NCOs & Leaders: I'm getting ready to deploy to Qatar with an NG Infantry unit. As a Squad Leader, what should I be on the lookout for?

I have heard nothing but good things about Qatar. Take lots of pictures. Remember, however, you are there to do a job and represent the U.S.

Qatar? Your going in vacation. Be on the look out for salsa night.

there's a Chili's restaurant and a pool at centcom. You have a chance to go there check it out. during operation Iraqi Freedom they use to send soldiers there for a three-day pass.

PCC's PCI's Hold FT Ldrs accountable, disseminate to the squad what PSG tells you oporders fragos have ft team leaders covering the basics do it all now before you get to where you're going Pt my Sqd ldrs had a lot of authority downrange because PSG was always busy. Switch someone from a team if need be. Training environment is different then deployment, people mature.

Spent a year there doing Towers and ECP's. The biggest threat to soldiers over there is STD's and bored commanders who like paperwork (I almost got an article 15 for opening an MRE) not a bad deployment overall but it gets boring as all hell. I was at Camp As Sayliyah there is a pool, massage parlor, chilis, 2 nice gyms, driving range, putt putt course, movie theater, full size football field and two big mwr venues called the top off and the oasis. Pretty nice amenities but it does get boring

Watch out for SHARP and EO issues. Joes will be Joes and will want to go where the females are.

Murphy is from that vacation spot. There is plenty for your boys to get in trouble with, set the example of front and keep your eye on the one that pulls away from everybody else. Get to know each and every one of your soldiers.

Ranger GUS

As CPL Goolsby and MSG Harrington said, know your guys and watch for changes, and keep them the hell away from alcohol. On our forcepro mission to HOA, we had constant access to alcohol and the command allowed limited consumption in the beginning. Long story short, one of our guys had some shit going on back home, got blackout drunk, and caused a blue on blue situation resulting in 2 personnel sent to Germany with gunshot wounds and a court-martial. Our entire platoon suffered 5 hours of hell and many a couple years of physiological shit as a result of something that could have been avoided by a strict no alcohol policy. Your joes will hate you for it, but it's well worth it, trust me. Make it up to them in other ways. Just remember they don't need to like you, they need to respect you. Nothing in my life or training could have prepared me to spend an hour asking myself if I was prepared to pull the trigger when my close friend and brother opened his door and pointed a weapon at me. Always do what your soldiers NEED you to do, not what they WANT you to do. Good luck and make the best of it. That kind of deployment is an excellent opportunity for Guardsmen to increase proficiency and complete career enhancing training.

How to keep your Joes out of trouble AND Yourself.
To much temptation there.

Know your soldiers civilian jobs and hobys. Your gonna have a wide range of experiance to use to your advantage.