I have processed a bar to reenlist for this exact reason. [I have this old redacted image of this exact scenario](https://imgur.com/a/BDKoCCq) of the many counselings this soldier received. He eventually got out
Not mine, but a guy I played warhammer with got a counseling over a dispute between him and the commander. He flew drones, and while giving a weather brief, he explained that the conditions were bad for his drone and that he couldn't take off. The commander rebuttaled and started quoting regulations and FAA stuff. Friend scrubbed the logbooks (TM's inside) and physically had the first sergeant read it. Come to find out, my friend was correct, but the commander "was too" and later admitted he was quoting Apache's limitations and not the drone's. Friend got a counseling for "Being too abrasive to the commander". There was no corrective action because friend told squad leader that if he was punished for not sending it, he would speak to IG for unsafe flight protocol or something along those lines. Last I heard, the guy framed the counseling and hung it up in his room.
Weird how a guy in my unit who has been counseled multiple times for this is currently being trained to be a team leader after getting his P status, I doubt this gets used
Not to excuse some soldiers who are absolute slobs, but poor hygiene can also be a sign of depression.
Please make sure you take the time to make sure they're okay before doing things like bars.
0500 PT wasn't even bad. It is the endless waiting because it starts at 0600 but they want you there 15mins early. That 15mins adds up over 100s of days. 100 x 15 is 1500 which is about 1 day of waiting for 15mins. This is just to do formation. Doesn't sound bad but waiting without your phone for 15mins is quite boring.
You also need to make an effort to be 15mins early so it's more like 20mins of doing nothing which is an insane wait time. Kinda wish I could go to high schools across the country to convince people not to join the military.
At least not as infantry or a combat MOS.
That's a fair point. It may not be a lack of caring, but more a choice or control over their lives where they feel they have little to no control. It's a though that kind of reaches for any form of understanding the behavior, but even people who starve themselves can do it on purpose.
As much as I agree with you, that all soldiers, regardless of how stinky, should be treated with dignity and respect and be granted/recommended access to resources for mental health issues, I ALSO don't see how a bar can't be simultaneously utilized for substandard performance.
Hygiene is a low bar to achieve, and if you're so down bad you can't/won't clean yourself or your clothes, then you still need to get a wake-up call. And that's all a bar is, a wake-up call that you need to fix something if you want to continue service.
If a bar doesn't fix the issue, then it's probably in both the SM's and the Army's best interest that they part ways anyway.
Some people don't shower, some people don't wash their uniforms, some people don't do either. How this happens after being forced to shower and clean yourself in basic still baffles me. And yes, they can be counseled, I've seen it. But only when all other forms of trying to get them to clean themselves runs out
youâre not even forced to shower in basic. the guy who bunked next to me wouldnât shower. right after bay formation he would run up to his bunk and go to sleep. itâs fucking disgusting he smelled horrible.
We only showered once that was at night. No time to shower after PT and I donât think we were allowed anyways. It was during the winter so we werenât hot and sweaty
Morning shower and night shower. I was at Jackson from May to early August and as soon as you stepped foot outside youâd be soaked. We roasted the fuck out of other trainees that didnât like showering. Two dudes not keeping up could stank up the whole bay.
Had a guy who would shower once a week in basic and only used water. Nothing else. It wasnât even found out either, he proudly would tell everyone that.
Drills had to yell at him to use soap and shower daily đ
We had a legit schizophrenic named Bardy. He was in 3rd Platoon and stayed in the other bay from us. He never showered when he was in that bay, and they made him get into the shower to clean himself. He just stood in the corner, butt-naked, without the water hitting him. The next day, he claimed that they raped him. So they moved him to our bay, and he was on buddy watch. He would stay in the bay all day; they didnât make him go to formations, and he wasnât training anymore. One day, he was in the latrine and got one of the lemon Lysol cans and sprayed it in his mouth for a good 5 seconds while we all watched in awe. He wouldnât sleep at night; he would laugh and talk to himself. My bunkmate and I were on fire guard, and Bardy would tug on peopleâs locks and start shadowboxing. He also would steal peopleâs clothes and then told the DS that we were stealing his clothes. When the DS came to our bay and made us dump our lockers to check who had extra stuff, he asked Bardy what his size was so we could check. Bardy literally had every size of PT/OCP; he didnât even know his own size. The last day we saw Bardy, we were at the DFAC, and he just kept pulling napkins from the dispenser and making a mountain of napkins on his plate. Our SDS took Bardy to the TMC in the duty van, and we never saw him again.
While I was in basic there were soldiers who literally had to drag a soldier into the shower because he would just fake it. He would turn on the water and just stare at it. The drill sergeants tried to get him to shower but he refused until a few soldiers that bunked around him took it into their own hands.
Iâve also had to teach soldiers how to properly clean their rooms and clothes because either they never learned or their parents didnât know either.
One of our instructors in 14E school told us about one of his former NCO's who had his hygiene called out on his NCOER. Dude left the Army and tried to get a job with a defense contractor - that NCOER sank his chances.
I had to force a soldier to do his laundry because the other soldiers complained about the oder. It was a humiliating experience for him. Usually, that will change a person's behavior.
In AIT my roomate wouldnât do laundry for some reason, several people noticed the smell and were not so nicely gonna tell him to wash his shit. I didnât want him to be humiliated so I talked to him nicely and explained the situation. It worked. I think we should just pull people to the side and talk to them like humans and it will fix most people.
Just to clarify, I didn't set out to humiliate him. I asked him to empty his duffle bags because I had a feeling the problem was worse. He pulled out heels of putrid smelling dirty clothes, and mold was developing on some items that had been heavily heated through and were still damp. We were living in a tent at the time. It was more than just a "smells bad" problem. My hunch was right, the kid had a serious health/hygiene issue. It was only humiliating because the smell was so rotten the tent cleared out. He cleaned his clothes and fixed the issue. He's mentally fine and his peers still appreciate him. He reenlisted to stabilize and recently got married. He's a good dude. But sometimes people need to be exposed to understand how fucked up their situation is.
Oh absolutely, I didnât think you set out to humiliate him. Most of the time like you said they simply might just not have grown up knowing how to take care of themselves and need a little push.
We had someone in AIT not wash their clothes ever and we even said to it his face that he should wash his clothes. The stench was horrible I wish i could unsmell that.
Had a guy who wouldn't shower in Afghanistan, did it for a month before my SL ripped his ass a new one to go shower. He was disgusting to say the least.
This is an interesting one.. It all comes down to what they learned growing up..
If they only got there clothes washed once a month when they grew up, guess what they do when they come in the Army..
Same thing with showering, If the parents freaked out if you showered everyday and you could only take 1 shower a week, guess how many showers they take...
Here is the hard part... Pull them away from everyone and tell them.. You stink! now lets teach you how not to stink... Ask questions to find the cause... I promise, most have no idea..
The worst is stink mouth, rotten tooth.. The person with it has no idea because it comes on slow and they smell it every second of the day.. Someone has to tell them to get to the dentist...
My roommate only brushes his teeth on duty days, but never on the weekends or on days he doesnât work and I find it disgusting. I thought it was common knowledge to brush your teeth 2 times a day everyday.
I had to teach a soldier to do laundry, brush his teeth, etc. I actually gave him my display toothbrush because he didnât own one. I spent an entire day teaching him basic hygiene. I donât know how they didnât teach him that shit in Basic. Heâd been a street kid in Philadelphia. Junkie parents nowhere around. Joined the Army for some sort of stability.
He was only my soldier for a month or so. Had a cheap fake K-bar knife he bought at the PX. Used it to stab a guy or two in a bar fight one weekend. He was arrested and I never saw him again.
Yes and no. Use a soft brush and don't act like your trying to get a oil drain out of tops parking spot before he shows up Monday morning and you'll be fine.
