To my senior NCOs, how are you able to balance career progression and plt/squad integrity?

Going to school begins with Community College, and once there you progress further. Always have your C.O. sign off on this venture because it gives him/her Command over your success. Your Class schedule MUST be approved by your C.O., so keep it one day during the week and as-long-as necessary on Saturday. Online classes do help. Once success has been achieved, invite the C.O., and TOP to the graduation. Top will discuss Leadership School (for N.C.O.s) with your C.O. prior to discussing it with you. After this venture seek approval for University Studies for your Bachelor Degree (same process outlined above). After a successful academic achievement, strived to attend Advance N.C.O. Leadership School. By this time in your career “Master Sarge” will be within reach.

SPC Fakatou, I completed my bachelors degree while on active duty, was a squad leader when I started. As an NCO, You make extra time for your own development. I picked a university located at a possible future assignment. As my degree work progressed, so to did my career. During GWOT I changed jobs to a Platoon SGT, then requested an assignment as a service school instructor. Moving from Fort Campbell to Fort Sam Houston happened to become a Radiology NCO/Instructor, that desired future assignment. I had never asked for any assignments before; asking for the instructor position put me in a position to give back to the ARMY. Teaching soldiers was rewarding for me. Ultimately, my family absorbed the sacrifice of me completing my degree. Every decision we make and act on has a cost!

Balance is key. You have to develop to develop other people. Set goals stay focused. You got this.

SPC Elisha,

Listen to the advise below, pursue a Bachelor degree, credit hours give you promotion points.
As a junior leader in what I am assuming is a BEB you should have plenty of time. Your focus as a leader should be “taking care of your soldiers” but how do you “take care” of them? Training. That’s how. I had a BDE CSM explain that concept to me and it changed my view a lot. Yes, ensure your soldiers are well rounded individuals but as soldiers, be a brother/sister in arms not a father/mother.

Don’t be the soldier that assumes the only time they have to complete tasks (personal or Army related) is at work.

Long hrs

Dispatch a LMTV, load Soldiers, take Soldiers to education center for briefing you coordinated ahead of time.

Biting off more than you can chew?? This is a simple question, Take 1 or 2 classes at a time. Yes, it will take longer for the degree; however, it does not interfere with your JOB--building a cohesive squad/platoon. Also, your career progression will require you good annual performance evaluations. You can do it, JUST have a plan. It took me 12 years to get a BS and during that time I had 6 PCS [Japan, California, Germany, South Carolina, Korea, and Illinois] and that did not include deployments. Good Luck.

The mission first, your Soldiers Always.