How likely is an AGR Soldier to make 1SG if he is selected to MSG this year?

2019-08-03T07:45:06-04:00

I'm not trying to get ahead of myself, but some units need a change in discipline. How likely is an AGR Soldier to make 1SG if he is selected to MSG this year?

Response by CW5 Jack Cardwell made Aug 3 at 2019 8:10 AM

2019-08-03T08:10:44-04:00

Guard or Reserves?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2019 11:58 AM

2019-08-03T11:58:31-04:00

Explain how that would work, unless it's an AGR 1SG position.
2 chains of command?
2 NCOERS for the same period under different rating chains?
Certainly, some units need a change in discipline, but how is that related to an AGR MSG getting a 1SG position? Also, once you've "fixed" the discipline in one unit, will you move to the next?

Response by CSM Arthur La Rue made Aug 3 at 2019 12:20 PM

2019-08-03T12:20:17-04:00

I simply don’t understand these types of questions. On the one hand I think ,”If s/he doesn’t understand how this works, perhaps s/he shouldn’t be considered for the lateral move.” My other hand is silently screaming “If you want this job with all that it implies, why aren’t you standing outside of your CSMs and BC’s door advocating for the position” No, you want folks on Rally Point to tell you what to do. Is this really your best option?

Response by LTC Ray B. (Ret) made Aug 3 at 2019 2:45 PM

2019-08-03T14:45:40-04:00

You r an HR soldier and you do not know the answer to your own question?

Response by MSG Pedro Soto made Aug 3 at 2019 6:59 PM

2019-08-03T18:59:40-04:00

SFC Fleming, I was a in a reserve unit for several years, as you probably already know, our first SGT were just part timers. I was mobilized to work at CRC Fort Benning, I was there for a couple of years. The first SGT that was in command of one of units there was an agr msg, once he assumed command he pinned on first sgt. Keep in mind that he had attended the first SGT course. So, it is possible to take a unit as a age first SGT. Good luck.

Response by 1SG Jason Almond made Aug 4 at 2019 11:12 PM

2019-08-04T23:12:20-04:00

I retired as an AGR (USAR) and maybe the question is, in the command under which you serve, is there an AGR coded position for you to be moved to or can the chain get HRC to allocate a position for fill?

I’m pretty sure I’m one of the only AGR 1SGs to ever also have an AGR CO (very special circumstance for a combined intel unit that actually had live mission) and it was set up to run just for a few years and then convert the spot back to TPU / leave unfilled.

I know your getting a little slack about ‘why don’t you know this / who is your CSM?’ type stuff and I’d like to address those comments.

I did 10 years active component and (I was an Arabic linguist sick of Iraq) I got out to give my family a break, but I went AGR a year later. I had a HUGE culture shock. There are outstanding servicemen and women in the reserves, but there are also many, many units run at the whim of the strongest personality at BDE/BN and absentee leadership at various levels.
The Soldier asking this question may very never have had any exposure to Army promotions outside of school and upon return, the TPU CSM simply says, ‘we aren’t going to do it that way.’ And you get questions like this.

Response by CSM Danny S. made Aug 5 at 2019 9:26 AM

2019-08-05T09:26:36-04:00

I know a few AGR MSGs that were allowed to be in a M-Day 1SGs for one year. Then they had to revert back to a MSG. This was in Utah National Guard so I don't know the whole story. However in Kansas AGRs are on the 1SG list. If your organization will allow you to drill once a month as a 1SG and do your normal job the rest of the time it shouldn't be an issue. I am sure your state has a policy on this with AGR 1SGs being very rare.

Response by 1SG Steven Kirkman made Aug 9 at 2019 9:35 PM

2019-08-09T21:35:07-04:00

This is probably different foe every state but in my BDE in Kentucky this became an issue in the past because at one time they started filling PLT SGT, 1SG and SM/CSM slots with AGRs. This was mostly before my time and seems like a good idea on the surface because its a lot easier for AGRs to keep up with what is happening daily in the unit and especially with the higher HQs but two problems were encountered that were expressed to me by people who lived through it. One, senior M-Day soldiers morale deteriated and they started ETSing in fairly large numbers because they saw E6 as a dead end and two, the AGRs had trouble relating to M-Day soldiers and their very different situations (like how a full-time job can complicate their participation) and their relationships with their soldiers suffered. In one extreme case an AGR was in a 1SGs position for 20 years and the state leadership pretty much banned these positions to AGRs. This was an over reaction in my view but I think they also shouldnt fill all or most of these positions with AGRs. While I was still serving I held the BN OPS SGTs position as an M-Day soldier during drills and AT and the guy that held that position daily as an AGR was the 1SG for one of the batteries on drills and AT. This worked pretty well and when the BN was later deployed I became the full time ops guy and he became the full time 1SG. After I retired I heard they opened up these positions to AGRs again but have not heard how it worked. Hopefully they used more discretion with these assignments and did not make the same mistakes.

Response by 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 16 at 2019 8:36 AM

2019-08-16T08:36:03-04:00

In my state MAARNG most of the 1SG & CSM positing are held by full timers they are Frocked and that is an issue in most cases if you have qualified MDay soldiers ARG get the gig and hold it for 2+yrs now that MDay soldier has to wait for the opportunity in most cases and by then they have to re-up there contract and apply again and compete mean while that AGR Soldier gets his Command time.... It happens a lot. I can see if there wasn't anybody else on the list then so be im just saying if your AGR your in the club..