I used to like hard brushes and wore down my teeth on my left side. Because I was using to much pressure and aggression on that side. Switched to soft brushes and have to consciously tell my self little circles and not so much pressure. Haven't had any more loss in 20 years.
There is a bit of truth to this. Friend of mind works in dentistry, and they were recommending brushing with just a brush as bare minimum, but to avoid most toothpastes. Most, if not all commercial formulas contain abrasives that slowly wear them down.
He did say though that the best thing you could invest in was a water pick and an electric toothbrush. It also helps to remove sugars from diet, coffee/tea, and tobacco products as well.
My dentist told me to brush in the morning, floss after every meal, and use a water pick at night.
Also gave me a list of mouthwashes to avoid that was so extensive I just don't use any.
I thought water picks were a scam. Not that they do nothing but just that they're trying to seem like a replacement for flossing but it's not as effective as flossing so kinda superfluous
They have their uses. I got my bottom wisdom teeth taken out and the hole never healed fully for one side. When I went to the dentist six months later I brought it up and they told me to get one. The hole was closed a week after the pick arrived. deff not a for regular floss tho
In basic we had a dude get chaptered out for refusing to shower. If youâre out there Beardsley, you were really good at land nav You stinky bastard you lol.
We had a guy like that in my platoon at basic, after a few weeks we all bought Febreze from the shoppette and sprayed him down. He finally went and showered after that. Got smoked for it, but the drills were laughing the entire time
A huge part of Basic Training and AIT is teaching unwashed teenaged boys and girls to bathe *just*Â enough to not be a contagious disease hazard.Â
The military figured out hygiene kept soldiers alive, but their greatest battle is against the filth of their own people.Â
PFC Green, I know you're reading this thread. I have ptsd from you. I once caught a whiff of your odor and started hyperventilating and looking for you. Wtf man.
It was like rotten potato mixed with EXTREME BO, and moldy food with over tones of alcoholism. It was weird and being locked in a room with limited ac from 08 to 17 was traumatic.
1. Some Soldiers were not taught how to adult prior to enlisting.
2. Soldiers who ARE taught how to adult may experience depression in the Army. The little things start going by the wayside. I was never smelly, but I know there were some days I barely had the strength to brush my teeth.
3. Soldiers may not be issued a lot of PTs, and so some only wash them once a week. For example, I only had one pair of pants and one jacket my entire career. Two pairs of shorts. There is no excuse for OCPS, though.
The way to fix this is shame. Announce "someone smells like donkey dick" and make it seem like a big deal. If you're an NCO, you can tell the Soldiers how important hygiene is, in a caring way.
I had a stinky soldier.
I finally got it out of him on why he did not perform proper personal hygiene.
It stemmed from parental abandonment and severe depression.
When he was like 15-16 he was kicked out of his house and went to live with his brother. His brother was not a real winner and was never served in a parental role ether. so while sleeping on his couch he fell into a deep depression and dropped the ball on showering and brushing his teeth etc.
He would get so depressed he would ether forget or push off doing the basics and the longer he brushed it off the more he kept telling himself "what's the point...it's already been 5 days"
Needless to say, he got some tough love from me and I sent him the BH. Last I saw him he was doing better. He was never one of my best and he did get out after his first term and went back to school etc but at least he was not stinky Pete anymore.
I pull my guys aside and talk to them the first couple of times. After that, i get the medics involved. Ive done it with one of my guys oral hygiene. I could literally see the plaque built on his teeth. Found out he hadnât brushed his teeth in 2 months. Once our Doc got involved, havent had a problem with him since
It's awesome because it starts with the "oh I'm not showering today because it's so cold out that we don't really smell" that when summer comes around they're "I'll blend in because everyone else stinks"Â
 Then some people don't air out their rooms at all, which, obviously is bad, however, their reasoning is that since there is a building in front of their window, they rather keep it closed. Then the others, put their clothes in their hampers, they run out of uniforms and now the accumulated stank is swirling around.
I have no explanation for the ones that stink of piss tho Â
 Another one, which, is kind of valid when explained, is that they get released so late from PT that they have ONE of 2 options. Take a shower or eat, so they just eat, it's not like their leadership is affected, they bring food from home and those guys don't know any better so they just do what they're told
I however, I shower minimum 3 times a day so, idk, I gotta smell like coconut sunflower, if I don't, shower at lunch idgaf
Bro I'm with you. I shower 2-3 times a day minimum. I was complaining about people smelling at the gym. My girl was like "yeah duh you're at the gym" no theres a specific workout stench, and a specific "I don't clean myself" stench
There are a lot of young men (and women for that matter) that did not grow up in a normal household where basic life skills like showering were taught. As a LT I had to deal with this (or rather, make my Plt Sgt deal with it) on several occasions. Generally, it was an easy fix.
Iâll admit to not making myself presentable before pt since itâs kinda useless, but after that, people have zero excuse. If you come into work smelling bad, youâve got problems.
If by not presentable you mean you didn't brush your hair well or missed a spot shaving, thats fine. If you mean you have hot ass breath from not brushing and smell like 3 day old taco bell meat, that is not. No one should show up stinky to PT.
I mean you shower at night and put deodorant on then right? If so I don't think anyone will begrudge you for that as long as you brush your teeth and don't wear the same set of PTs all week.
Well on this anonymous internet forum, you get a pass from me. But don't let me hear about you becoming [the smelly kid.](https://youtu.be/I_X680fe7z0?t=67)
I donât get it, even on deployment I took a shower before going to sleep every night/morning depending on when my guard shift was. (unless we ran out of water then the baby wipes come out)
A lot of people shower at night before bed and decide not to in the morning. Either way, if you smell first thing in the morning, you definitely have some other issues lol
My theory is that they are afraid of water, because some of them absolutely refuse to shower, brush their teeth, or wash their clothes unless you force them.
The worst is holding someones feet for sit ups and smelling their shit, because they apparently don't know how to wipe their ass
The problem is that there are commanders who prize green slides and won't kick people out unless absolutely necessary.
PFC Snuffy has been flagged for ages, his room stinks, his TA-50 stinks and has mold, his squad fears he gave that lice. People don't want be in the same room with PFC Snuffy.
And yet the commander or 1SG don't care - he's a body that fills a slot on the MTOE. They don't have to promote him and the smell is the problem of the platoon or squad leader. BN leadership DGAF - that's company business, besides there's NTC/FTX/Deployment/Rotations/Red Cycle - they'll deal with the problem later.
Multiply that by all those commanders and NCO's deep throating their senior raters and you have lots and lots of nasty, marginal soldiers who get to stay because commanders can't be arsed to do their job and chapter them.
Had to counsel an E-7 about hygiene. He thought he was saving the Army money by not washing himself and his clothes regularly (we were on deployment and we had great laundry and shower facilities). So I had to tell him his personal shower and laundry schedule. I couldnât effing believe it. But it worked.
One thing the Army taught me, after shoving me into a cluster fuck of various different cultures and people Iâve never interacted with before, not everyone grew up learning the same shit you did. I literally watched a YouTube video the other day where I guy just step by step, with no judgmental tones, taught people how to clean their house. The comments were full of people praising the dude, thanking him for finally giving them information theyâve been missing their whole lives. Sucks but sometimes itâs just because they donât know any better.
Other times itâs just because theyâre dirt nasty 18-19 year olds with no responsibility
As the fat guy in each unit I was super self conscious about not being the smelly fat guy. Just the fat guy. Had a guy I was deployed with we had to legit force to shower and get leadership involved after peer to peer wasn't working. Super strange person. Then another at Knox that the 1SG refused to height and weight him until we took him the gym and forced him to shower with hand soap from the sink. Some people are oblivious.
