What experience or advice would you give an engineer officer (12A) about to take their first platoon assignment?

2016-03-10T10:51:44-05:00

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 10:54 AM

2016-03-10T10:54:33-05:00

2LT Private RallyPoint Member Don't discount your NCOs, their experience will help you to succeed. Listen to them.

Response by SPC Andrew Griffin made Mar 10 at 2016 10:54 AM

2016-03-10T10:54:37-05:00

Yes! Humble Yourself! Listen! Leady by Example! Get to know your Soldiers! But! STAY OUT OF NCO BUSINESS!

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 10:59 AM

2016-03-10T10:59:07-05:00

Learn everything you can about your unit, SOPs, soldiers, weapons, trucks ect. Let your soldiers teach you. Treat them all with the utmost respect. Be open to change. Speak up when needed. Have fun and enjoy your time as a platoon leader. Anything else just ask.

Response by Capt Tom Brown made Mar 10 at 2016 11:30 AM

2016-03-10T11:30:36-05:00

This is a great question for all of us with experience who like to give free advice and words of wisdom. I always found many people willing and anxious to give both, some of it very helpful, some not so helpful - but I was the only one responsible for what happened or didn't happen. Best wishes in your career, along with all other 2d Lts, hoping you all succeed.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Mar 10 at 2016 11:33 AM

2016-03-10T11:33:03-05:00

2LT Private RallyPoint Member, set the example. And check out this thread for lots more tips from the RP community.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-is-the-one-thing-every-young-officer-must-know

What is the ONE thing EVERY young Officer must know? | RallyPoint

There's been quite a few discussions about how clueless young Lieutenants (and Ensigns) are when they hit the Operating Forces (and we often are). Here it is: your chance to publicly and permanently record the one topic you think is the most critical for us to know when we step in at your unit. With some luck, maybe those young officers will read it here and have the epiphany they need privately and everyone will be better off for it. So hit...

Response by 1LT Ryan Millican made Mar 10 at 2016 11:46 AM

2016-03-10T11:46:33-05:00

Mosquito repellent and plenty of it................as everyone else has said, listen to your NCOs, follow your PSG for a while till you get a grasp, as question of all your Senior NCOs, try to have a daily meeting with your Senior Leadership within your PLT. Make sure they know you're there to learn and not to completely change everything, because you learned it this way in BOLC. Don't ever get stuck on the idea that your a LT and you out rank everyone there and they have to listen to you. Give respect to get respect. Also, remeber this, my BDE CSM told all the BDE Senior Leaders this one day, we're all serveant leaders, our job is to help those under us grow in their careers, and pushing them not just to be the best platoon there, but also to be the best Soldiers that they can be, push them to complete schools, SSDs, etc.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 11:48 AM

2016-03-10T11:48:08-05:00

It boils down to 3 things.
1. Take responsibility and always lead from the front. Show some grit and bear every hardship that your platoon has to bear.
2. Know your men: Seriously take the time to figure out who they are, where they're from, who they hang out with, and what their life is like outside of work (you can learn much from your SNCOs and NCOs on top of the individual initial counseling). You may have to stick your neck out for them sooner than you think. If and when they get in trouble, always be fair and firm. Stick up for them. Always tell them the "why" portion of their mission.
3. Know your job. Know your MOS. Know the technical terms and your place in the bigger picture. Always be at the point of friction. However, if you're yelling as an officer in a garrison environment, you're doing something wrong. Don't be doing the job of your SNCOs or NCOs. However, don't give them free reign either. It's still your platoon and you're the one that's going to burn if you have a SNCO/NCO who's doing something shady and you don't do something about it. You need to manage your platoon on one hand, but you also need to manage higher on the other, especially in terms of your image and your platoon's image. Show them that you're open to learn, mindful of risk, and competent in your command. Be humble and work with your peers to find out what's working for them. Keep asking questions.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 11:48 AM

2016-03-10T11:48:39-05:00

Listen to your Platoon SGT

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 11:49 AM

2016-03-10T11:49:53-05:00

Don't walk in and tell your NCOs and Soldiers you're in charge. They already know that.

Response by MAJ Michael Pauling made Mar 10 at 2016 11:49 AM

2016-03-10T11:49:54-05:00

try not to pet the reptiles
ESSAY ON

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 12:38 PM

2016-03-10T12:38:13-05:00

2LT Penniman, love CPT Johnson's comments. Read those a few times.

Leading your platoon is well covered. I'd like to expand on where you fit in the big picture.

Learn your company and how it really works. As Engineers, we are responsible for knowing the whole plan/order, not just our slice of it. You can best support your Company Team and Battalion Task Force by knowing the order and how to best support them.

