fair
- For referred reports, senior assessment as they relate to the 7
raters will provide the rated officer an performance traits on the EVAL and
opportunity to provide comments FITREP forms
before authentication and departure of - Conduct informal counseling on
the rated individual a regular basis During the last couple of weeks, we
- Senior raters should ensure have received numerous inquiries
consistent interpretation and concerning awards-- Usually, the
AIR FORCE application of Navy standards and inquiries have focused on three key
AFI 36-2406 work with the rater to identify and issues:
enhance ratees strengths and 1. I heard my
Rater’s responsibilities improve ratee’s weaknesses commander/supervisor was going to
- Provide feedback to field grade downgrade my award:
officers using AF 724A and provide 2. My commander denied my XXX
feedback to company grade officers and/or people in other units received
using AF 724B. a XXX for a similar situation.
- Provide feedback to senior 3. The awards process in my unit is
NCOs using AF 932 and for TSgt and MARINE CORPS unfair. Some people seem to get a
below using AF 931. Feedback must NAVMC 2795 / MCO P1610-7F higher award than others for doing the
be provided within 60 days the rater same thing.
initially begins supervision. Reporting Senior responsibilities
- Identify expectations, objectives, - Counsel Marine using Most of these issues should be
standards, behavior, and performance worksheets in NAVMC 2795 or record handled by the chain of command by
- Provide completed Performance counseling in an alternate manner educating leaders and Service
Feedback Worksheet to ratee - Conduct counseling of Corporals Members on the awards approval
- Conduct future feedback thru Colonels approx 30 days after the process.
sessions IAW table 2.1 AFI 36-2406 beginning of the rating period.
- Conduct midterm feedback - Conduct follow-on counseling Bottom line: Ensure you educate your
between the date supervision begins approximately 90 days after initial personnel on JTF-Haiti,
and expected close-out date counseling – subsequent sessions to memorandum; SUBJECT: JTF-H
- Conduct follow-up feedback occur every 6 months or less Awards Guidelines, dated 15
within 60 days of close-out. - Establish/formalize/review billet February 2010. Common awards
- Rater’s rater should ensure description. Ensure billet description issues presented to the IG office
raters properly conduct feedback focuses on essential elements of the could have avoided by ensuring the
sessions. Marine Reported on billet in specific recommender had counseled the
and concise terms Service Member of the type of award
- Reviewing Officer will exercise he/she was recommending and
oversight to ensure counseling occurs ensuring completeness of the
properly and complements the recommendation packet for Service or
viability of the Performance Joint awards IAW Services regulation
NAVY Evaluation System. and JTF Policy memorandum.
BUPERSINST 1610.10a Understanding who has awards
Rater’s responsibilities Do the right thing—invest in our approval authority and what type of
- Conduct performance future; invest in your people!! awards they can approve based on
counseling using evals for E6 and your status is also key to success.
below and FITREP for E7s and above
forms at the midpoint of the periodic Accurate, detailed, timely and well
written award packets - justification

3. JTF-HAITI INSPECTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE MARCH 2010
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and citation/narrative - have a Personal Hygiene/Sanitation – standards and strengthening
significant impact on whether awards Good hygiene and sanitation is discipline across our ranks. If you
will be approved. These packets must essential to prevent gastrointestinal think about it, it’s a basic three step
meet all published guidance. illnesses. Hand washing stations and process. Step one: determine and
hand sanitizer will be used by all understand the standard.
The JTF- Haiti Awards Policy personnel after using the latrine and
memorandum covers awards before consuming food. Leaders Service regulations--for example,
approval authorities, procedural check to ensure hand washing Army Regulation 670-1, Wear of the
guidance for specific awards, e.g., stations and hand sanitizers are Uniform –provide Soldiers with clear
DMSM, JSCOM, and JSAM, and available. Wash your hands! standards for the proper wear of the
detailed guidance on civilian awards. uniform, including all of the
Heavy Equipment/Port accessories. We all have similar
Ops/Equipment loading/unloading- regulations in our particular Services
SAFETY TOP FIVE These missions can cause crushing which guide us in maintaining the
by Mr. Jesse Martin casualties. Ground guides will be standard. However, you must know
JTF-H Safety Director used and service members will avoid the standard to enforce it. If you
movements under suspended loads don’t, you just created a new low
/between the vehicle and an standard.
America’s Military responded quickly immovable object. Be careful!
and safely to the earthquake crisis in Once you understand the
Haiti. This is a tribute to the men and Safety is non-negotiable. standard, step two is enforcing the
women in uniform and to the NCO Individuals and leaders will remain standard! This is where
Corps for holding their Soldiers, vigilant to prevent injuries or noncommissioned officers across all
Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast illness to our Service Members. Services come into play. It is the
Guardsmen to the safety standards NCO/Petty Officer who conducts daily
required to achieve such results. As inspections of our Warriors’ uniforms,
weapons and equipment ensuring
we get comfortable with our mission
and each day seems like the previous
From the Foxhole they are mission ready. It is the
STANDARDS KILL COMPLACENCY Sergeant/Petty Officer who conducts
one, now is the time we must be
By SGM Eric B Littlejohn Pre-Conduct Checks (PCC) of their
vigilant. Vigilant leaders deliver JTF-H IG SGM
mission success while sustaining the personnel and equipment to ensure
welfare of our service members. that they are as prepared as they
Operation Unified Response is must be to get the job done.
