NJROTC Posts

I have moved the NJROTC posts to the following blog. It seems that this is going to escalate enough that it will need space of its own.

(link removed - situation resolved)

Please post your comments on this situation there !

BAX

NJROTC Problem - Call to WHS Principal

I spoke with the principal yesterday on the latest developments with the SNSI.

Mr. Puckett was unaware that the LT had called my daughter into the office to berate her over my letter. I also brought up several other things and the following came to light.

1. Mr. Puckett denied the conversation took place in which he told Lt. Matthews that I was "like a pit bull"

2. Mr. Puckett was unaware that I had been asked by the Lt. to not involve Mr. Puckett.

3. The class that was asked to write the memorandums were told that they would be frowarded to the Asst. Principal. This never occurred and they were still in the NJROTC room. (Only one class was asked to write the memorandums - a class that had 2 cadets of interest in it: One that his parents are in a conflict with the SNSI and my son - strange but true)

4. Mr. Puckett was unaware that the Lt. was still referring to the "elitist clique" in conversations both with parents and cadets.

NJROTC Problem

If you haven't read the previous posts on this then please see the previous posts titled "Is my take on this wrong" there are 4 posts on this.

Developments since my last conversation with the LT:

At least one class was instructed to write a memorandum on the subject of "one negative aspect of the LT" the cadets were required to sign these memos.

The LT stated to a couple of cadets that he was going to stay around another year to make sure that the members of the elitist clique didn't get anything.

***These two new cases of poor judgment were enough for me. I wrote a letter to the LT telling him that these two things had come to my attention and that I had run out of patience with the situation. I also wrote letters to the Area NJROTC manager, the superintendent, and the assistant superintendents and the principal"

Upon receipt of the letter and apparently a talking to by the principal the LT called my daughter into the office and told her that she would not be getting her Ensign rank back nor her Admin officer job and that she could look for a new elective next year if she was unhappy with this.

I will call the principal tomorrow during the day and let him in on this latest development.

I welcome opinions on this, please feel free to comment.

Is my take on this wrong? Post 4

The last conversation I had with the LT was fairly interesting.

I had called the school principal and requested a meeting between the three of us. I received a voice mail back saying he had gotten my message and to call him back. I called back and of course got the principals voice mail. I said that I would like to have the meeting at a certain time and date, if this was not possible please call me back. I received no call back and showed up at the school when I had requested the meeting take place. When I arrived at the office the secretary told me that the principal was in with a teacher. I asked if it was the SNSI, the secretary said that she could not say. I told her if it was that I was there to see both of them. I turns out that the LT was there talking with the principal but about another situation.

I waited for a short time and the LT came out of the office...The conversation started with the LT looking and me and saying "do I know you?"

I said yes and re-introduced myself and told him what I was there for, he said that the principal was on the phone when he left the office and that he said he would be awhile. He asked why I wanted the meeting, I told him I was wondering what was going on with my daughters situation.

I'll add details of the conversation over the next few days or weeks, but it basically followed the same course of other conversations. The LT said once again that he never intended to take anyones jobs or ranks. He told me that my daughter showed lots of potential and she could probably handle any job in the unit.

He made mention of "parents trying to run the unit" again and said that he did not know that this was such a "venomous" community before he took the job.

He said he was not trying to be vindictive over any of this and I told him that he may not be trying to be vindictive but that was the way it looked from the outside.

I asked him about a couple of other situations with other cadets and he gave me different reasons than I had been told previously both by himself and what he had told other parents.

He told me during the course of the conversation that my daughter was going to get back everything she had lost with the exception of her Color Guard Co-ordinator job, plus she would make LTJG by the end of the year.

He also told me he would appreciate it if I did not have to involve the principal in this.

****NOTE: a few days after this conversation my daughter was given a promotion to CPO****

During this meeting the secretary came out and told me that the principal would still be on the phone for awhile would I like to re-schedule the meeting. I told her I would call back if I could not get this resolved with the LT.

Is my take on this wrong? Post 3

On the last day of school before Christmas break I had a lengthy phone conversation with the SNSI.

