How can we fix the S-1?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 20:04:42 -0400

I have belonged to four battalions (not counting units I was attached to) and I have never witnessed what I consider an efficient S-1. ORBs/ERBs have outdated, wrong or missing sections. My submitted paperwork has been lost at least 50 percent of the time over my career. It is extremely difficult to get an appointment. I even missed my first chance at promotion to SSG because the S-1 didn't update my weapons qualification record. It is always a fight to get any updates to records. I don't blame the Soldiers because the same problem exists in all S-1s. This has gone on long enough. It's time to get it fixed!

Response by SSG Jason Neumann made Aug 14 at 2016 11:05 PM

SSG Jason Neumann — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 23:05:51 -0400

The biggest thing is trust but verify. I normally give them to the end of the week and if that doesn't work, I then talk to the individual whom I was talking with or the NCOIC. Normally it takes 24-48 for ERB updates, IF they do it that day. One thing I normally do is, if I complete a course or school I update it right away. If you wait until those HOT areas come up and everyone is rushing to update their records, there might be somethings that go missing when updating yours. Also, now most people can view their records at home with a CAC reader. Take note of what is missing in your OMPF from your own records and then make a list with copies of what you want updated. I would also say, that maybe the S-1 is under staffed, but if you got only four slots, well you are only going to get four S-1 personnel. Make it easy for them and 200 form for things you give them if you are worried of things being lost, then they can reduplicate it since they lost it. Oh and another thing..... DO NOT give up your ORGINAL copy. Give them a copy of what you want updated.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2016 1:27 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 01:27:42 -0400

I've recently been assigned to S-1 in my unit, I am the only Paralegal in the Battalion so I'm not really sure of my function as I don't have an immediate JA. Everyone immediately around me is a 42A so I'm curious to see what peoples problems are and see if I see the same.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Aug 15 at 2016 10:40 AM

SGM Erik Marquez — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 10:40:16 -0400

If and I say if, as I've been in many units that had good S1 shops... So IF it is an S1 ship that is being run poorly, it is a senior leader issue. When the senior leader fails to insist on training levels, efficiency, proficiency, mission oriented success allowing for the maximum effect range of an excuse to be ZERO meters, yet accepting mistakes will be made so long as a fix is applied. The S1 shop and all other commodity shops be it Signal, S2, G3, ect..will falter.
When the Co says ENOUGH, looks the XO and CSM in the eye and says, get in there and fix it, you're not done till the Soldiers are supported in the SAME level you or I expect to be supported.. If you get your leave forms , OER, NCOER, ect processed FASTER or more reliable then PVT Marquez, WE have failed. Go, observe.. Next Monday..CSM tell me what we need in training and enlisted personnel and get it going dont wait on me..the decision has been made, I have your back...any SM move you need to make, do it.. XO, if the S1 is not doing the job,,then figure out willing and able, willing and unable, unwilling and able, unwilling and unable... If unwilling or unable to be trained......fire him.. go to any line company you want, pick the best, brightest LT you can find...... and tell them to report to me on Monday.....let his commander know, the LT will return when the S1 shop runs as well as his former platoon is running now.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2016 11:14 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 11:14:58 -0400

Make friends with your S1 Soldiers. My records are never messed up.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2016 8:21 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 20:21:29 -0400

Same experience as you, SSG. I've yet to see a unit with a smoothly-run S1. Granted, I don't envy their job. It's tiresome, thankless, and repetitive. And I think that's sort of the root of the problem--often, soldiers get assigned to S1's who aren't 42A, and have no formal training on dealing with Army paperwork.

As for how to fix it, it the short answer? Start putting boot to throat on the shop NCOIC. Too often, it's a senior leader who's not enforcing the timeline standards for their subordinates, or who isn't able to articulate their needs to higher command. If you're the S1 NCOIC and the BN is making outrageous, unreasonable demands of you, it's your (albeit crappy) duty to manage their expectations more appropriately. More often than not, though, it's sheer laziness. Three of the four S1's I've worked with were entirely populated by sandbaggers, sick call rangers, and pregnant females. The units I've been with used S1 as a garbage dump for "problem children", which I found absolutely baffling, given how critical S1 is to running a smooth operation.

So you look at the shop. If the problem is that they've got good troops who are being underutilized or mismanaged? Fix the leader, or replace them. If the problem is a good leader who's been dealt a bad hand as far as troops go? Fix the troops, or replace them. Start with those two steps, and things will begin to get better.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2016 8:30 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 20:30:32 -0400

While I am a 15U, I also hold 42A as my Secondary MOS (School trained). I worked in a BN S-1 when I was a 42A and I am currently assigned to our BN's S-1 shop since they were short an S-1 NCOIC. Here are my ideas:

1.) Whenever you submit paperwork to your BN S-1, use a DA Form 200. It is essentially a hand receipt for paperwork. I have mandated their use in my shop for both incoming and outgoing documents. That way, paperwork can be tracked, and if it is misplaced, there is a date and a name attached to the receipt of that document. We keep 200s in a binder for CYA purposes, should we need to figure out where paperwork went. With that being said, ask your Company Orderly Room first. Many times your paperwork never left your Orderly Room, so S-1 never got it to process.

2.) No one cares about your career more than you do. It is YOUR responsibility to keep your records (ERB/ORB, and OMPF) updated. DTS, which tracks everything from 350-1 training to your weapons and APFT scores, does NOT talk to eMILPO, the system that most of your other information on your ERB comes from. So just because your training room input your scores into DTS does not mean your ERB is also updated; it is not. So your training room needs to bring all those scoresheets to the S-1 for updating ERBs. Failing that, it is YOUR responsibility to ensure your scores are put onto your ERB.

