What are some things you have done to boost morale in your section/PLT?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 04:47:23 -0400

I’m about to go back down to the line after a year of broadening and am about to take up a section. Morale is reportedly pretty bad and the soldiers are unmotivated according to my future PSG and other section leader. What are some out of the box things I can impliment to help build morale and esprit de Corp? This can be anything from get togethers, pt events, training, and just overall interaction with soldiers. I just need ideas. I dealt with this situation before with my last section and did my best, but it never produced the drive and motivation from my soldiers I had hoped for. This was mostly due to the lack of regard of soldiers by higher. I want this time to be different. Looking to see if anyone has any good insights. Thanks in advance.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 14 at 2019 6:56 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 06:56:33 -0400

I added a reward based system. If you overachieve for the week out of everyone you get a half day pass to be used whenever. Also hikes as a section once a month. Barbecues for lunch every two weeks. Best way to reward a soldier is with time and money.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Mar 14 at 2019 7:05 AM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 07:05:58 -0400

I have found that a lack of morale usually come from either being TOO challenged, or not challenged enough. Figure out which and flip the script. If the j-o-b is overly stressful, set up a series of informal gatherings where Joe can de-stress, like BBQ or bowling or (no, I'm not kidding) a class at the MWR arts and crafts center on the weekend. If they are under stressed (usually a result of being disregarded / underestimated by higher), then challenge them. Rigorous PT that incorporates Soldier skills (like land nav or buddy carries), quiz them throughout the day about their job, randomly show up at the barracks with a white glove. Make sure they know that you expect them to be THE BEST and you will do everything you can to ensure they don't slack off.

Either way, I recommend you find a balance between the two after a couple of months. Keeping Joe motivated is a fine art, and requires a good balance of challenges and "lay-ups" but if you challenge them enough, what used to be tough with soon become a lay-up.

When all else fails be the meanest (tough, but fair) SOB around and give them something they can come together on - hating you. I call this the Gunny Highway method. Exacting standards, with no excuses, and no room for argument. Your way or the highway, and at a double time, either way. It sucks, but sometimes that is the route needed to bring a PLT together. If you have to take that route, make sure there is a peer or subordinate NCO who they can turn to to vent and express their frustration with that rotten heartless SOB who is their section leader. (I am not saying to abuse them, just to ride them HARD.). This route takes time. Morale will improve VERY slowly, but cohesion will come along fairly quickly. Once they mesh, they will start slowly meeting your "too-high" standards. And they will slowly realize that they are meeting the standards, and then look around at the other sections who are not. And esprit will follow.

Response by LCDR Joshua Gillespie made Mar 14 at 2019 7:44 AM

LCDR Joshua Gillespie — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 07:44:25 -0400

When I arrived at my first ship, the Air Division (divisions are similar to platoons in the Navy) was pretty much considered the "Red-Headed Stepchildren" since the ship was "air capable", vs. an "aircraft carrier". They hadn't had a true "DIVO" for some time, and the guys were kinda feeling out of place. One of the first things we did was pick a Friday night in-port each month where we'd meet at a local restaurant and Chief and I would buy the first pitcher or two, and let the guys get out of the "frame" for a while. Next, we ordered team hats...black, with a skull and crossbones, the division name (The Yankee Air Pirates), and each members "call-sign" on the back. The CO liked 'em so much, he had us wear them to our divisional inspection. These things became solid GOLD for a while. Finally, we took every opportunity to make our aviation capabilities "stand out"... we did increased "crash and smash" rescue drills, focused on becoming the highest ranking air division in the ARG, and Chief and I fought hard to get the guys awards and training. Our Dept Head used his connections to get guys rides in helos...and we even got to "fast-rope" to the deck. Bottom line, the team started to feel a little more "elite", as opposed to "second hand", and I think (hope) it helped.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 14 at 2019 7:56 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 07:56:39 -0400