Since this followed the path of our previous conversations, I won't go into all the details, I'll just cover the highlights.

A few minutes into our conversation I began to hear a evenly spaced "beep" while we were talking. I asked the LT. "what's that beeping" he said he didn't know but the batteries must be going dead. (when most phones batteries are low the warning tone is not tansmitted on the conversation).

The conversation started out on the same note that all of the strife in the unit was a result of my daughters concerns,
the Lt did not think he would continue to be allowed to teach after his one year contract expired,
my daughter was a "manipulator" and had a "whispering campaign" going in the unit,
my daughter had to talk to him and apologize for all the trouble,
he did not want parents trying to run the unit,
he did not know if all everywhere was "like this" or just southern Indiana,
I had never been involved in the unit before this,so on ands so forth...
He finished our conversation by saying....
"I don't think I'll be here next year and I'm going to tell whoever takes over to make sure they don't make the little Philipino girl mad"

There was more to the conversation but it was the same old story over and over, the Lt admitted he speaks out in anger and says things he shouldn't but he refused to correct the things he had done in anger. In short he took no responsibility for his own actions, and expects the cadets to apologize when he cannot be man enough to do the same.

Important Phone Number

Capitol Switchboard (202)224-3121

Just in case you want to call DC and voice an opinion !!!

BAX

Is my take on this wrong?? Post 2

A couple of days after the meeting I spoke about in my earlier post I called into the NJROTC classroom and spoke to the NSI about the situation. We talked about a number of things which I told the NSI were off the record as far as I was concerned so I will not repeat them. However at the end of the call I asked if the SNSI was available and the was told that he was not, however the NSI agreed to pass my cell phone number onto the SNSI.


Ths SNSI called me later in the evening, I won't go into the entire phone call as it was lengthly, I will touch on some of the highlights.

SNSI: "You had a meeting in the dark of the night to get rid of me"
ME: "no, I asked the cadets to tell me what was going on so I would be prepared to talk to you the next morning"

SNSI: "all of this was your daughters fault, she could have stopped it at any time"
ME: "my daughter was not the only one who felt this way, when you seperated the cadets in your meeting the split was pretty close to even, I think there were 9 or 10 cadets on the side you disagreed with"

SNSI: "I couldn't believe your daughter would act that way - I'll tell you this could only be a product of the way she was raised"
***I didn't answer this, I think he was trying to make me mad***

SNSI: "I probably won't be allowed to continue here after this year"

SNSI: "you people don't want me here because I'm not from here"
ME: "that has nothing to do with this, I don't care where you're from and as far as I know, no one is trying to get rid of you" "In fact I think the Chief is the only instructor, that I can remember, who has ever actually been from here"

SNSI: "oh great - now I'm lost"
ME: "where are you"
SNSI" Loogootee - I just passed McDonalds"
ME:"where are you trying to go"
SNSI:"the high school"
***I gave him directions to get to the school from McDonalds***

SNSI:"Mr. Baxter, you have quite a reputation"
ME:"good or bad?"
SNSI: "well, it's just different"
ME:"how's that?"
SNSI" I was talking to Mr. Puckett today and (another cadet and his mother), he said that Mrs ______ was the least of my worries. I asked him what he meant and he said that Mr Baxter was like a pit bull, if he gets his teeth into you he won't let go"
ME: " I only go after things that are wrong"
SNSI: "well I have to go, I have a color guard to watch"
ME: "okay, Thanks for the call"
SNSI: " I'd like to ask you to do something for me, if you would"
ME: "What's that?"
SNSI: "Could you call MR. Puckett and tell him we've talked and that everythings alright"
ME: " I'll call Mr. Puckett and let him know we talked"

I did agree with the SNSI on several things this phone call: 1) the whole incident was blown out of proportion, 2) it all could have been avoided and that 3) it shold have never went as far as it did.
I later found out that the SNSI took that my agreement on these points to mean that I approved of how all of this was handled. (Not at all what I meant)

More to follow - there have been 2 more conversations between myself and the SNSI as of todays date.
BAX