Posted on Feb 17, 2018
What is the best lesson an NCO/Officer has ever taught you?
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What is the best lesson/piece of advice an NCO or officer has ever taught you? Personally, I would say the most impressionable advice an NCO has ever taught me was that at the end of the day, my military career is in my hands. My decisions reflect my career and at the end of the day, if I want something done (schooling opportunities, career advancement) to ALWAYS push and never give up.
What's the best advice you have ever received?
What's the best advice you have ever received?
Advice
Lessons Learned
Leadership
Training
Military Career
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 132
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"You do an outstanding job, Corporal Kirkland. But if you ever want to be a Sergeant, start acting like a Sergeant; the stripes will catch up with you." ~ GySgt. Bennett
Best piece of advice I ever received. I still use that mindset today in the civilian business world and it has served me well.
Best piece of advice I ever received. I still use that mindset today in the civilian business world and it has served me well.
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SSgt Nevin Kirkland
Oh, and I forgot one more: About a week into Boot Camp I was feeling the pressure of being a newly appointed squad leader and Boot Camp in general and it showed in the intensity with which I was handling just about everything. A fellow recruit - the platoon "witch doctor" - says with the slang typical of a country boy from the deep south, "Kirkland, you need to chill out or you ain't gonna make it. Now let me put some salve on that blister."
It has been 27 years since that advice was passed to me by Recruit Sparks but I still remind myself often to just "chill out" when things get tough.
It has been 27 years since that advice was passed to me by Recruit Sparks but I still remind myself often to just "chill out" when things get tough.
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When I attended FMF Corpsman Training at Camp Pendleton back in the 70’s, Senior Chief Star gave us this advice: “When the shooting starts, find the biggest tree, rock or Marine and stay behind it until it Stops. You don’t do anyone any good if you are dead.”
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I was admonished to know my men as well as my brothers The commitment to your subordinates is of paramount importance you cannot achieve much alone. It is up to you to set the standards under which you operate. A platoon sgt. should be able to draw uniforms for his men that fit He should know if the parents and siblings of his men are living. is there some one sick at home, who is married. He should be able to name his best NCO's at any time from best to worst, name the one man he'd promote and the reason. Which is the best squad and which is the best squad leader.
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My senior NCO taught me how to function as a part of a complete machine (team). If a team does't work together they all are doomed. The team worked, played and spent time with both each other and their families.
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When I was OC we were so used to briefing off of LAPTOP, One day I went to brief my BN Command off my laptop and he reached over and turn it off and told "me to brief with out it." This really made me a better instructor and OC because you can't always depend on LAP top working in a classroom. Spend some time reviewing your projects or classes because this will also make you better in front of one person or a large crowd.
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At my first duty station my plt sgt said he was lazy . He explained that he believed in doing a job in a timely matter and correctly the first time so he wouldn't have to go back and do job again.That was March 1985 I still have that work ethnic.
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Therecis a huge diffetence between being a boss and being a leader. A leader works, educated and guides his team. A good leader will absorb the blame and share the praise for their teams actions. A boss on the other hand just tells others what to do and hogs all the credit.
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