Leaders, First sergeants, Commanders, Anyone in charge. How often do you notice the Privates who are squared away?

2015-12-03T08:56:04-05:00

How often do you, as someone in charge, pay attention to your e-1,e-2,e-3 soldiers? How often are the Aware that you have your eye on them. is there more than meets the eye? or do you just sign off on their promotion paperwork?

Response by 1SG Jeffrey Bergeron made Dec 3 at 2015 9:01 AM

2015-12-03T09:01:12-05:00

what I use to do is ask the platoon sergeant if he or she would recommend this soldier for promotion. However I would make the final recommendation to the commander. For waviers I would only promotion these solders if they were above average soldiers as in 250 PT score and a SS, or Expert in marksmanship, and lastly performance.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:06 AM

2015-12-03T09:06:58-05:00

well ... I just E4 ... but my own experience while I am E3, my CO noticed my finger nails is nice and clean every time ... also noticed that I am the only one that still shine my boots perfectly ... and perform a prefect form of push-up ... I don't know did that answer anything ...

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:07 AM

2015-12-03T09:07:38-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member - I can tell you from the officer side and at least my personal perspective...we notice the squared away Joes. That being said, appearance only goes so far, which is why 1SG Jeffrey Bergeron is correct in his statement about asking the PSG if he/she would recommend that individual for promotion. The PSG sees (or at least should) beyond just the outward appearance of being squared away - they should know that individual's work ethic, leadership potential, team player mentality, potential for improvement, etc...

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:08 AM

2015-12-03T09:08:25-05:00

Promotion and awards have protocols-If a leader is doing his/her job correctly, every member of the unit is being evaluated along those lines, fairly. Taking the next step, which is fostering a sense of value and encouraging junior sailors, soldiers, marines or airmen to give their best, takes a sincere effort to not only get to know your people, but to look for individual ways to motivate them.

The two best NCOs I ever worked with had completely opposite approaches. One, was an old salt who had come up the hard way (and had the red stripes to match). He was like a "dad" to the guys...and met them on an empathetic level. The other, was a very young Chief who had earned rapid promotion by being very damn good at what he did...and he demanded nothing less from his sailors (even his LT). What both shared in common was a genuine concern for the welfare and careers of those they led.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:10 AM

2015-12-03T09:10:33-05:00

Immediately. Personally I had already read their file before I saw them. I knew as much about them as I could. Married, children, hobbies, where they lived, civilian job, if they were in school or not, what they were studying.... Are they aware of that no. Will every commander do this, no. I never signed off on paperwork concerning a Soldier, I didn't personally believe in or that I hadn't worked to turn around.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:10 AM

2015-12-03T09:10:53-05:00

I will all way check the promotion roster every month.When Soldier is do I would ask there Chain of command do you what your Soldier promotioned.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:12 AM

2015-12-03T09:12:12-05:00

As a squad leader/ team leader / section chief I ly a lot of attention more because how I was trained as soldier but I think squared away soldiers are often over looked because they are self sufficient and needs minimum guidance then you have the SB soldier that gets all the attention because u have to stay on them about the smallest things. Solution to me as a private ask question and demand more info to better yourself because all honesty if you squared away and searching to better yourself you will seek info and that way you are the first that comes to mind when a school or privileged assignment comes out

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Dec 3 at 2015 9:14 AM

2015-12-03T09:14:02-05:00

They're a reflection of me. If they're screwed up, I'm screwed up. So, the question of "How often...?" All the time, but balanced with not micro-managing. Give a task, let them accomplish it, but verify. You can delegate authority but not responsibility. The goal was to instill a sense of ownership in whatever task I assigned. Get it done because it was their task, not because I was watching them.

As for "just signing off" Never. How can someone get better, if they don't get honest feedback. But it's a development process. They've got to want it. The Marine Corps makes that piece easy though. It's hard to just want to be a follower.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:17 AM

2015-12-03T09:17:06-05:00

For promotion from E1-E3 area, I will usually sign off to promote barring any super craziness, but will still confer with PSGs/PLs and maybe squad leaderships until I feel I understand what is going on with the Soldier. Typically, if they're squared away I will try hard to find other ways to recognize them as well as the promotion.

