How do you address any challenges with getting young soldiers involved and having pride in your unit?

Engagement is useful. In low speed units, many make effort to engage their troops through professional development. In high speed units the smaller group, barriers to entry and desire for self improvement on the part of the individual leads to the elusive esprit.

First, spell Soldiers correctly! (Check title). The start of the answer, like almost everything else in the military, is... leadership. I suspect you know this already and that accounts for the frustration. Try connecting them to the unit's accomplishments, recent history, and past. Make those things real to young Soldiers. Then, see if there's a way for them to write a new chapter in that book. What unit is this?

When I was a CSM I had a very frank discussion with my CO at the time. Friday after pay day was to be a unit bbq. Time of the bbq depended on the troops getting clean up chores done. I personally paid for the first 3 or 4. The earliest it could be held was 1200 hrs. If chores were finished earlier we would sit around and shoot the shit. I let the older guys tell war stories for the younger guys, and the new guys got to ask questions without being put down. Sometimes I would share some of mine so they saw I was human. Between myself and my SNCO’s I rebuilt a unit of individuals into an individual unit of very proud you men. Leadership starts at the bottom. I would fill sandbags and PT with them. If they swept floors I did as well. They got to see I cared and that turned them into leaders in their own right. Today to many in the leadership chain do not spend time with their men/women teaching and sharing lessons.

The first step is to have pride in it yourself and give them a reason to be proud of what they contribute

As an enlisted and later an NCO in the Air Force during early 60s, I was always struck by the fact that many Airmen never got close to.......an aircraft. Many were radar specialists, finance, medical, motor pool etc. But they never got to really focus on our mission to fly, fight and win. Thus they were isolated within their specialties. I think a periodic exposure to flightline activities seeing how what they do contributes to the mission might be productive.

I agree that "mandatory fun" isn't usually fun, especially when it doesn't really pertain to the Soldier. Family Readiness BBQs and Family Readiness Holiday Parties are all fine and dandy for the Soldiers who both live close enough for their families to come, and who even have families in the first place.

For the last several years that I was in the National Guard, I lived nearly 300 miles from my unit. FRG would schedule events to coincide with Drill Weekend, so that the Soldiers were there. The Command would require that everyone go, but there was no reimbursement to get far-flung family members there. Not to mention, I was single with no dependents anyway. Most of us who didn't have families or didn't have families near enough to come were simply watching the clock for when we could leave.

Allow underage drinking on base again, open up the e-clubs so that women can get on base, and don’t NJP lower ranks for doing mildly stupid stuff on weekends...you’ll get that cohesion back.

I served in the 80’s and my son is serving now. I gave him 3 pieces of advice...

1. Forget the notion of “never volunteer”. Take chances, volunteer, be willing to help. Sure, sometimes it will be a dirty detail job, but you will be helping your unit. Sometimes the ‘detail’ will open doors.
2. Aim to be the best, the absolute best. Not to beat or out do your fellow soldiers, but purely to be the best for the good of yourself, your unit, and your mission.
3. When you achieve “the best” at something, don’t let it go to your head and act better than others.

That young man just graduated AIT as Distinguished Honor Grad, and had nothing but great things to say about his fellow soldiers all day long.

Do these, and you will always have pride in your unit.

From my perspective what I saw during the war years, was a lack of support from military basis to local things. I.e funerals, Veterans day parades, Memorial day. I also blame the Army for doing away with a lot of units and combining them with other units that had no unit history. The decimation of older NG units into units with no history has a telling effect on the Guard IMHO. Over my career, I saw things like regimental crest for regiments that don't really exist. Closing of National Guard Units that had lineage and honors going back to 1640's. Units being reassigned that lineage from the Civil war to being under some new command and having them wear patches for a unit that had no history. These mind numbing escapades continue to go on, and for no really good reason. That contributes to a unit Esprit.

Wow!.... just when you thought RP's questions couldn't get ANY more stupid?!?!?... ya know guys?... we JOINED outta a sense of pride, fear, challenge,.... and WITHOUT KNOWING.... but as with any new job.... we LEARNED, went to our schools... and just kept learning... my time in was special at all commands.... because EACH command had a history, a presence of accomplishments... and?.... if you became involved within the units ranks?.. GREAT!... cuz in my TIME?... you either DID THAT, or you were pretty much ostracized!.... today's young trooper is within a very TECHNICAL branch... so not only are they becoming MOS "Q"qued....alot of these young kids are getting sent out on deployments within their first coupla years within the ranks... so they have ALOT to juggle...between the NCO's and the junior troops?.. what I DID when I served?.... was everything I did, THEY DID.... I made it fun to train.... read..... even to prepare a new recipe in front of the younger less experienced troops.... I was trained by my old MASTER Sgt's that way.... and being a cohesive tight unit... came from those little school houses!.... HOOAH!...❤️