Posted on Feb 16, 2015
What are your thoughts on the requirements for Structured Self Development (SSD) and how it impacts each grade for promotion?
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Promotion Board
SSD
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 11
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As a NCO who has completed ALC Common Core, SSD2 and SSD3 I will say it is mostly uneeded training and/or trouble. Maybe I'm just an old school type but online classroom training is not useful to me. Nearly all the lessons contained in SSD2 were repeat of either OJT, lessons learned or from some sort of other mandatory briefing. SSD3 on the other hand actually taught me a few things, however the overall delivery of the training is enough to want to make a soldier quit the Army. Knowing that SSD is a requirement for me to further my career, I suffered threw it and got it completed with no help from the ATHD. Overall it is another failed execution of a decent idea in my opinion.
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Self development is something that you do by choice because you want to better yourself and stand out among your peers. The current SSD program is not by choice. You are required to attend NCOES course which as most can attest have much room for improvement, SSD is essentially a waste of time that either teaches thing you should already know.
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One of the largest wastes of time EVER. The guy who sold this to the Army should be prosecuted for waste fraud and abuse. And then shot. Twice. With small caliber rounds in places that hurt a lot.
On the other hand, SLC was incredibly useful, so maybe the fleas come with the dog?
But seriously, whoever thought of the SSD idea...I'd fight that dude if I met him.
On the other hand, SLC was incredibly useful, so maybe the fleas come with the dog?
But seriously, whoever thought of the SSD idea...I'd fight that dude if I met him.
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Speaking from a subjective opinion, I am struggling to find the relevance of these courses. I am wondering if this is an attempt for the 'one size fits all' course. Thereafter, do NCOs who do these courses actually utilize this information or is it a brain dump where you forget everything that you've learned after you have completed it?
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if Soldiers take their time through the material, they actually learn a lot.
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SFC Marcus Belt
Sir,
I did take my time, and I disagree. Notwithstanding the glitches and computer freezes and other issues that resulted in re-taking entire sections, the entire course runs counter to what we know about how people learn.
In order to learn, connections must be made to prior learning, and the material must be relevant and applicable. Examined by those two criteria, SSD 3, while it did, in some ways connect with prior experiences and learning, it was not at all relevant. And the parts that were relevant, were not applicable. The sections dealing with Joint operations were perhaps the worst. Every PSYOPer works jointly: the only time in our careers we work exclusively with Army personnel is at USAJFKSWCS, but the funny part about the Joint environment? If you've seen one Joint command...you've seen one Joint command.
A deep dive on how to best exploit PowerPoint and Excel would have been more useful.
I did take my time, and I disagree. Notwithstanding the glitches and computer freezes and other issues that resulted in re-taking entire sections, the entire course runs counter to what we know about how people learn.
In order to learn, connections must be made to prior learning, and the material must be relevant and applicable. Examined by those two criteria, SSD 3, while it did, in some ways connect with prior experiences and learning, it was not at all relevant. And the parts that were relevant, were not applicable. The sections dealing with Joint operations were perhaps the worst. Every PSYOPer works jointly: the only time in our careers we work exclusively with Army personnel is at USAJFKSWCS, but the funny part about the Joint environment? If you've seen one Joint command...you've seen one Joint command.
A deep dive on how to best exploit PowerPoint and Excel would have been more useful.
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I'm not a fan of it and here's why.
First, in ALC the same subjects covered in SSD 1 and 2 are covered again. This isn't us, this is Benning and their POI's. It's redundant, remove those things and give the 11C guys more mechanical time, or give the 11B guys more FTX/STX time.
Second, the fiasco that is now SSD 2. It was contracted through blackboard which limited the number of enrollments. If someone wasn't trapped in AFAM they didn't get it. Now it was supposed to go to ALMS last month; now it's supposed to hit ALMS in April. I say that to say this, the way our state's promotion system works (whole different argument) some are going to be left off the SGT-SSG promotion list. This is through no fault of their own. The message that came out said SGT's will not be enrolled, priority to SSG's needing ALC.
Admittedly this is probably a more unique state problem regarding the promotion criteria, however, are there any others in this same boat?
Once it hits ALMS all will be good. It will be just like all the other SSD's and be seamless, but still redundant in the resident portion of the NCOES it's supposed to enhance.