I strive to get out of my office and spend at least SOME time talking with the Soldiers so that I can notice people outside of the "promotion window". Just sitting down to listen to the conversations. From there, I can learn a LOT of how drill is going. Hip Pocket training and honest discussion on how the weekend is going gives me a feel for the unit as a whole.

There are some that stand out. One that jumps to mind is a PFC that I "heckle" because he volunteered for multiple details, but received a promotion and two awards over the course of 3 months. On the 4th month, I told him I was "disappointed" that he wasn't standing in front of the formation for the 4th consecutive time.

Obviously, I'm proud of my Soldiers, and try my hardest to be involved on all levels, but ultimately I need to rely on line leaders and others to help bring to light the successes of others.
v/r,
CPT Butler

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Dec 3 at 2015 9:24 AM

2015-12-03T09:24:25-05:00

While in garrison, normally on a Monday or Friday formation I would challenge my soldiers to have the best squared away uniforms. Who ever was received the day off! This was a good way from them to compete with one another and also a way of making them better soldiers, now if it was a tie, I would then challenge them with questions, regulations etc etc.

Response by MAJ Monique Ruiz made Dec 3 at 2015 9:31 AM

2015-12-03T09:31:00-05:00

Promotion is all about potential to assume greater levels of responsibility. The only way I believe I can be confident about delegating higher levels of responsibility is to observe their potential myself. I do take into consideration their chain of command in case I'm missing something. However, it is my job to ensure their leaders are challenging them and allowing them to develop professionally and take initiative. If not, I will provide guidance to their leaders on how to do that. That's where I find the weak from the strong. Put someone out of their comfort zone and see how they react. It's ok to make mistakes and ask questions to gather the full intent, but don't sit up against the wall on your phone waiting for someone to spoon food you every action you should take.

I take it a step further to ensure my intent is executed and make it my mission to be present in everything the Soldiers do. If they are outside, I am outside. If they sit in a briefing, I'm in a briefing. Unless the battalion/brigade commander tell me I need to be at a meeting, I am with the Soldiers. This allows me to become personally informed of someone's potential because I see it firsthand. I can speak intelligently about someone in a letter of recommendation as well. I won't put my name on something if I do not believe in the content. Direct observation keeps my integrity intact.

I don't show favoritism but I do credit dependability. If a Soldier shows me that all she/he does is talk on their phone or walk by a full trash can and not take it out, that speaks volumes to me. My leaders know that I do not stand for Soldiers doing nothing because I won't waste their time nor anyone else's, including mine.

I also don't condone negative attitudes. My leaders and I do what we can to motivate and inspire Soldiers by being the example, for some it doesn't work. Thus, I say "if you aren't here to be part of the team and contribute to the unit's mission, I don't need you. I will help you out (get out)." I don't care about my numbers. Much more can get done with a few motivated Soldiers than with a bunch of pessimistic Soldiers.

My unit has the greatest Soldiers I've ever encountered. I know people can say that about their Soldiers, but if anyone ever gets to work with them, they will know that I'm not exaggerating. We truly perform as a family, looking out for each other and working together to achieve a common goal.

They make me proud to serve in the Texas Guard and humbled, privileged, and blessed to be their commander.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:35 AM

2015-12-03T09:35:25-05:00

There are a few things that happen regularly that make a junior troop stand out. APFT score will tell me if they are serious about maintaining themselves. Weapons qualification will tell me if they are disciplined at mastering their arms. Soldier of the month boards tell me if they can prepare for and think under pressure.
Advancements up to E-4 may be automatic, but nobody in my unit gets rank for free. If they fail to meet a standard or get on my radar for indiscipline and the like, they will wait until I am satisfied that they are ready for another stripe. If I have any doubts, the first place I go is the Team Leaders.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 9:44 AM

2015-12-03T09:44:40-05:00

It's absurd how much an engaged command team knows about their Soldiers; not just the E1-E3 crowd, but all of them. I can attest that everything the lower enlisted do, or fail to do, I see. Does that warrant an on the spot correction or praise every time? Absolutely not. You must allow people to fail and be successful in private, as long as they understand the reasoning behind that success or failure.

