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Throughout my training in Basic and Ait, Ive been told by Sergeants and my Drill Sergeants that being a Commissioned Officer is a great opportunity. But idk what kind of stuff they go through. I know they get paid a lot, but what do y'all do on a daily basic. Is it stressful? is it hard?
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Posted 5 y ago
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SGT (Join to see) the Commander is responsible for everything the unit (Company and up) does or fails to do, AR600-20 Para 2-1a. You,may want to thumb through AR600-20. As an extension of this throughout the regulation it specifies numerous authorities and responsibilities to maintain including good order and discipline; EO, Ready and Resilient; SHARP; conduct and authority of those in their charge; unit readiness; etc.
The programs they are managing, or should be managing on a routine basis are listed in AR 1-201 Table B-2 but this list is not exhaustive. Planning, deconflicting, coordinating, executing, evaluating, recovering and Conducting AARs from the items Below are what usually took up my day
Discipline / UCMJ
Soldier Issues
Maintenance
Training
Misssion Execution
Managing Organizational Property
Responding to taskings and HHQ staff tasks
Mentorship/Leading subordinates
Battle Rhythm Events
Review and signature of official documents plus associated corrections/research.
Understand being a commissioned officer is not what the commander does, but all commanders are commissioned officers. All other commissioned officers are either staff officers working at battalion and above or Company grade officers supporting a company commander as an extension of his span of control. Platoon Leaders and XOs are leading people and subordinate organizations and securing key enabling support in direct support of their commander's intent. The NCO support channel is doing the same except with respect to ensuring individual soldiers are trained, ready, and performing tasks in support of the unit's mission.
Platoon Leaders and Platoon Sergeants train Squads and Evaluate soldiers
Company Commanders train Platoons and evaluate Squads
Battalion Commanders train Companies and evaluate Platoons.
Brigade Commanders train Battalions and evaluate Companies.
There used to be Army Training Evaluation Program (ARTEP) and External Evaluations that would be conducted along these lines.
If it were easy we'd have league shirts and everyone would do it. They'd call it bowling. Most of us simply try and serve humbly and faithfully. Being a Company Commander is the best job in the Army. If it isn't for the officer, they are in the wrong line of work. Unfortunately over a 20 year career, 18 months will likely be in Company Command and 24 months in Battalion Level command. The rest is Staff and professional schools. I served 22 1/2 years. Was a Company Commander for a total of three years between two companies. I was a Garrison Commander for 24 months. So 5/22 of my career was in "official" command. I served in temporary command for about 12 months between Troop, Company, Battalion, and Brigade command.
The programs they are managing, or should be managing on a routine basis are listed in AR 1-201 Table B-2 but this list is not exhaustive. Planning, deconflicting, coordinating, executing, evaluating, recovering and Conducting AARs from the items Below are what usually took up my day
Discipline / UCMJ
Soldier Issues
Maintenance
Training
Misssion Execution
Managing Organizational Property
Responding to taskings and HHQ staff tasks
Mentorship/Leading subordinates
Battle Rhythm Events
Review and signature of official documents plus associated corrections/research.
Understand being a commissioned officer is not what the commander does, but all commanders are commissioned officers. All other commissioned officers are either staff officers working at battalion and above or Company grade officers supporting a company commander as an extension of his span of control. Platoon Leaders and XOs are leading people and subordinate organizations and securing key enabling support in direct support of their commander's intent. The NCO support channel is doing the same except with respect to ensuring individual soldiers are trained, ready, and performing tasks in support of the unit's mission.
Platoon Leaders and Platoon Sergeants train Squads and Evaluate soldiers
Company Commanders train Platoons and evaluate Squads
Battalion Commanders train Companies and evaluate Platoons.
Brigade Commanders train Battalions and evaluate Companies.
There used to be Army Training Evaluation Program (ARTEP) and External Evaluations that would be conducted along these lines.
If it were easy we'd have league shirts and everyone would do it. They'd call it bowling. Most of us simply try and serve humbly and faithfully. Being a Company Commander is the best job in the Army. If it isn't for the officer, they are in the wrong line of work. Unfortunately over a 20 year career, 18 months will likely be in Company Command and 24 months in Battalion Level command. The rest is Staff and professional schools. I served 22 1/2 years. Was a Company Commander for a total of three years between two companies. I was a Garrison Commander for 24 months. So 5/22 of my career was in "official" command. I served in temporary command for about 12 months between Troop, Company, Battalion, and Brigade command.
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PVT Nelson-Good questions; hope this helps a bit.
I'd suggest anyone choosing a commissioned career for the money is doing it for the wrong reasons, and will be disappointed. Sure, you get paid more... you find out pretty fast that the more you get paid, the more "Stuff" you tend to acquire...including debt. Bottom line, no one has ever made "enough" money.