My greatest mentor told me as a 2LT PL, know your mission, equipment, and Soldiers....in that order. You'll help your Soldiers most by enabling your NCOs to take care of your Soldiers. But your number one priority is the mission. The Army is wonderfully set up that way. And you need to have multiple very frank conversations with your PSG on this. I had two PSGs and I am the officer today because they thought, I learned.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 12:47 PM

2016-03-10T12:47:14-05:00

Pray you have a squared away PSG and learn all you can from them. Listen and learn. Don't make rash decisions. and yes, stay in your lane and out of NCO business. Also, when opportunity arises, don't be afraid to get in and get your hands dirty with your troops. It shows them that you don't think you are "above" doing grunt work. Take care of your Soldiers and they will take care of you.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Mar 10 at 2016 1:00 PM

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What is the mission of the Company and Platoon?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 1:16 PM

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Your platoon Sergeant is your best friend. It may be "your" platoon, but it is really his/hers. Build a strong relationship with that individual. Your success will rely greatly on them. Be confident, don't show weakness. Be fair, but tough when necessary, and never let your Soldiers run over you. Again though, with a good platoon sergeant, you should be GTG. Best of luck.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 1:19 PM

2016-03-10T13:19:50-05:00

I am kind of sad that there hasn't been any NCO input here. But here is my advice; Listen to your NCOs, down to the Team level. Get to know the soldiers under you. They will make or break you. The NCOs will guide you and advise you on the inner workings of the platoon, and the goings-on of the company. They will lead you to glory by guiding you on the path of success.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 2:36 PM

2016-03-10T14:36:50-05:00

Listen to your NCOs is of course great advice. But I'm going to perhaps take a slightly different take on that. I don't subcribe to the notion that it is really the Plt Sgt's platoon and you should just sort of follow his/her lead. You're the Platoon Leader, not the Platoon Mascot. You should make it clear, by your actions and attitude that you are willing to learn from your Platoon Sgt and other NCOs, but don't act deferentially to them. Ultimately it is you that is responsible for everything your platoon does or fails to do, not the Plt Sgt.

And while everyone hopes they get a great platoon sgt, the fact is they aren't all great. So you must critically process everything your platoon sergeant and NCOs suggest to you, and decide for yourself whether you are comfortable with it and whether it adheres to your standards. There may be times when your NCOs are used to doing something that isn't quite right. When you know it isn't, you must be able to correct it and let them know why. Your NCOs will be testing you to see what your standards and limits are.

Just a little example. Maybe the company policy is that weapons are thoroughly cleaned after a range before anyone goes home, and then drawn again the next day for a follow up cleaning. Your NCO may come to you and say "LT, the troops are tired so why don't we just wipe down the weapons and we'll clean them better tomorrow". Seems logical, but it's actually a case of failing to meet the standard, and the NCO is testing to see where you stand. So if the standard is weapons thoroughly cleaned before anyone goes home, you need to enforce it. Taking care of the troops sometimes means making them do what is right rather than what is easiest.

As to NCO business, yes you need to let NCOs handle it. But you must also demand to be informed of what the problem is how they intend to handle it. There should be no "black boxes" involving your platoon where you don't know what is being done with/to your soldiers. There have been posts on RP about various situations where soldiers are being mistreated/unfairly treated by other NCOs in the unit. While it is NCO business, you are ultimately responsible if you allow a soldier in your platoon to be mistreated by an NCO under your supervision. You aren't excused of responsibility because "that was NCO business". The soldiers depend on you to ensure their NCOs are doing things right.

This may come across as anti-NCO but I'm not. I was super fortunate to have one of the few E-7 platoon sgts in the battalion, and he and two of my squad leaders were VN vets (this was 1978 in the 82d Abn Div). So I learned a tremendous amount from all of them, and they kept me from making many mistakes. I sought and valued their input on practically everything. But there were also certain areas that didn't meet my standards for discipline or readiness, and I had to make some corrections early on. So just consider my comments as a little voice saying that I hope everything works out well and all your Sgts are excellent. But nothing should happen in that platoon that you aren't comfortable with and are willing to stand up and own should the shit hit the fan. You never get to say "well, I didn't like the idea, but that's what SFC Jones wanted to do".

Good luck. I was fortunate to be able to be a platoon leader twice, a company commander twice, and a battalion commander. But I still consider my time with my first platoon as the best job I ever had in the Army.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 2:38 PM

2016-03-10T14:38:59-05:00

Here's a few thoughts:

1. I'll add a caveat to a common theme here. Listen to your NCOs but don't be led astray by them. The majority of NCOs are good people who want to do the right thing, but like any group some are not. One of the few regrets I have is allowing my PSG to screw one of my Soldiers over on a promotion because I didn't know better. I've also had SSGs and SFCs try to convince me to "cook the books" for the benefit of our troops. You may have to take a stand, even if it's unpopular. That can be an uncomfortable position as a brand new Lieutenant.

