Posted on Sep 24, 2015
What is your sentiment(s) on the current "state" of ARMY Leadership?
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This question I pose is off of a Military Times survey i read some time ago (http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2014/12/07/americas-military-a-force-adrift/18596571/).
The US military has a leadership problem. It’s visible in the deterioration of soldiers’ confidence in the leaders, shown by the 2014 Military Times survey asking 2,300 active-duty soldiers about their lives. Over only 5 years their answer grew much darker (Vandergriff, Major, Army, retired).
It is safe to say or assume that there is a lot happening in the Army’s culture below the visible surface. If you were asking me directly, I would say "ROGER". There are many things happening within the sub surface across the DOD and in the ARMY. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that. Also, what I am seeing is a decline in the quality of junior officers in an unnecessary heavy pool of officers. The Junior Officers I refer to are the platoon leaders, that lack the time to gain the experience to lead troops on and off the battlefield or in a strategic or tactical environment. Average time as a platoon leader is 6 – 12 months. Command assignments are 12 – 15 months (two in 24 months, if one is so lucky).
How about our corps of Non Commissioned Officers (NCO's)? The NCO Corps has long been the envy of all other armies in the world. Personal Courage, Integrity, Loyalty and Devotion to duty have long been our hallmarks. But over the course of he last two years, I have personally seen a decline in the ranks. Not so much from the junior NCO's, because you expect them to make the kind of mistakes rookies make, but more so from the senior enlisted side of the house. I could provide a plethora of examples, but i will narrow it down to an instance. For example, I have seen SFC's get demolished by inexperienced 2LT's who were their PL's or raters because that PL wanted to do it their way thinking that their way was better or "doctrine". The SFC "shut down" in fear he would get a counseling statement, GOMOR or something of that nature, had he argued otherwise. In turn, he was more worried about his career rather than taking care of his troops. Then when asked why he didn't fight the good fight, the excuse was "Not with the QMP/QSP the Army is trying to categorize people in. This is just one of many scenario's that many of us are so familiar with. So my question is directed to my beloved Corps of Non Commissioned Officers, since we are the "Backbone of the Army". Have many of us felt the strains of budget cuts, that we have decided to stop training our soldiers effectively because of the lack of resources? Have we estranged ourselves from the responsibilities of ensuring that our Soldier's are first? Are we afraid of making the reasonable and intelligent argument with superiors because it is tiring, useless, or are you just plain old worried about making it to retirement?
I am aware that there will be many replies that will come from each direction on this topic, but before you answer, take the time to make that honest assessment of yourself or of your peers, once you do, fire for effect.
The US military has a leadership problem. It’s visible in the deterioration of soldiers’ confidence in the leaders, shown by the 2014 Military Times survey asking 2,300 active-duty soldiers about their lives. Over only 5 years their answer grew much darker (Vandergriff, Major, Army, retired).
It is safe to say or assume that there is a lot happening in the Army’s culture below the visible surface. If you were asking me directly, I would say "ROGER". There are many things happening within the sub surface across the DOD and in the ARMY. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that. Also, what I am seeing is a decline in the quality of junior officers in an unnecessary heavy pool of officers. The Junior Officers I refer to are the platoon leaders, that lack the time to gain the experience to lead troops on and off the battlefield or in a strategic or tactical environment. Average time as a platoon leader is 6 – 12 months. Command assignments are 12 – 15 months (two in 24 months, if one is so lucky).
How about our corps of Non Commissioned Officers (NCO's)? The NCO Corps has long been the envy of all other armies in the world. Personal Courage, Integrity, Loyalty and Devotion to duty have long been our hallmarks. But over the course of he last two years, I have personally seen a decline in the ranks. Not so much from the junior NCO's, because you expect them to make the kind of mistakes rookies make, but more so from the senior enlisted side of the house. I could provide a plethora of examples, but i will narrow it down to an instance. For example, I have seen SFC's get demolished by inexperienced 2LT's who were their PL's or raters because that PL wanted to do it their way thinking that their way was better or "doctrine". The SFC "shut down" in fear he would get a counseling statement, GOMOR or something of that nature, had he argued otherwise. In turn, he was more worried about his career rather than taking care of his troops. Then when asked why he didn't fight the good fight, the excuse was "Not with the QMP/QSP the Army is trying to categorize people in. This is just one of many scenario's that many of us are so familiar with. So my question is directed to my beloved Corps of Non Commissioned Officers, since we are the "Backbone of the Army". Have many of us felt the strains of budget cuts, that we have decided to stop training our soldiers effectively because of the lack of resources? Have we estranged ourselves from the responsibilities of ensuring that our Soldier's are first? Are we afraid of making the reasonable and intelligent argument with superiors because it is tiring, useless, or are you just plain old worried about making it to retirement?
I am aware that there will be many replies that will come from each direction on this topic, but before you answer, take the time to make that honest assessment of yourself or of your peers, once you do, fire for effect.
Platoon Sergeant
Military Career
Leadership
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 13
That is why, I try to be the best mentor and NCO that I can be and not cow down to fear of QMP. As long as I did my job right, got the mission done and my Soldiers taken care of, then nobody can take that away. Let those bad evals come my way and if they end up ending my time in uniform, then I walk out the door knowing that I still did my job right.
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In many units we have exchanged matrix numbers for training and readiness.
With the end strength games going on we have retained Soldiers who shouldn't be retained.
We've concentrated so much on matrix that even from the O-6 and 1 Star levels we are getting micro-managed to the company level.
Collective SRP's have gone away and we are so limited on budgets we have to use MUTA RST's for medical appointments, severely limiting our number of training days.
In essence great leaders are having to get very creative to reach our training objectives.
With the end strength games going on we have retained Soldiers who shouldn't be retained.
We've concentrated so much on matrix that even from the O-6 and 1 Star levels we are getting micro-managed to the company level.
Collective SRP's have gone away and we are so limited on budgets we have to use MUTA RST's for medical appointments, severely limiting our number of training days.
In essence great leaders are having to get very creative to reach our training objectives.
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Leaders don't take the time to better themselves and their soldiers tactically/technically/or institutionally the way they used to. I'm not saying all don't, but the majority don't. Walk into any Infantry Company in the Army around 1500 on a Tuesday and tell me what you see. Guys sitting around on cell phones, guys taking off for "appointments", sleeping.... No Team Leader or Squad Leader will grab their squad and give them a class on Map reading, or just have the new PVT explain BD1 is to the rest of the squad. (again, this is a broad statement, not all Team and Squad Leaders fit this bill, so please don't bite my head off. Lol). My point is, seems like the Army is no longer something people love to do. It seems like some leaders get by on being good enough to remember some stuff from a board MOI. That's why young soldiers have no confidence in their leaders, because half of their leaders don't know any more than them and the worst part is they aren't doing anything to fix it. We can do our best to motivate, mentor, and train, but there comes a time where it falls on the individual NCO.
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