What can we do about the military culture that rejects the experience of junior Enlisted?

SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 09:18:41 -0400

Here's a great article on the topic. https://foreignpolicy-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/foreignpolicy.com/2017/02/23/our-untapped-resource-junior-enlisted/amp/
I believe that if the concepts encapsulated in this article were fully integrated throughout the Army, the retention problem would disappear, and an unimaginable number of other problems would be solved.

Our untapped resource: Junior enlisted

Here’s one of our biggest military secrets: The greatest untapped resource in the Marine Corps is the E-1 to E-5 community.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2018 9:48 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 09:48:36 -0400

We have to get the powers that be in the bigger chairs to fully see, understand, and listen to the experience of the Junior Enlisted. And you have a better chance of pulling a tooth out of the mouth of a crocodile with tweezers.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2018 10:10 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 10:10:47 -0400

This is a great article and highlights the fact the military as a whole tends to favor top heavy decision making without at least input from those who carry out the mission. I have met plenty of junior enlisted who brought their civilian career skills or knowledge bases to good use but not fully recognized or appreciated by senior leadership.

I will say though I feel some of the culture has changed, particularly with some of the younger leaders I have encounteed being willing to get to know their troops a bit better at a more personal level and have more genuine concern for their wellbeing. One medical officer I worked for was more than happy to leverage the fact I was a paramedic and my battle being a nurse civilian side and gave us a lot of leeway in running our very small role II overseas.

Again, great article.

Response by LTC Stephan Porter made Sep 3 at 2018 10:25 AM

LTC Stephan Porter — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 10:25:15 -0400

I agree in principal and am an advocate that we need to listen to and provide opportunities for the millenial leaders we have to feelnlijentheyeill be listened to.

However, when you say junior enlisted, I think of E-4 and below. The vast majority of this group does not have “experience” to bring to the table. There are older Soldiers that join who do (they vary in maturity though) and opportunities should be provided for them.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Sep 3 at 2018 10:57 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 10:57:30 -0400

What military culture rejects ideas?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2018 11:05 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 11:05:46 -0400

Military culture doesn't teach us to reject junior talent. In fact, in the article, everything he is describing is a normal progression of learning leadership and growing as a leader. Bad leaders manage people, good leaders have relationships with their team.
We certainly don't have a retention problem. The Army crushes its goal every year, and many years our mission gets raised because recruiting doesn't meet its goal, so retention has to retain more, and they do. In fact, the Army retains 80% of its eligible population.
The problem your referring to is one of experiences. You'll get a group of five guys, and one of them is going to buy a 30% interest Mustang, blow all his money at the strip club, show up to work drunk, or some other madness. You don't know which one it is. Worse, when they eventually do it, you'll be blamed for failing to prevent it. So, at first you rule with an iron fist. As your leadership skills develop you learn to spot these garrison IEDs and you are more selective in where you apply pressure.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2018 7:14 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 19:14:00 -0400

I agree with the CSM, this is a broad allegation. Also, words having meaning. There is a difference between “listening” and “hearing” what someone is saying. At the end of the day, experience drives credibility and ensures sound advice and decision making. Imagine how LTs feel, they are in charge but rarely does anyone listen to them. I’m sure that just like the occasional Junior Enlisted, LTs have a good idea now and again. I believe leaders must balance hearing thier Soldiers and taking recommendations when they are sound. It is hard to argue that experience will always drives a person’s value and input. We’ve all been there...

Response by PO1 Michael Bruner made Sep 3 at 2018 9:15 PM

PO1 Michael Bruner — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 21:15:17 -0400

This wasn't much of a problem when I was an enlisted cryptologist in the Navy. It's when I became a civilian contractor for the Navy at a joint site, where it was top heavy with O-3s and O-4s, that there was the occasional NUG elitist who decided what I had been bringing to the table for awhile no longer matter because I had only been enlisted.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Sep 3 at 2018 10:32 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 22:32:41 -0400

“Spangler”, an E-3 or was it E-4? wanted to advise me on details! 4 years later, I would actually halt and listen to SSG Spangler, for a minute or so!

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Sep 3 at 2018 10:37 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 22:37:56 -0400

It might work, only what experience does someone with 2 yrs in as an 11B have that would out weight an E6 or higher with several combat deployments and has been an 11B for 10yrs? Leading troops is NOT a Community decision, nor do we vote on it. Be all means ask if someone has a better way, but when I say this is it, and we go forward- I am the one taking and living with the responsibility, not the herd.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 6 at 2018 9:01 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 09:01:34 -0400

I thought this was an interesting read. I think the article has some good points but comes down to perspective, at least mostly. Junior enlisted Soldiers (Army here) is what makes the Army work. It's really that simple. We have a million ideas and it is up to each echelon below the other to figure out how to get it done and at the end of the day, it is our junior enlisted who do it.

Now, to the main question posed of rejecting experience of junior enlisted. I have not seen this as a systemic problem in my organizations throughout my service. However, I would say there are leaders who are better at it than others. This starts getting into Mission Command and how we exercise it at the Company and below levels. As a Platoon Sergeant in the 82nd, I knew I was not the subject matter expert on all things Airborne related. This was because it was the first time I had ever served in such a unit. I leaned heavily on my subordinates to teach me what they knew, to accomplish our mutual goals, while I learned what they could teach me. Experience is the mother of all teachers and each person has a different one. This makes each person in your element a teacher, of... something. I think the art here is learning how to use their experience to your advantage. In my opinion, the best leaders are the ones who can get the most efficiency and the highest quality out of their Soldiers. We can get at this by knowing our Soldiers and what they bring to the fight.

Lastly, Engaged Leadership. That's the secret in my opinion. Having a leader who has a genuine interest in their subordinate is how we get after a majority of the points brought up in the article. The Armed Forces are only as strong as the subordinates we train to replace us. We, as leaders set the examples for them. I think that there will always be a disconnect or whatever you want to call it between senior Soldiers and lower enlisted. Not because they are better, but because they are different. They are generationally different and they are being raised in a different Military than their leaders. Making that connection can be difficult sometimes, and understanding that it exists makes the process a little easier to swallow. Soldiers are smarter today than they were when I joined 18 years ago and it is not a new concept, know how to harness it.