How does someone become an Army BCT Platoon Guide? What are they, and is it worth it?

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 11:22:39 -0400

What are they?, is it worth it?, how do you become one?, etc. Please elaborate your personal experience.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 19 at 2021 11:34 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 11:34:06 -0400

Your drill sergeants will appoint a platoon guide and replace them as they see fit, sometimes for no reason that makes sense to you. It's training, so of course it's worth it. Just know that you're always wrong and you'll do fine.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 19 at 2021 12:06 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:06:32 -0400

The Platoon Guide serves as the "platoon Sergeant" for the basic training platoon. Typical duties are ensuring all soldiers are in formation, and reporting the numbers to the Drill Sergeant. Making sure they are tracking what is coming up, etc.. It's certainly worth the experience of leadership. You become one by being appointment of the Drill Sergeant. You may be in that position a day, a week, the whole cycle...who knows. Your tenure is at the whim of the Drill Sergeant.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 19 at 2021 12:16 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:16:35 -0400

The DS chooses people for leadership roles unless someone volunteers - yes a friend of mine in basic did volunteer to PG. When I went, they would cycle people in and out of PG and squad leader roles. They did that in AIT as well.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 19 at 2021 12:18 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:18:09 -0400

The Cadre will select-

Usually they gravitate to recruits that have a presence, either physical or mental or those with JROTC/Prior service backgrounds to get things going.

Once training begins every platoon has a different mode of picking and replacing Platoon guides. Some will do it on a schedule, others as needed, some when platoon guides have served their time and even more fewer keep a platoon guide for an entire cycle. Every Basic location has a culture, and the leaders have a say, but in the end it is a great experience many don’t want, but need. It can add stress and also create friction with your peers. Many of whom. Hate authority, are not being molded into Soldiers and are jealous they were not selected. So it’s benefits outweigh its cons...but there are some. No matter what it’s not about getting a title or a position, it’s about becoming the best Soldier you can be, and making yourself the most tactically and technically proficient you can in the short time you are there so you can be value added when you arrive at your unit...being a leader in BCT or AIT is just icing in the cake. Focus on the important stuff and cadre “May” grant you a blessing...or not, either way-do your best!!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 19 at 2021 1:47 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 13:47:49 -0400

Usually that is an appointed job, some platoon sergeant appoint a trainee then when they mess up the fire them and appoint another, back when I went thru our platoon sgt had a schedule and had a different P.G. every week along with S.L. every week.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Apr 19 at 2021 3:30 PM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 15:30:25 -0400

Drill Instructors/Drill Sergeant's make the choice. It's a leadership billet and it can be a rotating roster of individuals depending on the current level of shenanigan's. As for worth it's an opportunity to lead. Yes it is worth it.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 19 at 2021 5:11 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 17:11:19 -0400

The method of selection can be logically selective or random. Don't take it personally if you are not selected for a student leadership position, or if you are quickly relieved of it (I was made PG on week 1 and lost it by the end of the day). Cherish the extra few minutes you will get every single day that PG's wont while they are reporting to the Cadre.

Anyway.............. take advantage of everything given to you to experience. All in all, none of it matters, you have no authority, and any mistakes you make are still on the shoulders of the Cadre.

If you are not in a PG position there is much to learn from their actions and how the Cadre are harping on them.

**************
Funny story:
The day before our final Field Training Exercise the Cadre were harping on how important it was to NOT BE LATE to morning formation. They just beat it into our heads.

OK, the following morning (zero dark thirty) we are all there in formation, 100% up. No Cadre at all. NONE!!!!!!!!!!! OK the clock ticks, and NOTHING. Now we are late.................

OK, we are being tested. Otherwise we wouldn't have been harped on so much the day before. Right????

OK, so among the PG leadership they convinced the student 1SG to head out to the bus stop. Right Face march, cadence started and we were off.

We made it all the way to the bus stop. You could see the Drill SGT's running full speed down the road in full battle rattle with the fear of God in their eyes.

The moment we stepped off the entire Cadre lost accountability of an entire company of trainees.

When they had stepped out to yell at us, and probably planned to lay into us for causing the lateness they stepped out to an empty courtyard. At that point they didn't know who among them had accountability over us. So by time they called each other among those both on and off duty and figured out no one had eyes on us we had made it all the way to the bus stop.

THAT!!!!!!!!!!!! will make a Drill SGT fear his job.

Could you imagine if one of us got hit by a car, or one of us got out of line in some way that got the attention outside of our own little company and other random soldiers on post.

Awesome................ Anyway, maybe the poster has that to look forward to as a PG.

Response by SSG Brian L. made Apr 20 at 2021 8:28 AM

SSG Brian L. — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 08:28:02 -0400

It means virtually nothing.... just a role you will play. It rarely has any real reflection on who you are as a Soldier. Besides you do almost nothing aside from standing in front of the formation and getting head/weapons count.

Response by SSG Brian L. made Apr 20 at 2021 1:49 PM

SSG Brian L. — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 13:49:17 -0400

.... Also are you coming here in the near future for a STO1?

Response by CSM Danny S. made Apr 20 at 2021 2:04 PM

CSM Danny S. — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 14:04:58 -0400

I was a APG in basic and then a PG AIT. This is normally because you demonstrate the ability to be a leader, handle pressure, or work well with others. Your Drill Sergeant will decide who is going to have these positions. My experience as the an APG got me a new problem child assigned to me almost every week to help get through tasks they were having problems with. Then in AIT I handled all the barracks inspections before the Drill Sergeant walked through and delegated various tasks that our platoon was assigned. Both experiences were great and I will say I failed several times in things like marching formations, calling cadence, and ensuring other soldiers got tasks done. All of these experiences made me a better soldier and really helped once I was made a CPL and had to lead a squad of Soldiers. Not everyone gets these experiences due to the limited number of positions. If you get any of these positions do your best, don't be afraid to fail, and don't let it go to your head.

Response by GySgt Kenneth Pepper made Apr 20 at 2021 3:36 PM

GySgt Kenneth Pepper — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:36:43 -0400

The Guide is the senior recruit in the platoon. With that comes responsibility. You will pay for every mistake the platoon makes.
They are mostly chosen by the senior DI based on presence, maturity and bearing. Prior service is a big leg up. JROTC is a plus. Eagle Scout, Civil Air patrol, etc., anything that makes you stick out.
Most of all you must be willing and able to hold your platoon mates accountable. While the DIs are yelling "Hurry the fuck up" you should also be yelling the same. From the front. First every time in every line. First done eating. First up and out of the rack dressed every morning, helping others to get their shit straight, exerting peer pressure when necessary.
Ask your recruiter or Guard unit to introduce you to any newly minted SM who was a guide and then ask them to teach you the basics. Learning to use the guidon correctly will really help.
With the position there is noramlyy a meritorioous promotion. Not always, but most of the time.
Back in the day if a recruit helped his recruiter by getting 2-3 buddies to sign up, he would be graduating as an E-3. Some DIs would extend that recruit an automatic chance at becoming the guide.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2021 11:57 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 11:57:56 -0400

Drill Sergeant points to you and says "You're in charge now. You have a time hack for 1100. Get to it"

Response by SSG David Rollins made Apr 22 at 2021 5:38 PM

SSG David Rollins — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:38:53 -0400

Usually any E-3's that are in the platoon are appointed