2. You need to be a doctrinal expert. As Officers, especially at the Company level, doctrinal knowledge is what we bring to the table. To paraphrase Gen. Patton, a leader is someone who applies principles to circumstances. You need to be able to adjust the doctrine to fit the situation, understanding that reality rarely fits the book definition.

3. Lead from the front. You should be the first person up and the last in bed in most situations. Likewise, you should never use your position for personal gain or comfort. In short, eat the same food your troops do and don't be that leader who sleeps in their vehicle when their troops are sleeping on the ground.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 3:06 PM

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Sir, first of all congratulations. Enjoy the experience and learn from it. You are expected to have some knowledge of the responsibilities that you are about to take on. You are starting off great, and keep adding to this knowledge.

You need to know who you are and what you stand for. What is your leadership philosophy? What level of respect to you have for enlisted Soldiers? How do you view enlisted Soldiers? May sound simple, but the answer to these questions will help to determine your success level.

Build trust in your Platoon SGT and the Soldiers that you will be responsibility for leading. Don't commit to taking on a task for your Platoon without discussing it with your Platoon SGT. I say this, because the Platoon SGT is responsible for keeping you informed of the Troops to Task. You may have a platoon of Soldiers, but there are always details/tasks that have to be completed. This will build a good report between you and your Platoon SGT.

Trust God and listen, listen, listen. The job is not a sprint

Response by BG David Fleming III made Mar 10 at 2016 4:41 PM

2016-03-10T16:41:15-05:00

Listen to your Platoon Sergeant! Make a decision when your asked to! Protect your troops and be the one willing to take the bullet for them! Never drink or party with them outside of formal events and only then in moderation!

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Mar 10 at 2016 5:07 PM

2016-03-10T17:07:54-05:00

Unless you are prior service in engineer MOS, listen to your NCO, learn from them and do your best not to interfere, unless it is obvious they are violating regulations or common sense, but do not call them out in-front of the troops.

Response by SFC Justin Ketone made Mar 10 at 2016 5:57 PM

2016-03-10T17:57:09-05:00

try the Defensive Positions app (iOS) you can use it to tell your Bn CDR or TF CDR how many defensive fighting or tank-ditch obstacles you can emplace in a certain amount of time. Useful and time saving. Check it out.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2016 9:40 PM

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Hopefully you saved the workbooks from BOLC. That course doesn't teach you nearly enough things you need to know.

I would emphasize to make the most of the experience and enjoy every minute of it. I wish I had gotten to be a PL for longer. This is the true time where you get to be out with the troops training. Good luck!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2016 11:12 AM

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Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2016 11:28 AM

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I wouldn't refer to myself as a 2LT(P). Or a 1LT(P).

Beyond that, get to know your NCOs. Listen to your PSG, and don't hesitate to seek the mentorship of the company 1SG when you need someone from outside the platoon to give you a take on something.

Response by CSM Curt Tipton made Mar 11 at 2016 2:23 PM

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Colonel Giannini said it best--listen to your Platoon Sergeant. Seek out the Squad Leaders. Remember the difference between a PFC and a 2LT--the PFC has been promoted twice!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2016 8:43 PM

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Actually listening to the NCOs. Saying that if your PSG burns you, you will have squad leaders and team leaders. They want to help. Just remember they are enlisted so sit back and watch and listen.

Response by SFC Erin Barnett made Mar 15 at 2016 4:21 PM

2016-03-15T16:21:07-04:00

You know all this stuff LT or you wouldn't be asking.
1. Listen & Learn
2. Lead from the Front
3. Set the example
4. Trust but verify
5. You plan and let the PLT SGT execute

Response by COL David Turk made Mar 16 at 2016 9:31 PM

2016-03-16T21:31:10-04:00

You've received quite a few responses that hit the nail on the head, so I'm taking a little different tack.
1. Get to know the other officers in the BN. Some will be assets and some will be liabilities. Know who is who. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Pick the brains of the assets, and learn what not to do from the liabilities.
2. Get with your CO and learn their top three and bottom three. Find out his expectations of you and your platoon.
3. Learn the dynamics of your platoon. What areas require more attention than others; what personnel issues need watching and/or attention.
4. Not all NCOs are created equally. See #1 above.
5. Make sure you have engineer buttons on you class A's.
Essayons!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2016 9:20 PM

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I know everyone has told you to learn from and listen to your PSG already but here are some other tips.

As a leader
Learn about your Soldiers.
Create a comprehensive leaders book.
Track thier metrics as your CDR will be tracking your platoons Metrics.

As an EN
Find our what your unit's mission statement is.
Find out what your unit's METL and collective tasks are.
Get familiar with Army Training Network.
Learn about your equipment and it's capabilities.

