Posted on Feb 12, 2014
NCO of the month boards; where's the senior NCO's?
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Out of everywhere I've been I've never seen anyone over the rank of SSG attempt an NCO of the month board. Rarely do you see a SSG. But we will FORCE our Jr's to go to these boards. Are we not leading by example or are we afraid we will be whooped by our subordinates?
Posted 11 y ago
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I would go, but I feel like the attitude is that a SFC will whip the SSG and below and not give them a chance to compete. I already was BDE Soldier of the Quarter (runner up at Corps) and I was the Division (Task Force) NCO of the Quarter and Year as a SSG. I've already proven I can do that, why would I take over the chance of a SGT to do it and potentially advance his or her career? Certainly competing and winning NCO of the Month isn't going to advance MY career. Not to mention, SFC and above usually have a lot more things to do than say a junior SGT.
That's my take on it. I coached a SSG through Division NCO of the Year competition and she placed second. The first place guy was a SFC and everyone was making comments about how "oh wow, a SFC, that's not even fair etc etc".
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I think the intended audience for boards is different.
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As you gain in rank, you see a corresponding increase in responsibility. Once you've made SSG or above, you set yourself apart through superior work performance, taking care of your people, and managing the countless administrative minutae of your organization. You do Additional duties, you go instructor/recruiter/Drill Sergeant. You stay current on your NCOES, seek additional training opportunities, certifications, etc..
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The way you set yourself apart as a young Soldier and the way you do it as you climb the ladder changes.
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I tried to get the CSM to let me go to the NCO of the month board, he refused. NCO of the month boards should be voluntary. They give the NCO the opportunity to set themselves apart by going to them. Generally speaking though, if one of my PLT SGT's volunteered to go, I would think they are not doing their job properly if they have time to do that sort of thing. They need to be out there mentoring, teaching, and leading the juniors. The focus is on what their Platoon does and achieves, not what they do as individuals.
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SGT (Join to see)
First Sergeant,
Regarding your comment about the platoon sergeant having "time to do that sort of thing", if a SFC is an exceptional NCO and knows his stuff, then how much extra time will be required for him to participate in a board?
Maybe I have an idealized point of view, but I think the knowledge we display at a board should be the culmination of a soldier's years spent reading, learning and improving himself on a daily basis. We shouldn't need to spend weeks cramming for the board.
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