Being an engaged leader is more than just asking them how their family is doing every once in a while. It's being that sound voice of reason when the world turns against them, or being that heavy hand to apply punishment when necessary to redirect feelings of animosity that they would otherwise hold against their 1st line leaders.

My commander and I have written numerous awards for Soldiers of all grades for various reasons, many of which they had no idea they were getting an award. This comes from being involved at every level of Soldiering that we can.

For promotion it's absolutely up to the PSG to recommend promotion with the verification by that Soldiers direct line leader.

Remember, Senior NCOs were in your shoes once too, and not even that long ago.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 10:10 AM

2015-12-03T10:10:24-05:00

As a leader I try to pay close attention to my squad. I try to learn as much about them as possible. I learn their strengths, their weaknesses, and try to help sustain and improve upon those. I know which ones are ready to take that next step and advance in rank and who's not. I give those who are looking to lead some responsibility to to give them a taste of what being an NCO is like. Granted, in the reserve I don't get much time to spend with my troops, so I have to really make the best use of the little time we have.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Dec 3 at 2015 10:13 AM

2015-12-03T10:13:38-05:00

I'd pay attention to the entire crew. When it came to junior ENLs, my SEL would always let me know the good stuff going on and I'd thank them for it mostly because juniors are not aware how much they really contribute to the mission or in keeping each other alive. When it came to a problem child, I always reinforced the strong preference that the NCO community take the lead and involve the O types when necessary. The other thing is to never be too senior to care. If I saw a piece of trash on the deck, I'd pick it up because shipmates work to keep things squared away for each other.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 10:40 AM

2015-12-03T10:40:38-05:00

All the time, as a LT it pissed off my NCO's as a CDR they thank me for it.

Response by 1LT William Clardy made Dec 3 at 2015 10:46 AM

2015-12-03T10:46:55-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member, your question implies that a soldier being squared away is some sort of exceptional accomplishment, when the truth is that being squared away is *supposed* to be unexceptional. As a leader, meeting my minimal standards does not merit command attention unless it's part of a rehabilitation -- in other words, something akin to "Congratulations, Sergeant Smith. It's good to see Private Schmuckatelli isn't reeking of booze this morning."

Military leadership is a balancing act when it comes to highlighting performance. The troops need to know that you are aware when they excel, but at the same time you also need to be continuously reinforcing the understanding that, no matter how impossible-sounding the orders are, accomplishing the mission is the norm. It's sort of like running a confidence course: even if the troops look at it and say "You're kidding, right?", they also accept that you believe that they can do it and sometimes surprise themselves by living up to your expectations when they didn't believe that they could.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 11:03 AM

2015-12-03T11:03:51-05:00

PV2 Weeks,

It's not about knowing the soldiers that are squared away , it about knowing all your soldiers! It can be from attitude, appearance, and work ethics! Promotions come and go and I believe now it is better to have outstanding counsel statements!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2015 3:48 PM

2015-12-03T15:48:00-05:00

At least I evaluate every soldier with the whole person concept.

Response by 1SG Daniel Sutczak made Dec 3 at 2015 6:38 PM

2015-12-03T18:38:09-05:00

I open a dialogue with platoon sergeants monthly. They share insight of who is in their ranks that deserves consideration above their peers. That with what I observe, collectivly, we recommend to the approving authority. The commander has the final say.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Dec 3 at 2015 8:24 PM

2015-12-03T20:24:43-05:00

I was once the CO of a 1600 man unit. I used to make sure I walked through the entire area at least every other day, making myself available if anyone wanted to approach me and stopping to talk with my people if none approached me. Scared the heck out of them at first, but once they realized I wasn't head hunting it was very profitable for me and appreciated by them. Any promotions were done in person at a unit formation.