How "hard" your career as an officer is depends on a lot. If you're in combat arms, you're not just out doing combat arms stuff... but expected to develop leadership in those areas. If you're in a support MOS, you're "responsible" for a lot of the stuff going on...as opposed to following someone else's directions.
One of the "hardest" parts of the life to master is knowing what you "are" and what you "aren't", and living/acting accordingly. A platoon commander is the "boss", but not "in charge". If things go pear-shaped, YOU will be held accountable... but generally speaking, you'll have very little to actually claim in either success or failure, since your primary role is coordinating the efforts of the subject matter experts in your unit with the "big picture" from higher. The day you pass blame, or take credit, might be the beginning of the end for your career (at least any career you can hope to be proud of).
There are definite "perks"... you'll often have the opportunity to "live better", but there's a VERY fine line between being a "part of the Mess", and taking privileges that will alienate you from those you're supposed to be leading. Most of the "good" JOs I knew never ate or slept before their men. Often, you have to ask people to do hard things... and the higher you get, the more often you may not be directly participating. Still, if your people are cold, hungry, wet, exhausted... and you're warm, full, dry, and happy... you're either a general officer, or doing things wrong.
Around O-3, you'll be tempted to start thinking you "know stuff", and that's dangerous, because that's when you actually do start to be put in real "charge" of stuff. Some people work though it, keep learning, and become great field grade officers... other's end up being real @$$=holes and make everyone miserable.
Retirement is elusive. Politics are deadly. Promotion is a shell game at times, and there are as many "informal" rules, as there are "official" expectations.
Oh, and O's tend to "eat their own"... just saying.
That said, it's one of the best feelings to stand in front of the finest warfighters on the planet and feel a connection to traditions that go back a long, long way.
Best wishes, and good luck!
I'd suggest anyone choosing a commissioned career for the money is doing it for the wrong reasons, and will be disappointed. Sure, you get paid more... you find out pretty fast that the more you get paid, the more "Stuff" you tend to acquire...including debt. Bottom line, no one has ever made "enough" money.
How "hard" your career as an officer is depends on a lot. If you're in combat arms, you're not just out doing combat arms stuff... but expected to develop leadership in those areas. If you're in a support MOS, you're "responsible" for a lot of the stuff going on...as opposed to following someone else's directions.
One of the "hardest" parts of the life to master is knowing what you "are" and what you "aren't", and living/acting accordingly. A platoon commander is the "boss", but not "in charge". If things go pear-shaped, YOU will be held accountable... but generally speaking, you'll have very little to actually claim in either success or failure, since your primary role is coordinating the efforts of the subject matter experts in your unit with the "big picture" from higher. The day you pass blame, or take credit, might be the beginning of the end for your career (at least any career you can hope to be proud of).
There are definite "perks"... you'll often have the opportunity to "live better", but there's a VERY fine line between being a "part of the Mess", and taking privileges that will alienate you from those you're supposed to be leading. Most of the "good" JOs I knew never ate or slept before their men. Often, you have to ask people to do hard things... and the higher you get, the more often you may not be directly participating. Still, if your people are cold, hungry, wet, exhausted... and you're warm, full, dry, and happy... you're either a general officer, or doing things wrong.
Around O-3, you'll be tempted to start thinking you "know stuff", and that's dangerous, because that's when you actually do start to be put in real "charge" of stuff. Some people work though it, keep learning, and become great field grade officers... other's end up being real @$$=holes and make everyone miserable.
Retirement is elusive. Politics are deadly. Promotion is a shell game at times, and there are as many "informal" rules, as there are "official" expectations.
Oh, and O's tend to "eat their own"... just saying.
That said, it's one of the best feelings to stand in front of the finest warfighters on the planet and feel a connection to traditions that go back a long, long way.
Best wishes, and good luck!
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SPC (Join to see)
FACTS: One of the "hardest" parts of the life to master is knowing what you "are" and what you "aren't", and living/acting accordingly.
This was great advice!
This was great advice!
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It varies per unit. Along with other posts, some of the areas that commissioned officers are responsible for...
UCMJ decisions or recommendations
Property accountability at unit level
Standard Operating Procedures at respective level
Validation / signature for major reports to higher echelons
Approval of administrative actions (i.e. leaves, education, transfer, etc.)
UCMJ decisions or recommendations
Property accountability at unit level
Standard Operating Procedures at respective level
Validation / signature for major reports to higher echelons
Approval of administrative actions (i.e. leaves, education, transfer, etc.)
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LTC Jason Mackay
LTC Eugene Chu SOPs are a good point. You try and make as much as you can SOP, meaning it is,low variability and can be delegated with minimal risk. This will free up a Commander to do more deep thought in the bean bag chair to beat the next big problem.
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