"NCO's Drunk at PT" Situational Question Guide, Framework, & Examples

Today’s episode is a situational question episode. Situational questions are a big part of boards, so make sure you have them down solid.

Here is your question.

“You are a team leader, and your squad leader shows up to work smelling of alcohol and is slurring his words. How would you handle that situation?”

Now, let’s talk through how to answer this question using a three-step proven method. This approach shows board members that you know how to think like a leader. The format is:

Step one: Take care of the Soldier.

Step two: Handle it at the lowest level possible.

Step three: Use Army programs when applicable.

First, take care of the Soldier. That includes the one who is under the influence. You might be dealing with a deeper issue like alcohol dependency, depression, or a family crisis. Regardless of the cause, your first responsibility is to make sure the Soldier is safe and not a danger to himself, others, or the mission. If he’s scheduled to drive, use equipment, or lead Soldiers, remove him from that situation. Get him to a safe place and make sure someone is monitoring him. Do not let the situation escalate, and do not shame or ridicule the Soldier. Your job as a leader is to take care of people, even if they outrank you.

Second, handle it at the lowest level possible. That does not mean covering it up or ignoring it. It means you take initiative. Document what you observed—don’t say “he was drunk,” say “he smelled strongly of alcohol, had slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet.” Notify your platoon sergeant or the next level in the chain of command. You’re not bypassing your squad leader—you’re doing your duty because your squad leader is currently unable to perform his. Make sure your report is respectful and focused on facts, not emotion or judgment. This is a serious situation, and your integrity and professionalism matter.

Third, use Army programs when applicable. Your squad leader may need help, not just discipline. This is an opportunity to mention the Army Substance Abuse Program—ASAP—which offers evaluation, counseling, and rehabilitation. If he’s eligible and shows potential for recovery, ASAP can help restore him to duty. If not, it may help with the separation process. Either way, the Army has systems to address these issues. Mentioning them shows that you know how to care for Soldiers through the full spectrum of leadership—accountability, support, and recovery.

Now let me give you a word-for-word example answer you can say at the board:

“If my squad leader came to work smelling of alcohol and slurring his words, my first priority would be safety. I would discreetly remove him from any duties that could put him or others at risk and make sure he wasn’t going to drive or handle weapons. I would try to speak with him privately and check if he was okay. After ensuring safety, I would document exactly what I observed and notify my platoon sergeant immediately. I wouldn’t accuse him of being drunk, but I would report the facts. I would recommend that he be referred to ASAP for evaluation, because he may need help, not just punishment. Even though he’s senior to me, I’m still responsible for the safety of the team and doing what’s right.”

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to the Board Questions podcast where you can study for
your board while working, running errands, or chilling
around the barracks. Today's episode is a situational
question episode. Situational questions are a big
part of boards so make sure you have them down solid.
Here is your question. You are a team leader and your

(00:21):
squad leader shows up to work smelling of alcohol and is
slurring his words. How would you handle that
situation? Now let's talk through how to
answer this question using a three-step proven method.
This approach shows board members that you know how to
think like a leader. The format is step one.

(00:42):
Take care of the soldier. Step 2.
Handle it at the lowest level possible.
Step 3. Use Army programs when
applicable. First, take care of the soldier.
That includes the one who is under the influence.
You might be dealing with a deeper issue like alcohol
dependency, depression, or a family crisis.

(01:06):
Regardless of the cause, your first responsibility is to make
sure the soldier is safe and nota danger to himself, others or
the mission. If he's scheduled to drive, use
equipment or lead soldiers, remove him from that situation.
Get him to a safe place and makesure someone is monitoring him.
Do not let the situation escalate and do not shame or

(01:29):
ridicule the soldier. Your job as a leader is to take
care of people, even if they outgrank you.
Second, handle it at the lowest level possible.
That does not mean covering it up or ignoring it.
It means you take initiative. Document what you observed.
Don't say he was drunk. Say he smelled strongly of