As someone who sweats through his uniform routinely, I have a stick of deodorant in my assault pack at all times. People who smell either lack self awareness or were never taught how to function on basic levels. I have been dealing with my sweat stank since I was born and have lived the majority of my life in the southeast where literally being outside for 30 seconds will make me sweat, fortunately I also have normal parents so I was taught how to not smell like wet donkey dick.
So as someone who's had hygiene issues I'll tell you what I did. I had a problem with it so I'm not afraid to admit it. One day my squad leader came to me about it. I ate dfac *so relatively healthy* I would shower twice a day and do laundry every two or three days.I changed tan tees and every day at lunch. I continue to do this to this day. I wear deodorant to the point I break out and I have too many colognes to count. In the feild i take baby wipe baths at every moment possible. I brush my teeth twice a day like normal I don't drink nearly as much as I used to when I first enlisted and now I plan all of my schedules or duties around my hygiene plan. On staff duty I shower atleat one time I keep a tooth brush with me always I keep deodorant and cologne in my bag all the time and Ive kept up with this routine for 3 years. I've not had a problem sense than. Is it overkill maybe but I don't want to make other people's jobs harder than they have to. So I continue to do what I've done for almost 4 years now and it works will it work for you're soldier I can't say but it worked for me and I carry it on today the first step is to talk to them and let them know without being an ass hole about it. I used the same hygiene plan I had before and during basic however I sweat so much no matter what time of day it is I step outside and boom sweat. I've gone to sick hall and it's been ongoing sense than and I am working on it but if they follow these steps than they should improve seriously I've had no complaints sense I've started this routine. If you have any qestions feel free to message me I know it's embarrassing but helping you're joes or yourself will be worth it and I'm here to make it as easy as possible.
I had a troop that had a genetic thing where he just had rancid BO. After having the talk and finding out he was indeed clean, I told everyone to leave him along. Big difference between smelly and dirty.
Iâd say for many people, itâs hard to maintain good hygiene throughout a 12 hour day when you are left to bake in the sun wearing the equivalent of a jean jacket and pants all day. Especially in some of those high humidity states down south.
I remember I couldnât walk a quarter mile across Fort Gordon at 0700 without being literally drenched in sweat, and then had to sit in it for the entire day until I had the ability to shower again.
You can try all you want, but sometimes the body just does what it does. I think self awareness is the best remedy in this situation.
Lack of personal hygiene is a chapterable offense. And sadly yes, it is not important for a decent amount of soldiers, which really doesn't surprise me because of the consideration for others that I have seen over the years within the army is already lacking.
I'm legitimately asking you what reg or where in the UCMJ manual? I have people still in that area asking for guidance. It's not in 670-1 or 40-5 that I could find. And you can't order a Soldier to put on deodorant last I saw.
670-1 also states
Hygiene and body grooming. Soldiers will maintain good personal hygiene and grooming on a daily basis and
wear the uniform so as not to detract from their overall military appearance.
Pretty sure a nasty ass smell would detract from the appearance of the uniform.
I'm digging around for it but don't remember the exact reference. I remember back when I wrote my first counseling for a soldier that failed the APFT. In one of the references the magic bullet had in it, it had many different chapterable offenses. The typical APFT or body composition failure, and lack of personal hygiene was one of them. I'm continuing to look right now but so far, TC 4-02.3 chapter 2 states
"2-1. Regulations state that individual Soldiers are responsible for their own well-being. For example, AR
40-5 states that every Soldier is responsible for his own well-being and that he will implement and employ
all protective measures possible to preserve his health."
Further on in the same chapter it states that Soldiers should shower/bathe and change into fresh clothes AT LEAST once a week
Had a guy in Iraq who would go out on patrol with PTs under his uniform. He would get super sweaty, return from patrol, strip off his uniform, and crawl into bed. There was a brown stain outline on his sheets.
I feel like unfortunately with recruiting alot of people out of bad circumstances/home lives, those people weren't very hygienic in the first place so they just carry that apathy over. I currently have a soldier who neglects his teeth so much they have turned brown and inconsistent when he showers with how he smells unfortunately people have counseled him and talked to him and its still an issue with him
We used to ask them nicely, then we'd warn them. When that didn't work we'd drag them into the shower and scrub them with a whole bottle of body wash and a green scratch pad. It worked like a charm. But that's old Army. I'm sure you can't do anything like that nowadays
>Canât Soldiers be counseled for offensive odors?
Of course they can. In fact, after a few of those, they can also be barred for reenlistment under AR 601-280 for substandard personal hygiene. And if they continue being nasty after the commanders review process, they can get kicked out.
I would brush and deodorize every morning before PT. But when you get the farts, I'd always fall to the back in the runs or the workouts. Early morning Beer Farts, and taco bell. Never a good idea.
I used to work with this ancient shitbag specialist who I swear to god would intentionally come in smelling like pure shit just to get out of work. Heâd get sent home for a hygiene check and come back smelling like a dead cat. Bro cultivated his stench like he worshipped Nurgle. Itâs anti socal behavior and deserves UCMJ, and a hose.
Yes they can. I had to do it to one of my soldiers. 1SG had me go to their house and ensure that they washed their uniforms and took a shower the day of the counseling. Just make sure to not attack their dignity because you donât know why they are doing it . In my case my soldier was going through a divorce which is when it all started.
This is one thing Iâm nervous about for enlisting. I know I canât say anything at the beginning but I know itâll be my pet peeve once I get to leadership. I canât STAND BO. I obviously give the pass if working out or just finished some labor but having it as the default makes me want to vomit
Yes you can counsel soldiers for poor hygiene. Its recommended if that's the case and the smell can be caused by literally either not knowing how to bathe properly or not knowing how to appropriately wash their clothes as examples. Absolutely recommend a counseling to attempt to identify if they don't know or if they're just stinky shitbags
So there I was, fresh out of AIT, newly arrived in Korea. I get assigned to a two man room. The vast majority of the Company is out on exercise so Iâm stuck doing details with Rear D. Once released, I go back to my room and I notice this awful shit smell. The room is okay at best, so I go on a cleaning rampage. The bathroom is gleaming, the floor is swept and mopped with a bit too much cleaner but Iâm okay with that and all surfaces are clean. I sit down in triumph knowing I killed the shit monster. Seconds later, my nostrils flare the fuck up in complete disgust. WTF!? Now Iâm pissed off. I sniff around trying to find the dead animal or whatever the fuck that smell is. It gets stronger and I locate the source. My unknown roommates locker. The god damn stench emanating from this unholy box is grotesque. It smells like actual shit. I told my NCO and asked to be moved but there were no other rooms available. Eventually they get back from the field and I meet this gross fuck. I had the bad luck to be there when he opened that shit and pure funk oozed across the room like the Nothing from The Never Ending Story. I lost all my shit. I canât be the newest damn Soldier in the Army with a Specialist roommate that smells like the inside of a homeless personâs asshole. Thatâs not hyperbole. That motherfucker smelled like actual shit. Turns out, he has a horrible reputation as a bad soldier and a stinky mf. My PSG was ready to murder him when he heard it and I asked him to let me handle it. Having to tell another grown man that his hygiene is utterly and completely broken is an awkward fucking conversation. I should have let the PSG kill him.
I've counseled a soldier or 2 for poor hygiene. I've found in every instance they were mentally unwell. One for severe depression, managed to convince him to get help. 90 days he was already improving. I'd hope me just caring helped. In some cases they are mentally unwell in other ways and I make sure I state the impact of their hygiene on literally everything. It negatively impacts the performance of others
My roommate was like this. Was a pretty chipper dude and would do stuff after work often. He was justâŠI dunno. He was embarrassed publicly, counseled, etc but just fall back into his old habits. It was as if there was just a short circuit in his brain. He was a lazy son of a bitch in most regards, but not _that_ lazy in any other aspect. It just wouldnât click.
