I’m really intruiged about this headline. Clearly this man was someone with a long serving history or service. What sort of ‘bullying’ (as has been hinted at) could he have been guilty of that would warrant such massive publicity, and such an unprecedented reaction? I am sure that there are many ex service men and women visiting this site, who must have an inkling of the possible reasons that could have evoked such a reaction by the admirialty??
It’s simple, Bullying in the forces has been brought to the publics attention because of the events at Deepcut and various other places. The Military had to be seen to do something about it, now they can. Speaking for myself, I think it all went pear shaped when they decided to get rid of the “old soldiers”. These were guys who had been in the army 12-15 years and were still private soldiers, they knew the book inside out and in a rough sort of way looked after the younger lads. The army has never been the same since.
but this was a commissioned officer in the navy, and nothing to do with Deepcut I think?
I also doubt that he was personally involved in any bullying, Tel. The point, I think, is that bullying was taking place aboard his ship, and he was not doing anything to kerb it. That is now looked on as tacit agreement with what is happening. As the man in command “The Buck Stops Here”. The arguement “I didn’t know it was happening”, holds no water in the forces.
I am ex-army, I was a private for 12 years. I was a Combat Driver grade 1 when I left and was a driving assesor/coachdriver/atlas crane instructor/ forklift instructor etc. I was also a “senior soldier”, although I held no rank I was epected to keep junior soldiers in line and teach them how the job should be done. When I joined my first working unit (in 11/79), it was quite common for newbies to be taken round the back for a ‘bit of a slap’.It wasn’t thought of as bullying, more the short sharp shock method of instruction. These type of incidents where usually for someone who was being a bit lippy to a senior soldier/lance corporal/corporal, for eg, and not doing what they where told in a minor way. We aren’t talking of ‘disobeying a direct order’ type of thing here. More along the lines of me telling a newbie to do something they should have done, as part of the job they where doing (eg tidying away tools or mopping up spilt oil) and being told to [zb] off. I could have been expected to take them round the back for a bit of a slap (as the next step up in the punishment scale) if that was this soldiers typical style . The alternative was for me to go to my lance corporal and lodge a complaint. Then the lancejack would tell them the same thing. If they got the same answer then the soldier would have to be charged and go ‘on orders’ for our Officer Commanding (a step down from Commanding Officer) to punish. The punishment could be a fine, a few days Restriction Of Privelidges (No free time except to sleep and eat) or a short term in the Regiments jail (a couple of days maybe). This goes on the soldiers record. But I would have lost respect from that soldier and the rest of my troop. I would also be considered unsuitable for promotion due to being unable to handle this sort of minor incident. If the soldier had done what they were told, by the lance jack repeating me, then they would get some strong but basic instruction in lower ranks ettiquette which wouldn’t involve a slapping, unless it happened again.
This is what is now called bullying 
That all sounds reasonable, until you wrote “taking them round the back for a bit of a slap” I’ve never walked in your shoes, but the fear of physical violence is not nice. Perhaps that is why the armed and prison service is struggling so much?
I really do not think that managing people is about managing them through fear and intimidation. People will jump through hoops for a good boss, but they will conspire to attack a boss at the first opportunity if the boss (regardless of the job)
is a bully. If you are part of a heirachy that bullies via other subordinates, then you can only wait for a whilstle blower. As is so evident in the transport industry right now… if you treat people badly, if you bully them, if you operate less conventional methods of dealing with people…
sadly it will come back and bite you on the bum!
Additionally, if you delegate in order to ease the burden, without taking due care, then those delegates, will shoot you in the foot. They may ‘manage’ innapropriately, and use the boss’ passed on power badly.
That was a very useful and interesting post simon. Thank you for your honesty.
This country is going soft.
Bullying isnt nice of course, but intimidation has served this country well for 1000s of years, it goes on all around the globe and quite frankly if the soldiers, sailors or airmen cant handle that tiny bit of abuse how will they cope with killing others?. Will we have to stop training the SAS & SBS, or the royal marines because some of the training could be concidered bullying?
Also alot of kids today could do with the cane, it would certianly stop the bullying because in the back of the thugs mind would be that there is someone with a bigger stick to do more harm to me.