End rant
First, in ALC the same subjects covered in SSD 1 and 2 are covered again. This isn't us, this is Benning and their POI's. It's redundant, remove those things and give the 11C guys more mechanical time, or give the 11B guys more FTX/STX time.
Second, the fiasco that is now SSD 2. It was contracted through blackboard which limited the number of enrollments. If someone wasn't trapped in AFAM they didn't get it. Now it was supposed to go to ALMS last month; now it's supposed to hit ALMS in April. I say that to say this, the way our state's promotion system works (whole different argument) some are going to be left off the SGT-SSG promotion list. This is through no fault of their own. The message that came out said SGT's will not be enrolled, priority to SSG's needing ALC.
Admittedly this is probably a more unique state problem regarding the promotion criteria, however, are there any others in this same boat?
Once it hits ALMS all will be good. It will be just like all the other SSD's and be seamless, but still redundant in the resident portion of the NCOES it's supposed to enhance.
End rant
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SGM Billy Herrington
It's not a state issue per se. The quota source managers are getting what they can, but the Army limited the number of seats since each one has a cost associated with it since the course is in blackboard. IT was shut down for us in November. I think a few got it in Jan but now there's a hold off until April.
IIRC it's not required for promotion. It is required to attend resident ALC. It might be a state specific thing with our EPS system to require SGT's to have SSD 2.
IIRC it's not required for promotion. It is required to attend resident ALC. It might be a state specific thing with our EPS system to require SGT's to have SSD 2.
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SGM Billy Herrington
SGT Leland Levin I was tracking the same thing.
ETA: I would go off the state guidance given in your promotion MOI. That will be your best resource since that is what determines eligibility.
ETA: I would go off the state guidance given in your promotion MOI. That will be your best resource since that is what determines eligibility.
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SGM Billy Herrington
I can't figure out how ours works either. At least we get the MOI a few months prior though.
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1SG (Join to see)
MSG, you are not the only state experiencing the problem with ALC CC to SSD2 transfer. It is a frustrating system all together. I am also not a huge fan of the SSD system as a whole.
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I found i was able to just test out of 75% of those modules. Just 5 question check on learning, and most of it you just know already. By far one of the biggest waste of time. Just seems like another "check the block" measure. But we were instructed to knock it out before we graduate to avoid what last class had to go through. They were technically "ALC graduates" after completing the Q-Course but couldnt actually pcs to gaining units because they didn't have CC/SSD2 finished.
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SFC Foster,
I believe that the content in the SSDs are useless and provide no real results as far as knowledge gained is concerned. I do beleive that with the recent requirments to have it or lose your promotable status it was able to help us weed out some potential bad leaders. I am a SSG that does not need SSD 2 since i completed common core. I was still tracking for months that Soldiers were going to lose promotable status. If you failed to complete it in time you shouldn't get promoted. So it can still be used as a tool to see who really wants to make it to that next level and who is content to just be.
I believe that the content in the SSDs are useless and provide no real results as far as knowledge gained is concerned. I do beleive that with the recent requirments to have it or lose your promotable status it was able to help us weed out some potential bad leaders. I am a SSG that does not need SSD 2 since i completed common core. I was still tracking for months that Soldiers were going to lose promotable status. If you failed to complete it in time you shouldn't get promoted. So it can still be used as a tool to see who really wants to make it to that next level and who is content to just be.
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SFC (Join to see)
Are you aware that effective April 2015 Common Core will no long count towards ALC. If you have not completed all phases of ALC prior to April 2015 you will have to do SSD2. The regulation was published about a week ago.
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1SG (Join to see)
I was not aware of that. Thanks for the heads up. I am complete on all my NCOES requirments. But again I feel like it is a good thing. We may very well end up weeded out some lazy NCOs that will wait until the last minute to get it done. I will tell you this if i was not current on my Common core already and this applied to me i would have it done by next week. I wouldn't be waiting just cause I am not a fan of SSD.
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One question.
Why aren't we doing the same in the commissioned side? Wouldn't it make sense to move some of their military career education to online like the enlisted? If not, why not?
Why aren't we doing the same in the commissioned side? Wouldn't it make sense to move some of their military career education to online like the enlisted? If not, why not?
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I think the Army needs to go to MOS specific testing instead. Similar to the Air Force.
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