An Army company at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, has issued a policy prohibiting vulgar language and rude gestures after an investigation found that profanity was rife within the unit, said Tiffany Wood, a spokeswoman for the base.
“The investigation was initiated due to concerns about the unit’s climate and culture after complaints regarding extreme use of profanity were received,” Wood told Task & Purpose on Wednesday.
A clue as to why the company cracked down on cursing may lie in the unit’s mission. The policy applies to a company within the 43rd Adjutant General Battalion when soldiers are working in their “official capacities during duty hours.” The battalion is a specialized unit that in-processes new trainees as they arrive, still in civilian clothes, to begin basic training at Fort Leonard Wood. The Army, along with the rest of the military, has long worked to stamp out the common stereotype that abusive language is a hallmark of boot camp.
No further information was available about the type of profanity that prompted the investigation.
The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence at Fort Leonard Wood is reviewing the policy, Wood said.
“No soldiers have been separated or punished under this policy,” she said.
An April 17 memo from the unit that was recently shared on Reddit warns soldiers in the company that they can be kicked out of the Army for repeatedly violating the policy, which is in effect when soldiers are operating in official capacities during duty hours. Task & Purpose has confirmed that the memo is authentic.
“The policy was implemented in April based on guidance from the investigation, the 43rd Adjutant Battalion, legal and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Regulation 350-6,” Wood said.
The 43rd Adjutant General Battalion is the first at the start of Basic and One Station Unit training. New soldiers are fitted for their new uniforms; undergo dental, vision, and hearing tests; get their immunizations, and process their military, financial, and personnel records.
The battalion’s website promises that it will treat new soldiers “with dignity and respect” during the three-and-a-half-day process.
The memo posted on Reddit lists a series of punishments for breaking the policy. Soldiers will receive spot verbal counseling for their first violation, written counseling added to their board file for their second offense, “removal of favorable actions” for a third violation, and “Chapter 14-12b separation for misconduct based on a pattern of behavior” for a fourth and final violation, the memo says.
“Vulgar or disparaging language will not be utilized during meetings, briefings, training exercises, while addressing superiors, peers, or trainees,” the memo says. “Vulgar or offensive language will not be displayed on any piece of clothing or personal effects at any time within the Battalion footprint.”
The memo also makes clear that soldiers, trainees, and employees “deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”
“It is up to all leaders to enforce this policy and create the professional environment all soldiers are entitled to operate within as they complete their official duties,” the memo says. “Leaders should be proactive in addressing impropriety and take the necessary steps to correct the behavior.”
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