Can a unit survive if the 1SG and Commander don't get along?

2015-07-12T02:42:13-04:00

How many of you have been part of a unit where the Command Team structure was rocky at best? Can a unit survive with this toxic dynamic in the long run? In your experience, who was the cause of the Command Team failure, the 1SG or the CDR or both?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2015 3:12 AM

2015-07-12T03:12:11-04:00

In a word "yes", but how it survives is the question to me. I have experienced poor command teams who couldn't find common ground. In my opinion, I usually attributed to the differences to personalities and differences in work ethics. Basically, one of the team members was so incompetent that the other was unable to cover both sides of the fence, thus their command problems became unit problems. However, in most of these instances, it was the next level down leadership (PLs and PSGs) who ended providing the top cover (as best as can be expected) and usually became the moral compass and military bearing rally point for the subordinates.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jul 12 at 2015 8:08 AM

2015-07-12T08:08:08-04:00

I experienced it as a 1LT when my SMSGT NCOIC felt that he shouldn't have to report to any officer below a Major, and he went out of his way to create situations to entrap me with lose/lose decisions.

Otherwise, he was a competent leader and ran his office well. I did my best to avoid the traps and gave him evaluations that reflected his overall performance, which was good. The situation came to a head when I shipped out to Viet Nam and turned my operation over to a Major in my chain of command. He asked me why I gave my NCOIC as high a rating as I did (he saw what the SMSGT had been doing), and I told him that the rating was for the way he handled his duties, not his resentment of working for a LT.

From what I heard the SMSGT pulled strings to be reassigned to another base very shortly after I had departed. He may have been resentful, but he was not a stupid person, and his days there were numbered under the Major.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Jul 12 at 2015 9:50 AM

2015-07-12T09:50:08-04:00

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member I posted a discussion many months ago about the Commander/CSM Relationship and its importance. My personal and military leadership feeling is that relationship on the surface (as perceived by the unit) has to be "iron clad". I've seen Commanders and 1SGs that hate each other and they were like oil and water. Unfortunately, they let this relationship run over into their dealings, communications, and body language in front of the soldiers. This was a recipe for disaster and ultimately they broke that team apart. The best-case scenario is to have the best possible working and personal relationship that you can with your First Shirt. I was very fortunate as a 1LT, CPT, and MAJ to have those type of relationships with TOP. It really makes a big difference in my opinion. You bounce ideas off each other, you let him run the NCO and Enlisted Corp, he lets you corral the junior officer corps, and he makes sure your training get accomplished by the trainers, because you had ample time to plan and resource as a leader. Its just good business to build and maintain that relationship.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Jul 12 at 2015 10:57 AM

2015-07-12T10:57:45-04:00

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member Yes a unit can survive when the CDR and 1SG do not get along. I did not get along with one of my bosses when I was a 1SG. We kept it professional and got the mission accomplished. Just because you do not get along with your counter part does not mean you cannot be successful.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Jul 12 at 2015 11:26 AM

2015-07-12T11:26:46-04:00

Failing or failure is a shared experience. Personal and professional relationships require an ability to look past differences in able to complete the established mission. If a command team cannot function as a cohesive element the whole command suffers. I have witnessed this first hand and the worst thing is everyone suffers. The unit will survive but it will not be a positive environment.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2015 12:46 PM

2015-07-12T12:46:36-04:00

Yes. Absouletely. Here's why. The CDR and 1SG do not make the unit. The Soldiers of the unit make the unit. The Soldiers will be the ones that make or break the unit. If you have a CMD team that is "rocky" etc. it is up to the PL's and PSG's to ensure their animosity DOES NOT make it down to the Soldier level. I have experienced it before and have been the "buffer" per say between it.

BLUF. I tell my Soldiers all the time we get our guidance and direction from higher how we accomplish the intent and ensure the mission gets accomplished is up to us.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Jul 12 at 2015 1:12 PM

2015-07-12T13:12:16-04:00

In Iraq we had that very predicament. It was a living hell for the PSG's (me). They pitted the Troop against each other and I just told the Commander that he could expect a lot of attention from higher as we all went to the SCO requesting any other assignment within his unit. Within 3 months we had an entire new chain of command within the Troop. It was a living hell before that and then we did a complete 180.*

Response by CPL Eric Allen made Jul 13 at 2015 2:20 AM

2015-07-13T02:20:04-04:00

Hahaha I have seen it my 1sgt liked his soldiers CO didn't and didn't want to be home with wife and kids. We were at work all the time and then the 1sgt moved companies after another retired and it got worst but I got my DD214 and I was free