"That's Not My Job"

A phrase I've always been taught to shy away from. Neither say it, nor tolerate someone else saying it. Because the underlying meaning is, "I'm not gonna do that, not because I can't, but because I don't want to, so I'll refuse to do it claiming that 'it's not my job.'" Kind of a negative connotation.

However, I've found myself desperately wanting to say it numerous times in the last several weeks. I'm the first sergeant of a Rear Detachment. We are designed to take care of the non-deploying Soldiers and the families of the battalion. NOT to replace the S-1 shop (personnel section), nor the S-3 shop (operations section), nor even the S-4 shop (logistics section). Yes, I have guys devoted to those disciplines whose focus is the Soldiers that are not yet deployed (some will later, some won't ever) and to the families left behind.

So, when we've been asked/told to do something that really should be done by the appropriate battalion staff section, I've been tempted to say, "that's not my job!"

Hey, it's not because I'm not a team player. It's not because I don't want to help out.

It's because every minute I spend doing someone else's job, is a minute I can't spending doing MY job...

And my job keeps me too busy as it is!

My Soldiers and the families deserve all the attention, guidance, preparation (for those who will eventually deploy) and care that I can give them, and doing this little project or taking care of that deployment task takes me and my guys away from doing what we were organized to do.

So, after 20 years in the Army, I've started using a phrase I swore I never would.


But only because it means something different than I thought it did.

Know what I mean?


Military