With that said, do not wait until the day before the promotion board to update everything on your ERB. Same thing for Centralized Promotion Boards (promotion to E-7 and above). Don't bring your "I Love Me" Book in the day before your My Board File closes. It just pisses off the S-1 person helping you. You should be updating your records as required. By that, I mean, everytime you complete a Military Education course, NCOES, APFT, weapons qual, etc. This keeps updates manageable.

When you need your ERB updated, do NOT just leave your documents. Other stuff comes up in the S-1 and ERB updates are, sadly, NOT at the top of the priority list when Command & Staff meetings come up, FTXs are being planned, or a hundred other things need to get done. So... Make an appointment and then sit down with the clerk. Have all your source documents with you. Go over each update and/or correction with the clerk. I always print out an updated ERB to show the person all the changes we made together, and the person leaves satisfied knowing that the changes were done to their satisfaction.

3.) Do NOT come into the S-1 angry, making wild accusations, and generally pissing people off. This is like yelling at people who cook your food or handle your money. Not a good idea. If you come in angry, you will likely be sent away until you can calm down and act civilly with some respect. Same thing with goofing on S-1s. You bag on the S-1 shop, then need a PCS award fast-tracked-- we don't take kindly to that. Kindness works wonders. Remember that.

4.) This is kind of a repeat, but documents are YOUR responsibility, not the S-1's. Whenever the Army hands you a piece of paper, go make 10 copies of it, scan it, burn it to CD, and E-Mail it to yourself. I have personally seen Soldiers get told they will get their awards mailed to them later, and then those same awards get found months or years later, rotting in a CONEX. Get a copy of it. Do NOT leave your unit without your Award or NCOER/OER. When you arrive at your next unit, that S-1 then has to try to track down a piece of paper that was processed by personnel who may no longer be at that unit anymore, or in some cases I've seen, the unit was disbanded and no longer exists. So don't take "we'll mail it to you" from anyone. Get a copy before you leave! We will try to help you as much as we can, but ultimately it is YOUR responsibility.

5.) When it comes to awards, know the regulations that govern awards (AR 600-8-22 applies to most) and ask the S-1 about award templates that will make your award writing process a lot quicker and easier. Getting a First Time GO on an award submission is the Holy Grail of award writing. Work smart, not hard. Do NOT wait till the last minute to submit an award. People do get last-minute orders, got it. But in most cases, you will have several months lead time for PCS awards. Same with ETS/Retirement awards. The BN Adjutant does NOT like trying to explain to the commander that s/he has to sign an award right now because someone down the chain dropped the ball.

6.) To wrap it all up, TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR OWN CAREER! It is not the S-1's job to manage your career. If it is important to you, then you will ensure the proper things get done at the proper time. If you do not know, there is someone around who has done it before you. If you cannot find someone to get a good answer from, come ASK the S-1; we live and die by regulations.

A friendly hint: If you expect you will have a lot of need for the S-1's services, come by when you do not have an emergency. Introduce yourself and be friendly. When you establish a good working relationship, you're going to have a better time. I have personally stayed late to help Soldiers of every rank because they had established a good relationship, there was mutual respect, and they ASKED rather than demanded. So food for thought.

Response by SSG Thomas Trutt made Apr 12 at 2019 4:38 PM

SSG Thomas Trutt — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:38:09 -0400

Good S-1 shops train people. Every person there for more than 6 months should be able to do any of the basic tasks in the shop. This allows for gaps to be covered (PFC Smith isn't in right now) and also allows for a better depth of knowledge in the shop for less common issues. If they aren't yet trained on a topic then there should be a regularly updated book that goes over the procedures step-by-step. If it's a question, they should all be able to research the answer, and research is a skill that needs to be trained as well. If everyone but SPC Snuffy dies, then SPC Snuffy should be able to keep things running and train the new people who come in.

Good shops have battle rhythms and battle drills. If an award comes in to PFC Snuffy he should be able to tell you the steps for approval, the timelines, how to check it for errors, the command teams preferences, and be able to correct any common issues on the spot, answer questions, and provide suggestions. If there is a major incident, board, SRP, etc then the entire team should have a plan already in place and rehearsed that they simply execute.

A good S-1 shop has soldiers who maintain military discipline, but are able to tactfully make corrections. They follow-up with YOU when you bring something in for an update. The best shop I was in, when a record was brought in to be added to iPerms we made a calendar reminder at that time to go in in 30 days and verify that the documents were added and would call that Soldier or their 1st line and tell them it was good or let them know it wasn't updated yet and we would resend it. If you bring in an award and you aren't sure about it then they should be able to set a time up to sit down with you and give you a block of instruction.

A good S-1 shop knows how much work they have in any given day, week, and month and schedules time around that. Ever wonder why the S-1 shop is only open 3 hours a day for walk-ins? Because of Perstats, USR, regular processing of awards, promotions, evaluations, records updates, emilpo updates, UCFR, Reports for the commander, medpros, research, finance inquiry follow-up, and doing those miscellaneous tasks people in the unit ask for. They also leave some of this time for training or to take care of urgent matters without impacting regular duties.

A bad S-1 has one person for each task, no coverage for gaps, no standard timelines, doesn't keep a smart book or battle drills and has to research things over and over, let's people come in whenever, never trains, is dismissive and refuses to be consultative, and doesn't take ownership of their work. Almost always, a bad S-1 is indicative of a poor command environment or poor shop leadership.

So in summary, you fix it through training, proper leadership, and command influence.