What is the best way to lead a new soldier who is uncertain if they even want to be in the army?

Soldiers quit because their leaders fail. And because we lie to them and to ourselves about what it takes to be a good soldier.

Wow so many judgments from leaders here. Shitbags. Yes, will alwase have some. But most are products of leaders. If you transfere someone to a new unit where they do better.. You need to take a good look at yourself.

Too easy. Prepare them for whatever they feel like doing. If they are unsure, then sit down and advise them on both sides. Show them you care. Not everybody is cut out for the military and even if they are, it's their choice and shouldn't be taken as an insult to the service. To those, who take it personal and want to strip the people of their GI Bill and such -That's cool and all, to be vindictive. I'm pretty sure as long as you paid your share, which we all did, who are you to possibly end somebody's future, just because they don't want to be in the military? Have them ride out their contract and prepare them as well as you can. If the Soldier is a shit bag, then square him away. If he can't be squared away, then take the appropriate steps.

A lot of the time that decision isn't exactly 100% made already. That is just one of the ways this generation thinks. I had quite a few soldiers like that in my career and to be honest, they wanted to train and do what they signed up for, unfortunately field time is a scarce commodity in today's army. Team leaders and squad leaders have to engage these soldiers. Hip pocket training is becoming a lost art form that needs to be resurrected. No one wants to sit in the orderly room all day and do nothing while their leadership is absent, they want and need to train. The NCO in today's army is lazy compared to 15 years ago. I never had down time as a young Soldier, I was always training on something. Think outside the box, grab a ranger handbook or an old FM and teach them something outside their MOS that they may actually confront down the road. I hope this helps.

Speaking from experience i thought this for a long time and its usually do to bad leadership.once i got better leaders it changed my perspective but still etsing because im not for the army

Well, I'm opening myself up here to massive counter battery. Here it goes.

I was one of these soldiers. I was on my second unit, didn't appreciate an opportunity given to me (bde PSD, laugh all you want, it was an awesome opportunity for personal development.) But I wasn't in it for personal development. My first deployment had gone by as a bullet point for some higher ups. I had a fucking awesome platoon of leadership, but it mostly ended there. However, my desire was to close with and engage the enemy in close combat. Call it brainwashing, call it what you will. My mind was set on that. But back to the second unit, coming from an honorable but not really infantry infantry unit, i was hell bent on getting to the line. BDE PSD wasn't the line.

In my mind I went back and forth between "this is the army, shut up and do what you are told" and "but I was told its my job to engage the enemy." Luckly some of best buds I ever had where there, kept me sane for awhile. Made some bad calls, it became obvious I didn't want to be there, and I was kicked even farther from the line. Thats when my fucks dried up real quick. Finally after some wheel spinning, kicking/kissing enough ass at the POG job I was in, and re-enlisting, I made it to the line.

I spent 7 months on the line in Afghanistan. Fortunately in a quiet area. had I thought ahead I would have realized that I missed out on ALL the training these guys went through. Being a Senior Spc I spent some time as a teamleader, luckily the area was mostly quiet, I shudder to think what my incompetence would have cost had my abilities been tested. Some mistakes were made (no injuries) but lost the teamleader spot and became the company shitbag within about the span of 10 minutes. Hated my life until I left for my last duty station. Here is that "almost out attitude" and where I fucked myself. Its the attitude that kept me mildly sane that last 5 months of that unit.

I get to Fort Drum, 3rd BDE. 1-32. I get assigned my platoon, and my platoon sgt. First thing he does is tell me to relax, time to talk like grown men. "You have been deployed twice, and you are still a spc. Why?" I told him about how quickly my attitude turns when I perceived disloyalty from my superiors. So he says "Give me a chance. Earn your keep, and Ill earn mine." or something to that effect it was 3.5 years ago. Month later, from a different NCO Im pretty sure I was slatted to be under for my second try at TL, that attitude came in. I had broke, it was over and I was done. For my last 6 months, my chain pretty much had me do all the senior e4 bitch details, otherwise left me alone as long as I did the bare minimum. Probably smart, I wasn't listening to anybody, it would have been a waste of time: they had to train the willing souls they had.

Now, not a day goes by I regret breaking like that. I had no real excuse, there were tons of good people and leaders in that unit. I pussed out. If I had sucked it up for another 2 months, that NCO i hated left and got replaced by a good one. The PSG did too, but the replacement was good as well. I'm not forgetting the dumb army stuff that happened while I was there, or the fact that our BC was a running joke among the battalion and not in a good way. But, unlike what all those dumb ass posters and motivational sets say, life has regrets because hindsight is 20/20.

I'm not asking for sympathy, or whatever. I fucked Up. Hard. The end. Until the day they said I was basically off the books for outprocessing I should have willingly gave it 100%. I know now that if I would have done that, I would have at least signed for 2 more years, and who knows, maybe still been in. I'm a random nobody now. I have very few brothers beside me, and rightfully so. I failed most of them. Its taken me 3 years to even sort of accept that there is no going back, there is no fixing that. Regret your own damn mistakes. Let your kid who has let his spirit brake read this: don't give up. The regret of failing the brother/sister hood is a lot worse than not shitbagging out on the governments dime for a couple months.

It's baffling to me that so many "professionals" automatically assume that this Soldier is a shit bird. You are the reason that members want to bail. They volunteer, you treat them like shit. What a bunch of jerks.

I would hold a proper investigation about his claims, and if it is unfounded, he would be discharged immediately with no benefits. There is great warriors being RIFFED out of the Army, and to have someone that could possibly endanger lives by not wanting to be in the Army, I say get rid of him or her.

There is no room for soldiers that don't want to be there!!! Discharge, and decide whether it's a general or dishonorable!!!