Posted on Dec 21, 2017
SGT Joseph Gunderson
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With things like Facebook pages and RallyPoint, service members are able to ask questions of any number of subject matter experts, officer and NCOs, but has this ability destroyed their ability to pick up a regulation or Pam? Should there be a push to teach young service members and leaders how to locate information themselves from the correct sources?
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Responses: 12
Cpl Justin Goolsby
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Yes and no. There's nothing wrong with helping out the new blood and pointing them in the right direction. If they were worth their salt, they wouldn't strictly be taking our word for it, they should also seek out the order on their own. But if they're not willing to put in the leg work themselves, then they deserve the ass chewing they receive when they choose to follow outdated information.

Things change, especially in the military. The knowledge we have does have a shelf life, so our words can't be taken for gospel.
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SGT Robert Wager
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There should always be a push to educate young soldiers on regulations. If social media is used as another tool in the toolbox then it is fine. Why wouldn't someone want the opinion of literally thousands of active, veteran, or retired members of their service? If my only "research" was to log on to RP to get the entire answer to my question then I am wrong. If I read the reg and want a shotgun blast answer to an interpretation, why not ask?
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SGM Bill Frazer
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I agree with you Joe, look at this site. Lower enlisted and wannabes are asking us questions, that they could/should have directed to their NCO's and supervisors. Junior NCO's asking questions that can be answered by looking at the regs. It would be better if their questions, started out with " I have read the regs, but have questions."
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A1C Ian Williams
A1C Ian Williams
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I agree that there should be better dialogue with the NCO's and supervisors SGM Bill Frazer I would also say NCO's and supervisors need to delegate time to work on rapport and be receptive to questions. Being passive aggressive when a subordinate asks you a relevant question does not encourage your subordinate to ask you an urgent question either.
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SGM Bill Frazer
SGM Bill Frazer
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True, in my day, an NCO was expected to train his troops to work one level above their current rank, and a good NCO would make sure that all had the time and chance to train like that. I expected my E3's to train/educate/square away our E2-E1's, my E4s to do the same with my E3's. When they had problems and came to me, the 1st thing I asked , did you work this up the chain, if they did they got an immediate answer, then I call their chain of responsible folks and educated them. There is no such thing as a dumb question, just dumb answers.
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