As SL on JI, I would randomly conduct in-ranks inspection, then release the sharpest Soldier for the day. I also released Soldiers who wanted to get boat licenses (JI is ~800 miles S of Hawaii) during the duty day, then scheduled a squad (17 Soldiers) cookout and boating day.
As PSG, I dispatched a 2 1/2 ton and took the entire platoon to the education center for a briefing I had coordinated solely for them. After the briefing, I informed the Soldiers that anyone who signed up would be permitted to return from upcoming platoon level FTX for evening classes (straight to class, straight back).
I assigned a list of tasks when I first took over as PSG, which included moving items stored in vehicles and trailers, that should have been stored in connexes. At the end of the duty day formation (PLT level), I asked the SL if everything had been completed (I knew it hadn't). I released the Soldiers, and had the SLs complete the tasks. (Soldiers don't mind working, but they do mind sitting around in the motor pool wasting time. They especially dislike having to work late, or to redo a task because they weren't properly supervised. Improved morale knowing everyone, including NCOs, would be held accountable.) I released the PLT when all training and tasks had been completed for the day, rather than wait until the end of the duty day. Fought to get on post schools and a couple of slots for jumps for foreign wings, which went to most deserving Soldier-not the PL, PSG, or SLs.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 14 at 2019 8:33 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:33:01 -0400

Back in the old days (1996), I walked into a squad in the 101st that had horrible morale, and it was due to being under-challenged. There was no funding for training, these guys joined to be 11B and were not doing 11B stuff, and they all wanted to quit. Most of them had previous ART 15s and were consolidated from across the company into one problem squad that was given to me as the new guy. But these guys were also tight and hung out together every weekend, so that was a plus. I found out that what they liked to do on weekends was play basketball and play old 80s tunes in a garage (barracks) band.
So I took the 3 things that they liked to do and ramped it up during white cycles.
I told my PSG that I was going to split afternoons with second PT sessions and training: so at 1300 I would either take them to the gym for basketball, or draw weapons, head out to Training Area 4, and walk them through squad ambush and recon while rotating them through TL and SL positions, just like my squad leader in 3rd bat did.
And yeah, one Saturday afternoon a month, I would play guitar in their garage band with them.

By the time we went to JRTC, they were running like champs, I rotated them through TL and they all shined. By the time I left for the Q a year later, two of them were CPLs.

The moral of the story, find out what they like to do, and find a way to incorporate that into the training schedule.
And the occasional Friday pass always helps.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 14 at 2019 8:47 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 20:47:18 -0400

We had an E6 come in as a new shop foreman, on his first day he bought enough Jersey Mike's for the entire Maintenance Platoon, enough in fact that many of us were able to have seconds and thirds. Not saying that you should keep buying food for the Joes and Jr. NCOs, but bear in mind that soldiers are food motivated and sometimes a break from MREs or sub-par DFAC food is nice.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 14 at 2019 9:42 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 21:42:57 -0400

I would suggest getting to know your new soldiers to identify what exactly is killing their morale. Are they having unresolved problems at home? Do they have untreated physical/mental health issues? Are there maintenance problems in the barracks that hasn't been fixed in a while? Do they think all they do during the duty day is mindless busy work instead of meaningful training that will prepare them for their next deployment?

Response by MSG Kevin Elliott made Mar 15 at 2019 8:35 PM

MSG Kevin Elliott — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 20:35:11 -0400

There are some great suggestions here, but I think the first thing you need to do is get to know the individual soldier and find out what motivates them. It could be time off, it might be special schooling (Armorer, NBC, Air Load Planner, etc.), it might be education, it might be getting promoted, or it might just be leading PT. Once you can motivate the individuals, you can start working on groups of soldiers.
In a Cav environment, you have some special things, Spur Rides or Gunnery. As a PSG, I told my platoon they could shave my head if they all qualified first time during Gunnery. The result, Top Gun in the Regiment, Top Section and Top Platoon in the Squadron. I did get my head shaved, but I kept my moustache. My soldiers, other troops, dependents, the 1SG, the Troop Commander, the CSM, and the Squadron Commander all watched. And somewhere out there are a couple of video tapes of the event.
Think outside the box, work with you PSG and PL, and have fun. Work with soldiers at night and on the weekend, host get togethers, day trips, what ever works for you and your soldiers.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2019 8:37 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 20:37:18 -0400

Both when I was a section leader and platoon sergeant I felt morale was boosted at 0630. I’d use team building competitions and “fun” events for PT. Doing a urban land nav run, ruck/litter event.. stuff like that mixed with giving the winning team a little later work call or a slightly early release.. small things like that really affected my soldiers.

Response by SSG Phil Miller made May 23 at 2019 6:53 PM

SSG Phil Miller — Thu, 23 May 2019 18:53:26 -0400

MACP. Take your soldiers out to the woods and randomly pick two at a time and have them fight.
Bring a medic.