Vehicle Safety – Vehicle safety is different than almost any operation in
one of the quickest and deadliest recent history. Our Soldiers, Sailors, Step three is to hold our personnel
ways to hurt one of our Service Coast Guardsmen, Airmen, and accountable for attaining the standard
Members or citizens of Haiti. Seat Marines deployed in record time to and their supervisors accountable for
belt use is non-negotiable. help the people of Haiti in their most enforcing those same standards.
Regardless of rank, wear your difficult hour. We continue to do this This is where the more senior leaders
seatbelt. Slow Down! superbly. above our Sergeants/Petty Officers
have the responsibility to inspect and
Heat Injuries – Heat injuries are Our primary focus is helping the ensure that our young leaders are
preventable. Leaders at all levels Haitian people. While that continues doing the right things--never assume
monitor the hydration of their to be the case, operations have it will be done right, or that they know
personnel. Drink Water! transitioned to a more moderate pace what right looks like.
and from my foxhole, complacency
Vector Borne Illnesses – Dengue lurks on the horizon. We must ensure So for the more senior leaders,
Fever & Malaria are prevalent in this that “standards” are enforced; our you must always remember your role
area. All personnel will use DEET Service Members deserve no less. in developing Sergeants/Petty
insect repellent and Mosquito netting. Officers. Lead by example by
Leaders must ensure service Standards and discipline are demonstrating the standard in all that
members take malaria pills every interrelated—the more we understand you do. We have always said that
day! this close relationship, the more when a more senior leader
effective we’ll be in enforcing the demonstrates a lesser standard; a
new standard has been set.

4. JTF-HAITI INSPECTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE MARCH 2010
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IGs may require you to call them back
In every case where Uniform Standards: While on- if you submit your IGAR via e-mail to
Sergeants/Petty Officers fail to duty, all personnel should be in their confirm you actually submitted the
enforce basic standards and senior appropriate uniform. Proper wearing IGAR.
leaders do not hold them accountable, of headgear and other uniform items
the standards in other areas begin to should always be in accordance with Call/e-mail us:
“slip.” This is the complacency I'm our Services regulations and policies - Command IG: COL Ray Valle
referring to. and/or a modified by the JTF - IG SGM: SGM Eric B. Littlejohn
commander due to mission
Across the JOA, our logistics requirements. Remember PT How to Contact us: e-mail
support areas, command posts and uniforms, regardless of our particular JTFHIG@core1.DJC2.mil
beach landing sites are small--We live Service, are in fact “uniforms;” so, if DSN: 413-254-8060 (ext 58560)
and work in tight quarters and must worn, they should adhere to the Com: (910) 922-3501 or (910) 644-
find balance between the appropriate Service regulation. The 4436.
professionalism expected from our exception is using the PT uniform with
personnel and allowing them flexibility shower-shoes (flip-flops) when
and opportunity to relax and wind moving to and from personal hygiene.
down at the end of their duty day.
However, some areas are extremely As we begin the transition of
critical and we need to maintain the forces, it is imperative for sergeants
highest standard of performance on and petty officers to, “step up to the
and off duty. Areas that concern me plate” ensuring the standards are
are: being met. Fight complacency and
enforce standards for a safe return
• Weapons Maintenance after mission completion.
• Safety
• Uniform Standards We have had the great
opportunity to deploy and help
Weapons Maintenance: Keep thousands of people in need. In
your weapons clean--free of dirt, dust, typical Joint Task Force–Haiti fashion,
and debris. Ensure you lube them. we have succeeded in our mission
Ensure our Service Members know while caring for our servicemembers.
Let’s continue taking care of each Below—photos from visit to the USAV-
how to clear weapons properly,
other, our subordinates and our 1 GEN Frank S. Besson Jr. on 16 Feb
including assembly, disassembly of
leaders. If you have any issues or 10 and the 1st Bn, 325th AIR (RED
their assigned weapons, and how to
properly execute a functions check concerns, feel free to contact the IG FALCONS) on 18 Feb 10 by JTF IG
IAW applicable TMs. Critical is office 24/7. and JTF Safety Manager
ensuring trigger safety and muzzle Remember…standards kill
awareness all the time. complacency!
Safety: Every NCO/Petty Officer
is a safety officer. Enforce standards
such as using ground guides for all
vehicles entering the LSAs/CPs/BLS. HOW TO CONTACT US
Use of eye protection while operating
motor vehicles (to include forklifts and Contact or visit the JTF-Haiti IG at
gators) is mandatory. Chalk-blocks LSA Dragon, adjacent to the US
and drip pans for all standing vehicles Embassy, Boulevard du 15 Octobre,
should be in use. If you don't have Tabarre 41, Port-au-Prince.
any, get creative, that's what NCOs Complete, sign and/or e-mail a DA
do. There are many other areas of Form 1559, Inspector General Action
safety, but the bottom line is it’s our Request [IGAR](www.usapa.army.mil)
job to enforce it. to us if at all possible. However, the