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Paperwork is Power #1: The Rebuttal

by Nibs and Buzzkill

Arguing with a MSgt

As SrA Nibs, I gained an outstanding learning opportunity from arguing with a senior NCO. My crew had loaned me out to a sister crew to perform a technical task for them. The MSgt of that crew directed me to accomplish the task incorrectly. As a politically inept SrA, I argued with the MSgt from a technical standpoint and received negative paperwork.

I learned three important lessons from receiving that Letter of Counseling (LOC):

  1. Emotions are more important than facts. Few people care about the truth if you threaten their egos with it. Sometimes it’s better to communicate respectfully, disagree silently, then commit to your boss’s decision.
  2. Don’t micromanage. A SrA’s job is to know more things about their niche than you. The MSgt directing my technical execution made me feel deeply unempowered.
  3. Paperwork is power. I was blessed with a supportive & capable supervisor who helped me compose, format, and channel a kickass rebuttal. The LOC never made it past the Shirt’s office.

Balance the Playing Field

As a junior enlisted Airman, you don’t have a decade of experience Air Forcing. Chances are, you haven’t written dozens of perfectly formatted memos honed by pedantic bosses bouncing emails back at you. And when you received paperwork, you were probably overworked, anxious, and politically inept like I was. That’s why supportive and capable supervisors are essential to our careers.

The TTQ editor supports supervisors in empowering their Airmen. We tore down the barrier to entry for official communication by automating 27 pages of formatting standards in AFH 33-337 - Tongue and Quill and creating a plug-and-play Rebuttal template. Now you can tell your side of the story without obsessing over margins and paragraph numbering. Just write.

Writing Tips

Here are some tips from Buzzkill, my old supervisor, for writing a killer rebuttal.

Whenever you find yourself having to rebut an allegation against your conduct, it’s great to seek out the Area Defense Counsel. Much of the time, however, busy Airmen and Guardians just need to make a quick rebuttal so their side of the story is heard and understood. I recommend checking out this article for great tips from a lawyer’s perspective.

Here are a couple of key things to keep in mind for rebuttal success from my NCO days.

  1. Stay neutral. Emotions can run high when dealing with someone impugning your character, behavior, and/or actions. It’s important to keep the focus on the issue and how it impacts (or does not impact) the mission.

  2. Address the facts and refute inaccuracies. Often there is the truth, and then there is others’ impression of the truth. This can result in a difficult situation where you find yourself having to tell your ‘version’ of the facts. When this happens, it’s key to focus on facts that are observable and aren’t based on your impression alone. It can be tricky to write a rebuttal that identifies when someone else’s emotions are in play or when information is missing. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen, but when it does, sticking with the rules, regulations, and the law is your go-to for success. Sticking to the facts and avoiding emotional responses are effective ways to highlight inaccuracies.

  3. Accept responsibility and apologize for any perceptions of wrongdoing. Here is where you can ‘fall on your sword,’ so to speak, and ask for leniency. Sometimes we err, and it is unavoidable. Reaffirming your value to the Air Force, keeping things professional, and recommitting to excellence, service, and integrity is your best path. In this case, you can only ask for forgiveness and aim to do better in the future.

With these tips in mind, remember that they may not be 100% applicable to every incident. No writing or internet tips will be a substitute for good judgment and quality NCO guidance.

In the end, the effect your rebuttal has on your supervisor and chain of command is beyond your control. You can write the absolute best rebuttal, keeping it professional and refuting every accusation made against you, but the paperwork might still stand and go into your record.

Keep your chin up and commit to excellence while putting the past behind you. This paperwork is a document, and it does not define you. These tips can help, but nothing influences the process at a unit level more than your relationships with your fellow Service Members.

Buzzkill is a prior-enlisted Captain in the USAF who is passionate about computer systems and processes. Nibs is another prior-enlisted officer who followed in Buzzkill’s footsteps.

The views and opinions expressed here are the authors’ alone and do not represent those of the U.S. Air Force, the Department of War, or any part of the U.S. government. External links are merely informational.