You'd be surprised of the amount of people in the population in general who has poor hygiene. Just sitting in public transportation like an airplane or bus or standing in line in the store and grown folks just smelling like ass..
I have a terrible sense of smell, in basic the guy a bunk over wasn't showering I couldn't tell cause I couldn't smell him. It became this whole thing with me and his bunk mate who insisted I wasn't showering which I kept telling him "we were in the showers at the same time you stupid fuck" eventually people realized hey I've never seen sonso in the showers so for a while the drill sgt's would have him go to our CQ area which had a shower in it to make him shower
Yes of course Soldier's can be counseled for poor hygiene habits. Talk to their first line supervisors about your concerns. If it were me, I would make notes of dates and times of poor hygiene so you can establish a pattern with their supervisor. If you are the first line supervisor then bring your concerns to the Soldiers directly but separately. Give them verbal notice that you have observed them not smelling their absolute best. Ask them about the status of the laundry facilities in the barracks. Is there a problem with the washers? If so work with them to get a work order with the barracks nco/housing. Find out if it's a problem with the water in the barracks if so, same as above. If it turns out to be a personal issue, determine why. Can they not afford soap? Do they feel they don't need to shower? Do they not know how to use the washer? Be firm but don't be disparaging. Let them know that good hygiene isn't up for negotiation but if they assistance with an issue they can come to you.
We had a dude bragging he wouldn't shower for all of JRTC. Not the field part where you can't but the while damn thing. By week one the PSG told us to take his bottle of dawn and drag ol' boy to the faucet. Few blackeyes and one bloody nose latter the boy looked like one of those dawn ducks. PSG and PL said if it was needed again every bit of his gear would be "washed" along with him. He showed every day he could after that.
I learned this early.
Was in line for dental in basic and the kid in front of me was *chewing* on cough drops right before his turn.
His mouth was already atrocious so he clearly didnât care, not for himself or the poor specialist who had to do his cleaning. I even asked him why and his excuse was that there was no Drill Sergeants around to catch him??
Ended my contract in First Sergeants Barracks Program and was once again reminded of soldiers lack of hygiene.
So many rooms just screamed DEPRESSION.
Who showers before PT? Youâre just gonna get disgusting anyways. Shower and night, and in the morning after PT. This is the way. Im also disgusting and an infantryman. I went through NTC without changing once outside of my socks and occasionally my undershirt. I felt like a rabid animal out for blood and it was great lol
Don't know but I know a lot are no longer using chemicals like deodorants with aluminum or toothpaste with fluoride. That may be the reason. Then again, they may just be dirty?
I sat a dude down and told him he was fucking stinky and people hated him for that reason. He showered every day after that. Sometimes, people need to be told. Too often people just make fun of stinky people behind their back but are too pussy to actually say it to their face.
Granted that definitely doesn't always work.
Hey, you go to the field in the Army where you wont be showering for weeks at a time, right?
And you have to have early formations every day, which sucks too.
I still remember the smell from the guy who refused to wash "without help" during OSUT. Nothing worse than some stinking Soldier skip the shower after a day at a range or obstacle course, during the summer at Benning.
We ended up dragging and tossing a dude fully clothed into the shower because he wouldn't bathe. We were in the field in OK at some national guard facility, and he was stinking up the whole damn bay.
I tried to have the medic talk with him, but it went nowhere so we had to intervene as a group. Did they make it hard for The Mafia to do their thing? Sometimes, a *little* bullying gets the goods.
Honestly a lot of the time it's junior soldiers who are fresh out of high school who don't know how to do a lot of basic thing like laundry or developing a good hygiene routine. It also helps out no one if you don't pull them aside and talk to them about it, get with that soldier and help them, teach them how to properly do laundry, make sure they have soap, and talk to them about how it's Important to maintain a good level of hygiene. It's our jobs as NCO/ leaders to help and mentor them to be a professional. Now if it's an NCO with trash hygiene reflect that shit on a counseling for failure to follow Army regulation 670-1 section 3-2 sub section D "Soldiers will maintain good personal hygiene and grooming on a daily basis and wear the uniform so as not to detract from their overall military appearance.", COA: get the fuck out you bag of ass.
I think a lot of soldiers don't know what right and wrong smells like until someone says something. It's like quiet a few single soldiers barracks smell disgusting and you've to be that person to tell them to open a fucking window. Sometimes, you've to be that person to tell them "put deodorant or take a shower" or something. Don't let them just walk around like that.
Did you type the number wrong or are you seriously complaining that people didn't get themselves all nice-smelling before they go do PT in the morning?
Showing up at 0900 smelling like ass is a bad sign.... But 0600 is perfectly understandable....
One of the reasons to initiate a bar to continued service literally states poor hygiene.
Drop me the carfax on that one.
[AR 601-280](https://www.armywriter.com/AR601-280.pdf) *Army Retention Program* para 8-4 d(6): "Has substandard personal hygiene."
50 points to Ravenclaw đŠ
Good luck getting that one to go through in todayâs undermanned Army, though. I wonder if anybodyâs ever seen it work.
I have processed a bar to reenlist for this exact reason. [I have this old redacted image of this exact scenario](https://imgur.com/a/BDKoCCq) of the many counselings this soldier received. He eventually got out
Got any more entertaining counseling statements ? They're always a fun read.
Not mine, but a guy I played warhammer with got a counseling over a dispute between him and the commander. He flew drones, and while giving a weather brief, he explained that the conditions were bad for his drone and that he couldn't take off. The commander rebuttaled and started quoting regulations and FAA stuff. Friend scrubbed the logbooks (TM's inside) and physically had the first sergeant read it. Come to find out, my friend was correct, but the commander "was too" and later admitted he was quoting Apache's limitations and not the drone's. Friend got a counseling for "Being too abrasive to the commander". There was no corrective action because friend told squad leader that if he was punished for not sending it, he would speak to IG for unsafe flight protocol or something along those lines. Last I heard, the guy framed the counseling and hung it up in his room.
Weird how a guy in my unit who has been counseled multiple times for this is currently being trained to be a team leader after getting his P status, I doubt this gets used
Not to excuse some soldiers who are absolute slobs, but poor hygiene can also be a sign of depression. Please make sure you take the time to make sure they're okay before doing things like bars.
> but poor hygiene can also be a sign of depression. Oh man, I can't imagine anything in the army would cause that, like 0500 PT.
0500 PT wasn't even bad. It is the endless waiting because it starts at 0600 but they want you there 15mins early. That 15mins adds up over 100s of days. 100 x 15 is 1500 which is about 1 day of waiting for 15mins. This is just to do formation. Doesn't sound bad but waiting without your phone for 15mins is quite boring. You also need to make an effort to be 15mins early so it's more like 20mins of doing nothing which is an insane wait time. Kinda wish I could go to high schools across the country to convince people not to join the military. At least not as infantry or a combat MOS.
That's a fair point. It may not be a lack of caring, but more a choice or control over their lives where they feel they have little to no control. It's a though that kind of reaches for any form of understanding the behavior, but even people who starve themselves can do it on purpose.
As much as I agree with you, that all soldiers, regardless of how stinky, should be treated with dignity and respect and be granted/recommended access to resources for mental health issues, I ALSO don't see how a bar can't be simultaneously utilized for substandard performance. Hygiene is a low bar to achieve, and if you're so down bad you can't/won't clean yourself or your clothes, then you still need to get a wake-up call. And that's all a bar is, a wake-up call that you need to fix something if you want to continue service. If a bar doesn't fix the issue, then it's probably in both the SM's and the Army's best interest that they part ways anyway.
*eh, he's a stinky bastard but he's our bastard and we're so short....*
Then youâd have to bar half of my fucking formation but the army would run out of people. So i dont see it happening.