Remember at the end of the day your Soldiers complete missions not you. So give them the time, tools, and resources to do so.

Lastly Soldiers will test you but they want to be led. Provide them purpose, direction, and motivation. Make sure they are being coached and mentored and seek the same for yourself as well.

Response by SFC Boots Attaway made Mar 20 at 2016 1:47 PM

2016-03-20T13:47:07-04:00

Most everyone has said listen to your NCOs and I will reinforce that by saying LISTEN to your NCOs. But do not just listen but learn from them and LET them do their jobs. You job is NOT to supervise the little missions but ALL missions set out for your unit. The NCOs job is to conduct squad/section level missions/training and the PSg and your job is overall supervision. Lead do not follow, eat last, sleep last and wake first. But most of all BE FAIR with all whom you are in charge of.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2016 5:06 PM

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Listen to your NCOs, don't be afraid to ask questions, and maintain communication up and down the chain of command.

Response by MAJ Gerald Clinton made May 11 at 2016 5:54 PM

2016-05-11T17:54:12-04:00

Make friends with your Plt Sgt

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2016 1:58 AM

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You are in charge. Be in Charge! Listen to your platoon sergeant and squad leaders they know what right looks like and have the experience to make your plan come to fruition. BE THE LEADER THAT YOUR SOLDIERS DESERVE. You will have to work harder, run faster, carry more weight and get less sleep but its all worth it. Your Soldier will walk to the end of the earth for you but only if you are willing to meet them there.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2016 8:49 AM

2016-05-14T08:49:54-04:00

Lots of great advice I am seeing on here already. I will stress a few items as I was on the other side of the fence for 12 years before becoming an Officer.

1. Truly lead by example: You are not expected to know everything, so don't try and act like you do. Absorb all the information around you and add it to your style of leadership. You may be a PT stud, if not become one. No one will respect someone who is supposed to lead them if they are struggling or even failing the APFT. Be AR 670-1 and know it front to back. You cannot lead by example if you're not right yourself.

2. Put your Soldiers first, always: You will find with the amount of trust you have been given an equal if not exceeding amount of work and responsibility. Don't let this detour you from being involved with your Platoon. The Soldiers want to see you, and need to as well. In conversations with you CO, XO, PSG, whoever, have your Platoon (and Company's) back and best interest at all times. Try and ask yourself how an idea, event, plan etc. will effect your Platoon and base your actions off of that.

3. Listen to your PSG and other NCOs in the Platoon and Company: These individuals have a wealth of knowledge and if you build positive reinforcing relationships with them, they wont let you fail. Now at the same time you have to remember, you are not an NCO. There will be times where things do not concern the Platoon Leader or any other Officers involvement. Have trust for them that they are able to handle and take care of the issues you're not aware of. At the end of the day, you are an Officer and therefor cannot let yourself get caught up in the E4 mafia / Enlisted issues and downtime. It is ok to show your face or even play a hand of cards with them, but don't get caught spending all night mingling, especially if there is drinking involved. It only takes one time of you showing your A** for all respect to be lost.

4. Know your Platoon: When you first get assigned to a Platoon take some time to just sit back and observe. You may have heard things about them or know a few Soldiers Set challenges for your Platoon, they will learn and grow from these. Doesn't matter how small they are, challenging your Platoon to do better will only result in your PLATOON GETTING BETTER. Be creative and show reward and recognition when deserved. Writing a recommendation for award doesn't take that long if you know your Soldiers well enough. With that being said, know your Soldiers inside and out. Start small, I began by "interviewing" if you will just a couple Soldiers in a day or week. Show interest and let them know you are there for them and care. Your Soldiers wont share any usefully information with you if they don't believe you care to do anything. You should know everything about them and keep that info in your Leaders binder. Be aware of there medial, mental, home and financial issues if any.

5. It's not your Platoon: The faster you learn this, the better your experience will be. Your PSG has more than likely been with that Platoon for a very long time as well as your Squad Leaders. The Soldiers know and respect them more initially then some new Officer that comes and goes every couple of years. This is your initial obstacle you must face and overcome. If the troops know you truly have their back, the hill wont seem so large. And lets face it, at the end of the day who are they going to listen to? You the new guy, or the PSG that has been there and gone every step of the way with them. The PL / PSG relationship should be a harmonious one, backing each other on all decisions, if you do (and you will) ever have a disagreement DONT HASH IT OUT IN FRONT OF THEM. You can't be afraid to, and your PSG should already know this so don't be offended when he or she asks you to step to the rear for a talk. Talk as equals but show your authority when needed, just don't walk around bloating it.

I hope this has helped and you head the words of the other individuals in this thread. Being a PL will be the best time you've ever had, don't ruin it because you will more then likely be the XO or Commander one day.

Good luck!