Posted on Jul 21, 2015
Why are so many E-4 & E-5's so ill prepared for WLC?
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I've been an instructor for the past 4 years and have seen so many Soldier come through WLC ill prepared, I know that if they actually took the time to go through SSD 1 and take the information and apply it that they would be prepared for WLC, but I see too many just finger drill SSD 1 because their Squad Leader/Training NCO said to. What are your thoughts?
Posted in these groups: 
Basic Leaders Course (BLC formerly WLC PLDC)
Enlisted
Leadership Development
Basic Leaders Course (BLC formerly WLC PLDC) Enlisted Leadership Development
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 48
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2 Reasons......
1. They are not ready to be NCO's.
2. Their NCO's dont care about them.
1. They are not ready to be NCO's.
2. Their NCO's dont care about them.
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SFC (Join to see)
CW3 Tiaqunia (TJ) Hayes, did the Army change the service cap Warrant insignia to the officer insignia recently? I'm simply curious.
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CW4 (Join to see)
Officially with the lastest updates to AR and DA PAM 670-1, it has been updated. I say officially because on 9 July 2004, when the Rising Eagle insignia went away and we changed from the Warrant Officer Corps to the Warrant Cohort, we were supposed to start wearing the traditional service cap insignia for the Officer Corps.
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SGT (Join to see)
I feel it's usually a glorious combination between your reason one and two.
I see so many NCO's in the reserves that should not be NCO's.. individuals that need training wheels for everything in life.
I see so many NCO's in the reserves that should not be NCO's.. individuals that need training wheels for everything in life.
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CW4 (Join to see)
And that this goes back to their NCO's not caring about then. Granted, some people are natural go-getters and born leaders, it's in their DNA, just need to be formally groomed to become legit NCO's. Some Soldiers need a lot of work. It's the senior NCO's that need to keep an active pulse on their squad leaders to ensure that the proper standards of training are being performed, safety and the welfare of the Soldiers are being tracked and that the Soldiers are being trained and counseled to standard. The average Soldier will not know where to begin with improving their potential leadership skills. They will need guidance, training and motivation to get there.
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SSG (Join to see) I know that when I was Company Commander and Battalion Commander my 1SG and CSM was running into the same issue and I can tell you (in my opinion) its the unit's fault for not properly preparing them for WLC. We implemented programs within the various Platoons at the company level to ensure there was time allocated for WLC training for all future E4's preparing to go and E5's that needed to go because they were promoted down range. As a Battalion Commander I pushed that concept out with my CSM running the program. If you want your enlisted personnel prepared for schools then get your trainings involved (your NCO Corp). Get them to take ownership of what is rightfully theirs to own! Just an opinion from a former SSG/E-6 NCO.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
SSG (Join to see) That’s where Commanders need to get their CSM and 1SG involved in the "back to basics". They love to get back to what their supposed to do - as leaders we have to resource and find the time to make it happen. We use to set up round robin stations with individual WLC tasks at each station that the soldiers would have to get to during a land navigation course (knock out all types of training) and make the NCO and officers go through it too. Nothing sets a good example when all your soldiers participate in basic soldiering (even the Commander).
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SSG (Join to see)
Well I believe Sir that as we move back to a Garrison training environment that units will and should have more time to focus on going back to basics. So we will see how the next couple of years are with the changes of the Army.
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SPC George Rudenko
Initiative! Kids are not learning initiative, they learn the opposite, which is de minumus. (If I do what I am told, I am never in trouble, if you didnt ttell me to do it, I dont do it). WLC to me brings the first layers of decision making to their table. But, for many, it is a new language, one they have never heard before.
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WLC is not hard, I did my SSD 1 in 2013 and didn't go to WLC until 2014. Do you think I really retained the literature I learned in SSD 1? Maybe. But more than likely not. When I went through WLC I relearned all the topics and put my time into learning, applying and then passing. In my opinion soldiers and NCOs attend WLC thinking its a cake walk cause everyone tells them it is. If you go in not knowing anything and you don't put the time and effort in. You will fail.
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WO1 (Join to see)
I whole heartedly agree with you SGT Lundberg. One should not attend WLC on the units accord rather their own accords. One should want to progress in their career rather than being forced. If someone really wants it they will find a way to succeed.
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SGT (Join to see)
Normally I'd agree. But the people that I saw fail, besides APFT failures, actually wasn't forced to go. Not at all. They just had no heart... that and some of them just couldn't follow instructions. At all. It was scary.
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SSG Damon Lightfoot
Forgove this old soldier, but what the hell is SSD 1 and 2? When I went, WLC had just changed from PLDC.
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WO1 (Join to see)
SSG Lightfoot, SSD is an online class through ALMS on AKO that consists of four modules with various sorts of classes such as Army History, Leadership, personnel recovery, etc. it's a prerequisite to complete before attending WLC. Most soldiers will google the test answers and speed through without taking the time to really learn the topics.
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