Some people don't shower, some people don't wash their uniforms, some people don't do either. How this happens after being forced to shower and clean yourself in basic still baffles me. And yes, they can be counseled, I've seen it. But only when all other forms of trying to get them to clean themselves runs out
youâre not even forced to shower in basic. the guy who bunked next to me wouldnât shower. right after bay formation he would run up to his bunk and go to sleep. itâs fucking disgusting he smelled horrible.
Damn, I guess I was just lucky in basic with a bunch of clean people. We all showered twice a day, every day
We only showered once that was at night. No time to shower after PT and I donât think we were allowed anyways. It was during the winter so we werenât hot and sweaty
Morning shower and night shower. I was at Jackson from May to early August and as soon as you stepped foot outside youâd be soaked. We roasted the fuck out of other trainees that didnât like showering. Two dudes not keeping up could stank up the whole bay.
Had a guy who would shower once a week in basic and only used water. Nothing else. It wasnât even found out either, he proudly would tell everyone that. Drills had to yell at him to use soap and shower daily đ
We had a legit schizophrenic named Bardy. He was in 3rd Platoon and stayed in the other bay from us. He never showered when he was in that bay, and they made him get into the shower to clean himself. He just stood in the corner, butt-naked, without the water hitting him. The next day, he claimed that they raped him. So they moved him to our bay, and he was on buddy watch. He would stay in the bay all day; they didnât make him go to formations, and he wasnât training anymore. One day, he was in the latrine and got one of the lemon Lysol cans and sprayed it in his mouth for a good 5 seconds while we all watched in awe. He wouldnât sleep at night; he would laugh and talk to himself. My bunkmate and I were on fire guard, and Bardy would tug on peopleâs locks and start shadowboxing. He also would steal peopleâs clothes and then told the DS that we were stealing his clothes. When the DS came to our bay and made us dump our lockers to check who had extra stuff, he asked Bardy what his size was so we could check. Bardy literally had every size of PT/OCP; he didnât even know his own size. The last day we saw Bardy, we were at the DFAC, and he just kept pulling napkins from the dispenser and making a mountain of napkins on his plate. Our SDS took Bardy to the TMC in the duty van, and we never saw him again.
And now he works at NETCOM.
As a GS-12
Dude that was *my platoon*. Delta Co 3-34
When did you go to basic? It was mandatory when I went through in 2001, and it was done by the numbers.
2023. new army I guess
I am not one to say "Back in my Day" or stuff like that, but WTF. Showering is essential especially in basic training.
And no one thought to throw a soap party? Impressive.
He got to sleep in his bed after morning formation in basic?Â
especially the fat ones either dont shower or they sweat and smell like ass by the time they roll out to pt.
God damn
*roll* đ€Ł
â*ABCP, ROLL out!*â
While I was in basic there were soldiers who literally had to drag a soldier into the shower because he would just fake it. He would turn on the water and just stare at it. The drill sergeants tried to get him to shower but he refused until a few soldiers that bunked around him took it into their own hands. Iâve also had to teach soldiers how to properly clean their rooms and clothes because either they never learned or their parents didnât know either.
Ive counseled people for this. Look I get it, youâre a brand new adult and taxes suck, but wash your goddamn pts
supposedly thereâs a dude in a sister battalion who will get recommended for an article if heâs doesnât shower after pt.
Iâve counseled my own NCOs for stank. It ainât fun nor easy but then again neither is being around unwashed swamp butt. Nobody likes that
One of our instructors in 14E school told us about one of his former NCO's who had his hygiene called out on his NCOER. Dude left the Army and tried to get a job with a defense contractor - that NCOER sank his chances.
> that NCOER stank his chances
Yeah thatâs definitely BS.
Well. It was certainly BO
Bet he wish it had been BODY BY AXE
I had to force a soldier to do his laundry because the other soldiers complained about the oder. It was a humiliating experience for him. Usually, that will change a person's behavior.
Did it change his behavior?
It did not
In AIT my roomate wouldnât do laundry for some reason, several people noticed the smell and were not so nicely gonna tell him to wash his shit. I didnât want him to be humiliated so I talked to him nicely and explained the situation. It worked. I think we should just pull people to the side and talk to them like humans and it will fix most people.
Just to clarify, I didn't set out to humiliate him. I asked him to empty his duffle bags because I had a feeling the problem was worse. He pulled out heels of putrid smelling dirty clothes, and mold was developing on some items that had been heavily heated through and were still damp. We were living in a tent at the time. It was more than just a "smells bad" problem. My hunch was right, the kid had a serious health/hygiene issue. It was only humiliating because the smell was so rotten the tent cleared out. He cleaned his clothes and fixed the issue. He's mentally fine and his peers still appreciate him. He reenlisted to stabilize and recently got married. He's a good dude. But sometimes people need to be exposed to understand how fucked up their situation is.
Oh absolutely, I didnât think you set out to humiliate him. Most of the time like you said they simply might just not have grown up knowing how to take care of themselves and need a little push.
We had someone in AIT not wash their clothes ever and we even said to it his face that he should wash his clothes. The stench was horrible I wish i could unsmell that.
In Poland, Germany, or Czech Republic?
Had a guy who wouldn't shower in Afghanistan, did it for a month before my SL ripped his ass a new one to go shower. He was disgusting to say the least.
I felt nasty after a duty day outside, idk how tf he lived with himself.
This is an interesting one.. It all comes down to what they learned growing up.. If they only got there clothes washed once a month when they grew up, guess what they do when they come in the Army.. Same thing with showering, If the parents freaked out if you showered everyday and you could only take 1 shower a week, guess how many showers they take... Here is the hard part... Pull them away from everyone and tell them.. You stink! now lets teach you how not to stink... Ask questions to find the cause... I promise, most have no idea.. The worst is stink mouth, rotten tooth.. The person with it has no idea because it comes on slow and they smell it every second of the day.. Someone has to tell them to get to the dentist...
My roommate only brushes his teeth on duty days, but never on the weekends or on days he doesnât work and I find it disgusting. I thought it was common knowledge to brush your teeth 2 times a day everyday.
I had to teach a soldier to do laundry, brush his teeth, etc. I actually gave him my display toothbrush because he didnât own one. I spent an entire day teaching him basic hygiene. I donât know how they didnât teach him that shit in Basic. Heâd been a street kid in Philadelphia. Junkie parents nowhere around. Joined the Army for some sort of stability. He was only my soldier for a month or so. Had a cheap fake K-bar knife he bought at the PX. Used it to stab a guy or two in a bar fight one weekend. He was arrested and I never saw him again.
That escalated quickly.
What not brushing your teeth does to a man.
At least he didn't take the toothbrush, fashion it into a shank and use that instead of the knock off Knife of Rambo.
I thought you were talking about my soldier for a moment⊠then you said he left. Mine never leftâŠ
1988.
Damn. Wish he'd managed to get/stay stable. It's a challenge with folks dealing with stuff like that.
He was probably always a lost cause but itâs an NCOâs job to try and help them become the soldier they could be.
Brushing your teeth actually wears down the teeth so itâs best to actually not even brush them at all actually
It goes deeper than that. Big Toothpaste has been dissolving our teeth for generations!
And fluoride is really for mind control!
It turns the frogs gay
This guy gets it
Yes and no. Use a soft brush and don't act like your trying to get a oil drain out of tops parking spot before he shows up Monday morning and you'll be fine. I used to like hard brushes and wore down my teeth on my left side. Because I was using to much pressure and aggression on that side. Switched to soft brushes and have to consciously tell my self little circles and not so much pressure. Haven't had any more loss in 20 years.
I knew he knew something that I didnât
You should take some more pointers from him. He can square you away
Iâll ask him right now, he can open my eyes to a new way of life lol ( Iâm still going to brush my teeth)
Disgusting..
