How do I best prepare for an assignment as a First Sergeant? What is your best advice?

Hopefully, you and the leadership will get along. But like many relationships, it will be tested. I second that opinion that if you need to disagree (if it is something not illegal), to maintain your professionalism ("to disagree without being disagreeable").

Get to know your troops while avoiding fraternization. It is a fine line. Sometimes if there needs to be disciplinary action for frequent offenders, it is helpful to have another person present during counseling. But because you can't handle it, but it avoids any allegations like he grabbed me, etc.

Have a serious conversation with yourself asking are you truly about the troops? There is a very fine line between troops "knowing" you are Top and respecting you for it, while also knowing they can come to you for anything because you've created a comfortable environment that creates this welcoming attitude. It sounds a lot like friendship but is definitely NOT! I don't mean to sound Angry when I say that (pun intended). The problem I see with Soldier/ leadership relationship now is that everybody wants to be friends which creates too much disrespect. Like I've always said: "there are no friends in the military and you don't demand respect, you command it". Feel free to email me to avoid these long rants of mine. [login to see] .
Good luck Top and enjoy the ride. It's by far the best position I've ever held in my military career.
Vic Angry
CSM (retired)
Former CSM, Army National Guard

Be sure to do your homework on your company or battery you are on orders to report to. If you can communicate with the outgoing 1SG, that would be most helpful. It would be a good idea to go over all the enlisted personnel in the unit! See where all your Soldiers are at as far as their counseling goes. For some reason, counseling goes to the way side. Check your Soldiers award status' and or 201 file as we used to call it.
Try to communicate with your company commander if you can. This can all be accomplished via email and talking on the phone before you even show up for duty.
As far as yourself, you should have graduated from the 1SG academy or getting ready to go. Rely on your years of experience as an NCO and your instincts. Every company that I ran is different in the sense of the Soldiers and locations. What they had in common were proper records, PT cards updated, counseling updated, awards updated. Remember, health and welfare is at a premium. Good luck First Sergeant! They don't call us "Mother Hen" for nothing!

This is what I did, gather all my PSG in the office and enforce the unit SOP, also the commanders guidance in training, also the BN CDr directive, also clean my unit of all chapters, NCO that do not want to go to Jumpmaster school place them on orders, bring new e-5 and e-6, talk to the CSM in all changes in NCO's also change squad leaders around the Company, complete all task like NCOERs, awards, schools, and training, all this happen after 60 of evals observations, my best day to complete my admin stuff was WENSday and I give a due day and hours to submit all documents! Enforce my E5 to go to Ranger school jumpamsters and pathfinder (of course in order to do that they must score 280 and better) gather all my PL's and enforce that training is ours ( command team) not their OER bullet filler and maintain a good team from the beginning to the end, support all family matters do not leave anything behind with my paratroopers families remember they are your support in everything, be fair and impartial at all cause listen to paratroopers don't be a static listener, look at thei needs and maintain 150% motivated from the beginning to the end!

Make sure you set the standard and come hell or high water ensure it is followed and enforced. Make sure your soldiers are always informed and taken care of in every way. If you do those two things your metrix numbers will be good save the 10% that no matter what will be an issue. My advice for those soldiers is to kick them out of the Army, thus not making them someone else's problem, or letting them eventually became senior leaders! Hope this helps you and good luck!

This is such an awesome thread. Loving these responses.

Be empathetic. Get to know your troops. Open door policy. Good luck. Your troops are lucky to have someone who cares as much as you obviously do.

No one cares but you, and that understandable. You have a valid profile. If you work your butt off within the limits of your profile your leaders will notice and respect that. It's only a problem, for me, if you don't attempt to get off or improve from your injury.

Best to ignore people like this. She is confused or misinformed and probably lack the capacity for critical thinking. Probably haven't attempted or don't know how to look at the impact versus intent in what she is attempting to do. Better ways to get your message across than using inflammatory methods.

120° Mosul, Iraq 2005

That can't be real! Hahahaha...

Yes retirees deserve access to AAFES more than you...

No negative feelings whatsoever. Thank you for serving. Injuries, illnesses happen. Some early in their careers, some later. That feeling that you are having is natural because no one joins to be discharged early, but it happened. Hold your head up and be proud of your service to your country.