One of the Army's highest-profile divisions has set a ban on most work-related cell phone usage after work hours.
Maj. Gen. David Doyle, commander of the Fort Carson, Colorado-based 4th Infantry Division, issued a memo last week barring leaders from texting or calling subordinates between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. — with some caveats, including communications for health or safety reasons, or personal communications.
“We received feedback from our soldiers across the division expressing a desire for more predictability and better communication practices,” Doyle said in a statement to Military.com. “If we practice good communication and training management fundamentals, then we'll place less unnecessary stress on the unit, improving quality of life and readiness.
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In his memo to the division, Doyle noted that after-hours communications keep soldiers on edge and, in many cases, aren't necessary. The new policy is also punitive, meaning leaders who do not abide by it could face legal or other disciplinary ramifications.
The move comes amid a historically high cadence of deployments and training rotations for soldiers, despite no major ongoing wars.
Soldiers are away from home now more than during much of the peak of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as the service is tasked with missions in Africa, Europe and the Pacific. The little…