There is a bit of truth to this. Friend of mind works in dentistry, and they were recommending brushing with just a brush as bare minimum, but to avoid most toothpastes. Most, if not all commercial formulas contain abrasives that slowly wear them down. He did say though that the best thing you could invest in was a water pick and an electric toothbrush. It also helps to remove sugars from diet, coffee/tea, and tobacco products as well.
My dentist told me to brush in the morning, floss after every meal, and use a water pick at night. Also gave me a list of mouthwashes to avoid that was so extensive I just don't use any.
I thought water picks were a scam. Not that they do nothing but just that they're trying to seem like a replacement for flossing but it's not as effective as flossing so kinda superfluous
They have their uses. I don't own one personally, but have considered it for cleaning my tonsils.
Come on, now. You're in the Navy, you know how to get a cleaning solution into the back of your throat.
They have their uses. I got my bottom wisdom teeth taken out and the hole never healed fully for one side. When I went to the dentist six months later I brought it up and they told me to get one. The hole was closed a week after the pick arrived. deff not a for regular floss tho
I have heard several people say their teeth are fine just brushing once a day before bed. I'm not their dentist but they had nice enough looking teeth
In basic we had a dude get chaptered out for refusing to shower. If youâre out there Beardsley, you were really good at land nav You stinky bastard you lol.
We had a guy like that in my platoon at basic, after a few weeks we all bought Febreze from the shoppette and sprayed him down. He finally went and showered after that. Got smoked for it, but the drills were laughing the entire time
Haha yâall fixed him
Should have made him a map to the fucking shower
đđđđđ he was a terror to sit next to during chow dude
A huge part of Basic Training and AIT is teaching unwashed teenaged boys and girls to bathe *just* enough to not be a contagious disease hazard. The military figured out hygiene kept soldiers alive, but their greatest battle is against the filth of their own people.Â
PFC Green, I know you're reading this thread. I have ptsd from you. I once caught a whiff of your odor and started hyperventilating and looking for you. Wtf man.
Damn how would you describe the smell? đ
It was like rotten potato mixed with EXTREME BO, and moldy food with over tones of alcoholism. It was weird and being locked in a room with limited ac from 08 to 17 was traumatic.
I had to literally supervise a PFC on proper hygiene, it was fucking humiliating for the both of us.
1. Some Soldiers were not taught how to adult prior to enlisting. 2. Soldiers who ARE taught how to adult may experience depression in the Army. The little things start going by the wayside. I was never smelly, but I know there were some days I barely had the strength to brush my teeth. 3. Soldiers may not be issued a lot of PTs, and so some only wash them once a week. For example, I only had one pair of pants and one jacket my entire career. Two pairs of shorts. There is no excuse for OCPS, though. The way to fix this is shame. Announce "someone smells like donkey dick" and make it seem like a big deal. If you're an NCO, you can tell the Soldiers how important hygiene is, in a caring way.
It just blows my mind how filthy people can be.
Best part about being a medic: You can tell someone they stink or are overweight with little to no repercussions.
It's just DNBI prevention, yo
I had a stinky soldier. I finally got it out of him on why he did not perform proper personal hygiene. It stemmed from parental abandonment and severe depression. When he was like 15-16 he was kicked out of his house and went to live with his brother. His brother was not a real winner and was never served in a parental role ether. so while sleeping on his couch he fell into a deep depression and dropped the ball on showering and brushing his teeth etc. He would get so depressed he would ether forget or push off doing the basics and the longer he brushed it off the more he kept telling himself "what's the point...it's already been 5 days" Needless to say, he got some tough love from me and I sent him the BH. Last I saw him he was doing better. He was never one of my best and he did get out after his first term and went back to school etc but at least he was not stinky Pete anymore.
I pull my guys aside and talk to them the first couple of times. After that, i get the medics involved. Ive done it with one of my guys oral hygiene. I could literally see the plaque built on his teeth. Found out he hadnât brushed his teeth in 2 months. Once our Doc got involved, havent had a problem with him since
In the field I tend not to really care. For the week or two. But as soon as I can Iâm taking a nice shower and gonna smell good and feel good
My favorite is not being able to shower for a long time then see all the grody go down the drain. So satisfying.
Hell yea dell yea, I like Feelin the water hit the sticky balls aswell then they feel free
Same
Sir, this is Planet Fitness...We encourage fat people to sweat here. Would you like to try one of our fitness drinks ?
You mean a chocolate milkshake?
Is it high protein?
It has protein, I think.
Some people's kids...
It's awesome because it starts with the "oh I'm not showering today because it's so cold out that we don't really smell" that when summer comes around they're "I'll blend in because everyone else stinks"  Then some people don't air out their rooms at all, which, obviously is bad, however, their reasoning is that since there is a building in front of their window, they rather keep it closed. Then the others, put their clothes in their hampers, they run out of uniforms and now the accumulated stank is swirling around. I have no explanation for the ones that stink of piss tho   Another one, which, is kind of valid when explained, is that they get released so late from PT that they have ONE of 2 options. Take a shower or eat, so they just eat, it's not like their leadership is affected, they bring food from home and those guys don't know any better so they just do what they're told I however, I shower minimum 3 times a day so, idk, I gotta smell like coconut sunflower, if I don't, shower at lunch idgaf
Bro I'm with you. I shower 2-3 times a day minimum. I was complaining about people smelling at the gym. My girl was like "yeah duh you're at the gym" no theres a specific workout stench, and a specific "I don't clean myself" stench
There are a lot of young men (and women for that matter) that did not grow up in a normal household where basic life skills like showering were taught. As a LT I had to deal with this (or rather, make my Plt Sgt deal with it) on several occasions. Generally, it was an easy fix.
Iâll admit to not making myself presentable before pt since itâs kinda useless, but after that, people have zero excuse. If you come into work smelling bad, youâve got problems.
If by not presentable you mean you didn't brush your hair well or missed a spot shaving, thats fine. If you mean you have hot ass breath from not brushing and smell like 3 day old taco bell meat, that is not. No one should show up stinky to PT.
I mean my hair isnât great and I donât bother applying deodorant before I sweat my ass off at PT.
I mean you shower at night and put deodorant on then right? If so I don't think anyone will begrudge you for that as long as you brush your teeth and don't wear the same set of PTs all week.
I shower in the morning after PT. I work in an office. I donât stink at the end of the day. If I do, I take a second shower after work.
Well on this anonymous internet forum, you get a pass from me. But don't let me hear about you becoming [the smelly kid.](https://youtu.be/I_X680fe7z0?t=67)
Probably just using used PT's lol
I donât get it, even on deployment I took a shower before going to sleep every night/morning depending on when my guard shift was. (unless we ran out of water then the baby wipes come out)
This thread is so sad
As a former medic, I say, clean ya ass. Hygiene and the resulting disease from not keeping it up is a silly way to go during a war.
"PFC Shitbag--died of swamp ass"
Pure laziness. They wanted to get 5 extra mins of sleep. Or just plain have no self awareness.
A lot of people shower at night before bed and decide not to in the morning. Either way, if you smell first thing in the morning, you definitely have some other issues lol
My theory is that they are afraid of water, because some of them absolutely refuse to shower, brush their teeth, or wash their clothes unless you force them. The worst is holding someones feet for sit ups and smelling their shit, because they apparently don't know how to wipe their ass
The problem is that there are commanders who prize green slides and won't kick people out unless absolutely necessary. PFC Snuffy has been flagged for ages, his room stinks, his TA-50 stinks and has mold, his squad fears he gave that lice. People don't want be in the same room with PFC Snuffy. And yet the commander or 1SG don't care - he's a body that fills a slot on the MTOE. They don't have to promote him and the smell is the problem of the platoon or squad leader. BN leadership DGAF - that's company business, besides there's NTC/FTX/Deployment/Rotations/Red Cycle - they'll deal with the problem later. Multiply that by all those commanders and NCO's deep throating their senior raters and you have lots and lots of nasty, marginal soldiers who get to stay because commanders can't be arsed to do their job and chapter them.
