Command team that have never been anywhere else

CW2 Thomas Martin — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 17:17:55 -0400

How do you feel about Command teams that go from 2LT to LTC (and sometimes higher) in the same Brigade or Division? Should Senior Leaders be forced to rotate our and around more often?

Response by SSgt Scott Schwerman made Jul 7 at 2015 5:21 PM

SSgt Scott Schwerman — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 17:21:24 -0400

I think everyone should rotate to different locations period. When you do that you pick up more knowledge and leadership skills from those places and also learn things you shouldn't do. So by going to different bases/divisions/regiments/etc you become more of a well rounded leader and service member.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Jul 7 at 2015 5:28 PM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 17:28:17 -0400

CW2 Thomas Martin You see a lot of this in the Guard units throughout the country. For others and me this hasn't been a bad thing because we were company commanders within the same battalion (FSB) and then held a lot of the Staff Positions within the Battalion Headquarters and eventually became the Battalion Commander. Back in those days I was able to hold onto that command for over 4 years and really do some exciting things with the Battalion. I would think if you were given the same opportunity in the active component there could be good and there could be bad. Good from the standpoint that you will know the commands mission from the bottom-up and bad from that standpoint that too many individual may have known you when you were 2LT, didn't care for them then and won't really buy into their philosophy just because they get promoted and work their way up through the command team. I thought a lot of AD officers got moved every 2 to 4 years without fail and very rarely stayed in the command structure for their entire career. I guess I would have to know more about the situation you have and how it working or not?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 7 at 2015 5:47 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 17:47:44 -0400

As the good COL Mikel J. Burroughs stated this is what happens in the National Guard. In my state we have three Brigades. One is a BCT, then have a Sustainment BDE, and the last is a MEB. We also have a Troop Command but it is like a catch all for anyone left over. For me being an Infantry officer I will only be in the BCT. In the BCT we only have two Combined Arms Battalions. So there are only 4 true infantry companies. So we really can't move around. The staff jobs are shared with Armor Officers but they are in the same boat we are. There just isn't a slot for us in other units. I wouldn't mind going else where but it just isn't something that can happen.

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Jul 7 at 2015 6:10 PM

LTC Bink Romanick — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 18:10:40 -0400

In the Armor branch the numbers of units has gotten much much smaller in all components. Its gotten like the old army where everyone knows everyone. It's common for both officers and NCOs to spend a lot of time in the. Same units.

A positive aspect of this is that it builds cohesion.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jul 8 at 2015 11:29 AM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 11:29:32 -0400

Tough Question, if we follow a truly regimental system than everyone would stay in the same regiment. But that doesn't really happen as that would choke promotions. The National Guard is full of officers who end up in the same units their whole career, their is little chance they end up in other units. I would like to see more rotation, but the units and or slots are not there.

Response by COL Ted Mc made Jul 8 at 2015 1:04 PM

COL Ted Mc — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 13:04:37 -0400

CW2 Thomas Martin - What you have is a whole lot like the "Regimental System" that the Brits had. You pretty much expected to stay with the same regiment until you got up into the Battalion Command range - absent a lot of officer casualties in other regiments (although you might get selected for Staff duties from which you might, or might not, every return to your "home" regiment).

If you had a good regiment, it worked well. If you didn't, it didn't.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jul 8 at 2015 1:06 PM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 13:06:41 -0400

That sounds a bit unusual to me.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2015 3:48 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 15:48:44 -0400

Excellent leaders are not born every minute. Everyone should get the opportunity to work for one. Everyone should also get exposed to the opposite end of the coin to learn what character traits to avoid.
As a warrant, I was able to crack the code and make my unit successful. When I went to the next unit, I experienced some of the same problems but also got some new ones. This expanded my toolset.