(01:50):
alcohol, had slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet.
Notify your platoon Sergeant or the next level in the chain of
command. You're not bypassing your squad
leader. You're doing your duty.
Because your squad leader is currently unable to perform his.
Make sure your report is respectful and focused on facts,
not emotion or judgment. This is a serious situation, and

(02:14):
your integrity and professionalism matter.
Third, use Army programs when applicable.
Your squad leader may need help,not just discipline.
This is an opportunity to mention the Army Substance Abuse
Program ASAP, which offers evaluation, counseling and
rehabilitation. If he's eligible and shows

(02:35):
potential for recovery, ASAP canhelp restore him to duty.
If not, it may help with the separation process.
Either way, the Army has systemsto address these issues.
Mentioning them shows that you know how to care for Soldiers
through the full spectrum of leadership, accountability,
support, and recovery. Now let me give you a word for

(02:58):
word example answer you can say at the board.
If my squad leader came to work smelling of alcohol and slurring
his words, my first priority would be safety.
I would discreetly remove him from any duties that could put
him or others at risk and make sure he wasn't going to drive or
handle weapons. I would try to speak with him
privately and check if he was OK.

(03:20):
After ensuring safety, I would document exactly what I observed
and notify my platoon Sergeant immediately.
I wouldn't accuse him of being drunk, but I would report the
facts. I would recommend that he be
referred to ASAP for evaluation because he may need help, not
just punishment. Even though he's senior to me,
I'm still responsible for the safety of the team and doing

(03:43):
what's right. As you can see, this answer
follows the framework of take care of the Soldier.
Handle it at the lowest level possible.
Utilize Army programs when applicable.
Let's try it again. This time the Soldier answering
is going to miss something important.

(04:04):
Let's see what they miss. You are a team leader and your
squad leader shows up to work smelling of alcohol and is
slurring his words. How would you handle that
situation? If I saw that my squad leader
was under the influence, I'd report it to my platoon Sergeant
immediately. I would make sure someone in the
chain of command knows what's happening so they can step in if

(04:28):
needed. I'd recommend an ASAP referral
so he can get the help he needs.I know it's a serious situation
and I'd follow proper proceduresto make sure it's handled
correctly. This answer is close, but it
misses a few important things. What did it miss?
The answer doesn't show initiative.

(04:49):
The soldier skips over personally ensuring safety.
He passes the problem off right away.
Also, he fails to describe what he observed and doesn't mention
documenting anything. He also doesn't show how he
would treat the squad leader with respect and discretion,
which is key to good leadership.Let's take a look at a better

(05:10):
answer again. If my squad leader came to work
smelling of alcohol and slurringhis words, my first priority
would be safety. I would discreetly remove him
from any duties that could put him or others at risk and make
sure he wasn't going to drive orhandle weapons.
I would try to speak with him privately and check if he was
OK. After ensuring safety, I would

(05:32):
document exactly what I observedand notify my platoon Sergeant
immediately. I wouldn't accuse him of being
drunk, but I would report the facts.
I would recommend that he be referred to ASAP for evaluation
because he may need help, not just punishment.
Even though he's senior to me, I'm still responsible for the
safety of the team and doing what's right.

(05:55):
Here's one more perfect example you can learn from.
If I noticed my squad leader smelled of alcohol and was
slurring his words, I'd take immediate action to make sure no
one was in danger. I'd ask him to step aside and
ensure he wasn't going to lead formation, drive, or handle
weapons. I'd speak with him respectfully

(06:15):
and privately to see if he was OK and then document everything
I observed, the smell, the slurred speech, and any unsteady
movement. I'd let my platoon Sergeant know
right away and recommend he be referred to the Army Substance
Abuse Program for evaluation, even though he's senior.
To me, leadership means protecting the team and doing
what's right, even when it's uncomfortable.

(06:38):
Thanks for listening to the Board Questions podcast.
Situational questions like this are designed to test your
leadership, not just your knowledge.
Make sure your answers reflect, care for your Soldiers,
initiative to handle things at your level, and awareness of the
Army programs that support good leadership.
Follow and rate this podcast so your battle buddies can be

(07:00):
better leaders too.