Had to counsel an E-7 about hygiene. He thought he was saving the Army money by not washing himself and his clothes regularly (we were on deployment and we had great laundry and shower facilities). So I had to tell him his personal shower and laundry schedule. I couldnât effing believe it. But it worked.
One thing the Army taught me, after shoving me into a cluster fuck of various different cultures and people Iâve never interacted with before, not everyone grew up learning the same shit you did. I literally watched a YouTube video the other day where I guy just step by step, with no judgmental tones, taught people how to clean their house. The comments were full of people praising the dude, thanking him for finally giving them information theyâve been missing their whole lives. Sucks but sometimes itâs just because they donât know any better. Other times itâs just because theyâre dirt nasty 18-19 year olds with no responsibility
Itâs probably about as important to them as their mental health is to their chain of command.
Nice
As the fat guy in each unit I was super self conscious about not being the smelly fat guy. Just the fat guy. Had a guy I was deployed with we had to legit force to shower and get leadership involved after peer to peer wasn't working. Super strange person. Then another at Knox that the 1SG refused to height and weight him until we took him the gym and forced him to shower with hand soap from the sink. Some people are oblivious.
Especially on a Monday morning⊠blows my fucking mind.
If you smell like PT before PT you have a problem
As someone who sweats through his uniform routinely, I have a stick of deodorant in my assault pack at all times. People who smell either lack self awareness or were never taught how to function on basic levels. I have been dealing with my sweat stank since I was born and have lived the majority of my life in the southeast where literally being outside for 30 seconds will make me sweat, fortunately I also have normal parents so I was taught how to not smell like wet donkey dick.
So as someone who's had hygiene issues I'll tell you what I did. I had a problem with it so I'm not afraid to admit it. One day my squad leader came to me about it. I ate dfac *so relatively healthy* I would shower twice a day and do laundry every two or three days.I changed tan tees and every day at lunch. I continue to do this to this day. I wear deodorant to the point I break out and I have too many colognes to count. In the feild i take baby wipe baths at every moment possible. I brush my teeth twice a day like normal I don't drink nearly as much as I used to when I first enlisted and now I plan all of my schedules or duties around my hygiene plan. On staff duty I shower atleat one time I keep a tooth brush with me always I keep deodorant and cologne in my bag all the time and Ive kept up with this routine for 3 years. I've not had a problem sense than. Is it overkill maybe but I don't want to make other people's jobs harder than they have to. So I continue to do what I've done for almost 4 years now and it works will it work for you're soldier I can't say but it worked for me and I carry it on today the first step is to talk to them and let them know without being an ass hole about it. I used the same hygiene plan I had before and during basic however I sweat so much no matter what time of day it is I step outside and boom sweat. I've gone to sick hall and it's been ongoing sense than and I am working on it but if they follow these steps than they should improve seriously I've had no complaints sense I've started this routine. If you have any qestions feel free to message me I know it's embarrassing but helping you're joes or yourself will be worth it and I'm here to make it as easy as possible.
I had a troop that had a genetic thing where he just had rancid BO. After having the talk and finding out he was indeed clean, I told everyone to leave him along. Big difference between smelly and dirty.
Can't be smellin' like PT before PT c'mon now
Iâd say for many people, itâs hard to maintain good hygiene throughout a 12 hour day when you are left to bake in the sun wearing the equivalent of a jean jacket and pants all day. Especially in some of those high humidity states down south. I remember I couldnât walk a quarter mile across Fort Gordon at 0700 without being literally drenched in sweat, and then had to sit in it for the entire day until I had the ability to shower again. You can try all you want, but sometimes the body just does what it does. I think self awareness is the best remedy in this situation.
Ahh, the stinky Soldier. Tale as old as time.
Lack of personal hygiene is a chapterable offense. And sadly yes, it is not important for a decent amount of soldiers, which really doesn't surprise me because of the consideration for others that I have seen over the years within the army is already lacking.
I'm legitimately asking you what reg or where in the UCMJ manual? I have people still in that area asking for guidance. It's not in 670-1 or 40-5 that I could find. And you can't order a Soldier to put on deodorant last I saw.
670-1 also states Hygiene and body grooming. Soldiers will maintain good personal hygiene and grooming on a daily basis and wear the uniform so as not to detract from their overall military appearance. Pretty sure a nasty ass smell would detract from the appearance of the uniform.
Thanks, bro. I'll send this to them.
I'm digging around for it but don't remember the exact reference. I remember back when I wrote my first counseling for a soldier that failed the APFT. In one of the references the magic bullet had in it, it had many different chapterable offenses. The typical APFT or body composition failure, and lack of personal hygiene was one of them. I'm continuing to look right now but so far, TC 4-02.3 chapter 2 states "2-1. Regulations state that individual Soldiers are responsible for their own well-being. For example, AR 40-5 states that every Soldier is responsible for his own well-being and that he will implement and employ all protective measures possible to preserve his health." Further on in the same chapter it states that Soldiers should shower/bathe and change into fresh clothes AT LEAST once a week
Had a guy in Iraq who would go out on patrol with PTs under his uniform. He would get super sweaty, return from patrol, strip off his uniform, and crawl into bed. There was a brown stain outline on his sheets.
Some people are gross.
Can you spray them with a hose or is that hazing now?
I feel like unfortunately with recruiting alot of people out of bad circumstances/home lives, those people weren't very hygienic in the first place so they just carry that apathy over. I currently have a soldier who neglects his teeth so much they have turned brown and inconsistent when he showers with how he smells unfortunately people have counseled him and talked to him and its still an issue with him
We used to ask them nicely, then we'd warn them. When that didn't work we'd drag them into the shower and scrub them with a whole bottle of body wash and a green scratch pad. It worked like a charm. But that's old Army. I'm sure you can't do anything like that nowadays
>Canât Soldiers be counseled for offensive odors? Of course they can. In fact, after a few of those, they can also be barred for reenlistment under AR 601-280 for substandard personal hygiene. And if they continue being nasty after the commanders review process, they can get kicked out.
I would brush and deodorize every morning before PT. But when you get the farts, I'd always fall to the back in the runs or the workouts. Early morning Beer Farts, and taco bell. Never a good idea.
I used to work with this ancient shitbag specialist who I swear to god would intentionally come in smelling like pure shit just to get out of work. Heâd get sent home for a hygiene check and come back smelling like a dead cat. Bro cultivated his stench like he worshipped Nurgle. Itâs anti socal behavior and deserves UCMJ, and a hose.
Yes they can. I had to do it to one of my soldiers. 1SG had me go to their house and ensure that they washed their uniforms and took a shower the day of the counseling. Just make sure to not attack their dignity because you donât know why they are doing it . In my case my soldier was going through a divorce which is when it all started.
This is one thing Iâm nervous about for enlisting. I know I canât say anything at the beginning but I know itâll be my pet peeve once I get to leadership. I canât STAND BO. I obviously give the pass if working out or just finished some labor but having it as the default makes me want to vomit
Yes you can counsel soldiers for poor hygiene. Its recommended if that's the case and the smell can be caused by literally either not knowing how to bathe properly or not knowing how to appropriately wash their clothes as examples. Absolutely recommend a counseling to attempt to identify if they don't know or if they're just stinky shitbags
Some people just don't wash they ass. Not *can't*, but just *don't* It's an unfortunate truth.
Team leaders need to be team leaders. âDonât expect what you donât inspectâ and all that.