Response by SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT made Dec 3 at 2015 10:06 PM

2015-12-03T22:06:04-05:00

The cream always come to the top. Good leaders notice.

Response by Capt Chris McVeigh made Dec 5 at 2015 3:22 AM

2015-12-05T03:22:29-05:00

That all depends on what level you are at in the command. As a platoon commander and staff officer? Every day. Up in the company? Less so since there are now hundreds of people to watch over and the expectation is that their OIC is paying the close attention required.

If I wrote Pro/Cons on them or gave them a FITREP, I knew them.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 5 at 2015 2:42 PM

2015-12-05T14:42:03-05:00

My 1SG and I knew who the studs and studetes were.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2015 6:20 PM

2015-12-05T18:20:53-05:00

As stated down below, i recently just brought back " Guard Mount" within my company. Whoever My commander and I deemed had the best uniform (The Old Guard Standard) we would give them that ceremony off. This also challenged the others to want to beat there buddy so they don't have to march. Overall improving moral and gives me, as a 1SG more over view on my troops on who is putting forth the effort or who just getting by. I also just go around and talk to the troops while they are smoking to see how moral is and how the day has been going.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2015 9:14 PM

2015-12-15T21:14:00-05:00

Every day! I have a couple working in my shop and they are my go-to guys when I need something done. I also have a tendency to invest a lot more time in a squared away junior Soldier because I know I'm not spitting in the wind; I'm helping develop a future SFC, MSG, SGM. Trust me, I notice just as much those E-1, E-2, and E-3s who are just sandbags taking up a slot in my shop while forcing myself and their peers to work harder because they won't shoulder their share of the load.

Response by SFC Charles Kolker made Dec 17 at 2015 2:54 PM

2015-12-17T14:54:46-05:00

Always, I try to talk to all my Soldiers (and others as well) at least once a week. I do a walk through and see who is squared away and knows there stuff and who doesn't. When a 1SG asks me about a Soldier in the unit being ready for this level or that, I can usually give them an informed and reasoned account as to if they are ready for promotion, or a different work role. As an NCO I believe you must always keep an eye on all your Soldiers (to include those that out rank you, enlisted and commissioned). Not just to praise, but to learn from. I do not know everything.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 17 at 2015 3:33 PM

2015-12-17T15:33:53-05:00

A good leader needs to be in operations or leading it. The leader should see his/her soldiers due to proximity alone.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 18 at 2015 9:37 PM

2015-12-18T21:37:34-05:00

I'm my company, the PSGs and 1SG would sit down and go over the rosters name by name... or the PSGs would come with their suggestions already picked (depending on how busy the 1SG was)... they would bring me the suggestions and I would go through name by name... if there was somebody that I thought deserved it that wasn't getting it, they'd have to convince me of why not.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Jan 14 at 2016 1:44 PM

2016-01-14T13:44:25-05:00

We instituted a Soldier of the week recognition when I was a First Sergeant and kept it going as a CSM. It did a lot to help the younger Soldiers feel their contributions were valued and being noticed.

Response by Maj John Bell made Jan 28 at 2016 11:29 AM

2016-01-28T11:29:33-05:00

My mother was a bit of a hippie who never approved of me joining the Marines. But she did teach me a couple of good things. I used to keep an "atta boy" book. At the end of the week before going home, I wrote three thank you notes and sent them to their spouse or parents. They caught less grief from their peers, and the word still got around the unit.

Response by CPT Joseph K Murdock made Apr 21 at 2016 8:33 PM

2016-04-21T20:33:38-04:00

I looked at attitude and body language at their tender age. I wanted them to want to learn, be disciplined, have a winning spirit, and be a team player. But I had great NCOs to mentor them. It was usually at the SPC level where I saw leadership traits burgeon.