So there I was, fresh out of AIT, newly arrived in Korea. I get assigned to a two man room. The vast majority of the Company is out on exercise so Iâm stuck doing details with Rear D. Once released, I go back to my room and I notice this awful shit smell. The room is okay at best, so I go on a cleaning rampage. The bathroom is gleaming, the floor is swept and mopped with a bit too much cleaner but Iâm okay with that and all surfaces are clean. I sit down in triumph knowing I killed the shit monster. Seconds later, my nostrils flare the fuck up in complete disgust. WTF!? Now Iâm pissed off. I sniff around trying to find the dead animal or whatever the fuck that smell is. It gets stronger and I locate the source. My unknown roommates locker. The god damn stench emanating from this unholy box is grotesque. It smells like actual shit. I told my NCO and asked to be moved but there were no other rooms available. Eventually they get back from the field and I meet this gross fuck. I had the bad luck to be there when he opened that shit and pure funk oozed across the room like the Nothing from The Never Ending Story. I lost all my shit. I canât be the newest damn Soldier in the Army with a Specialist roommate that smells like the inside of a homeless personâs asshole. Thatâs not hyperbole. That motherfucker smelled like actual shit. Turns out, he has a horrible reputation as a bad soldier and a stinky mf. My PSG was ready to murder him when he heard it and I asked him to let me handle it. Having to tell another grown man that his hygiene is utterly and completely broken is an awkward fucking conversation. I should have let the PSG kill him.
I had a roommate in the barracks who wouldnât shower, it was disgusting . Met many like that .
I've counseled a soldier or 2 for poor hygiene. I've found in every instance they were mentally unwell. One for severe depression, managed to convince him to get help. 90 days he was already improving. I'd hope me just caring helped. In some cases they are mentally unwell in other ways and I make sure I state the impact of their hygiene on literally everything. It negatively impacts the performance of others
My roommate was like this. Was a pretty chipper dude and would do stuff after work often. He was justâŠI dunno. He was embarrassed publicly, counseled, etc but just fall back into his old habits. It was as if there was just a short circuit in his brain. He was a lazy son of a bitch in most regards, but not _that_ lazy in any other aspect. It just wouldnât click.
Monday morning formation smelled like beer and cigarettes!
You'd be surprised of the amount of people in the population in general who has poor hygiene. Just sitting in public transportation like an airplane or bus or standing in line in the store and grown folks just smelling like ass..
Nothing like being that guy that holds those guys feet for sit ups during pt. Yall know exactly what I'm talking bout
Thatâs for unlocking memories I had repressed đ
This is another problem that the Army has. HEALTH IS EVERYTHING, if you don't have a clean soldier then you don't have a healthy soldier.
I have a terrible sense of smell, in basic the guy a bunk over wasn't showering I couldn't tell cause I couldn't smell him. It became this whole thing with me and his bunk mate who insisted I wasn't showering which I kept telling him "we were in the showers at the same time you stupid fuck" eventually people realized hey I've never seen sonso in the showers so for a while the drill sgt's would have him go to our CQ area which had a shower in it to make him shower
Hate me all you want, but if you expect me to do pt early in the morning, im doing zero hygiene things till after. I'll be pristine for the office.
Yes of course Soldier's can be counseled for poor hygiene habits. Talk to their first line supervisors about your concerns. If it were me, I would make notes of dates and times of poor hygiene so you can establish a pattern with their supervisor. If you are the first line supervisor then bring your concerns to the Soldiers directly but separately. Give them verbal notice that you have observed them not smelling their absolute best. Ask them about the status of the laundry facilities in the barracks. Is there a problem with the washers? If so work with them to get a work order with the barracks nco/housing. Find out if it's a problem with the water in the barracks if so, same as above. If it turns out to be a personal issue, determine why. Can they not afford soap? Do they feel they don't need to shower? Do they not know how to use the washer? Be firm but don't be disparaging. Let them know that good hygiene isn't up for negotiation but if they assistance with an issue they can come to you.
If they are your peers, why arenât you shaming the shit out of them? Why arenât you stomping their gets out?
Dude, that shit died years ago and it'll net you an assault charge. inb4 army weak, me hardcore
We had a dude bragging he wouldn't shower for all of JRTC. Not the field part where you can't but the while damn thing. By week one the PSG told us to take his bottle of dawn and drag ol' boy to the faucet. Few blackeyes and one bloody nose latter the boy looked like one of those dawn ducks. PSG and PL said if it was needed again every bit of his gear would be "washed" along with him. He showed every day he could after that.
I learned this early. Was in line for dental in basic and the kid in front of me was *chewing* on cough drops right before his turn. His mouth was already atrocious so he clearly didnât care, not for himself or the poor specialist who had to do his cleaning. I even asked him why and his excuse was that there was no Drill Sergeants around to catch him?? Ended my contract in First Sergeants Barracks Program and was once again reminded of soldiers lack of hygiene. So many rooms just screamed DEPRESSION.
Who showers before PT? Youâre just gonna get disgusting anyways. Shower and night, and in the morning after PT. This is the way. Im also disgusting and an infantryman. I went through NTC without changing once outside of my socks and occasionally my undershirt. I felt like a rabid animal out for blood and it was great lol
At least they should shower after the workday before. I had a roommate that showed every few days. In the swamps of Georgia in the summer.
Good ole Ft. Stewart
That just my natural self....sir/ma'am.
Dude I can't stand not showering. It can't be that hard t9 shower after pt and sometimes after work
Don't know but I know a lot are no longer using chemicals like deodorants with aluminum or toothpaste with fluoride. That may be the reason. Then again, they may just be dirty?
I sat a dude down and told him he was fucking stinky and people hated him for that reason. He showered every day after that. Sometimes, people need to be told. Too often people just make fun of stinky people behind their back but are too pussy to actually say it to their face. Granted that definitely doesn't always work.
I never understood WHY the fucking smelly kid joins the army
I havenât worn deodorant in over 10 years. Now I have go fuck yourself rank. Get some đ€„
Hey, you go to the field in the Army where you wont be showering for weeks at a time, right? And you have to have early formations every day, which sucks too.
Did soldiers stop using febreze on their pt's?
I still remember the smell from the guy who refused to wash "without help" during OSUT. Nothing worse than some stinking Soldier skip the shower after a day at a range or obstacle course, during the summer at Benning.
We ended up dragging and tossing a dude fully clothed into the shower because he wouldn't bathe. We were in the field in OK at some national guard facility, and he was stinking up the whole damn bay. I tried to have the medic talk with him, but it went nowhere so we had to intervene as a group. Did they make it hard for The Mafia to do their thing? Sometimes, a *little* bullying gets the goods.
This is never ok, buddy.. never. You bring it up and let the higher ups deal with this but this could've ended up very badly
I know it's not, we were all much younger and dumber then.
Honestly a lot of the time it's junior soldiers who are fresh out of high school who don't know how to do a lot of basic thing like laundry or developing a good hygiene routine. It also helps out no one if you don't pull them aside and talk to them about it, get with that soldier and help them, teach them how to properly do laundry, make sure they have soap, and talk to them about how it's Important to maintain a good level of hygiene. It's our jobs as NCO/ leaders to help and mentor them to be a professional. Now if it's an NCO with trash hygiene reflect that shit on a counseling for failure to follow Army regulation 670-1 section 3-2 sub section D "Soldiers will maintain good personal hygiene and grooming on a daily basis and wear the uniform so as not to detract from their overall military appearance.", COA: get the fuck out you bag of ass.
I don't care how "depressed" I am, I'm still washing my ass
I think a lot of soldiers don't know what right and wrong smells like until someone says something. It's like quiet a few single soldiers barracks smell disgusting and you've to be that person to tell them to open a fucking window. Sometimes, you've to be that person to tell them "put deodorant or take a shower" or something. Don't let them just walk around like that.
Remember that poor physical hygiene (or lack of) can be symptomatic of a mental depression
I have
Did you type the number wrong or are you seriously complaining that people didn't get themselves all nice-smelling before they go do PT in the morning? Showing up at 0900 smelling like ass is a bad sign.... But 0600 is perfectly understandable....