Posted on Jan 18, 2015
What is the ONE thing EVERY young Officer must know?
82.7K
641
337
34
34
0
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 it: let all the experience of the RP community be brought to bear: immediately after commissioning what's the ONE thing every O-1 must know ?
(Just so no one gets hurt feelings, lets say you're telling this guy here-but before his promotion and deployment in the photo-I cant find any pics from commissioning.)
So hit it: let all the experience of the RP community be brought to bear: immediately after commissioning what's the ONE thing every O-1 must know ?
(Just so no one gets hurt feelings, lets say you're telling this guy here-but before his promotion and deployment in the photo-I cant find any pics from commissioning.)
Platoon Commander
Officer
Leadership Development
Junior Officers
Edited 11 y ago
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 182
0
0
0
In '77 we had a 2dLt in Okinawa. Asked him, "what's the difference between a 2dLt and a PFC?" He cried, Boo hoo, you guys don't respect me. NEVER CRY in front of your men! Never fall out in front of your men. If you can't be exemplary get a different job.
(0)
(0)
Capt Richard I P.
Sgt Michael Johnson If he really cried that is astoundingly bad. He probably never should have made it through any of the screening. That "what's the difference" crack is a popular one. It's usually asked to test out the new officer and see how reacts to needling. My answer was to tick off the rank differences on my fingers "PFC, LCpl, Cpl, Sgt, SSgt, GySgt, 1stSgt, SgtMaj....at this point holding up seven fingers and make eye contact....and the SgtMaj calls me sir."
Arrogance isn't the right way to treat Marines, nor is submission. They catch a scent of weakness and you can't lead or serve them.
Arrogance isn't the right way to treat Marines, nor is submission. They catch a scent of weakness and you can't lead or serve them.
(1)
(0)
CDR William Kempner
I never heard smart-assed comments from my sailors like that. I was a pretty salty Ensign. (had been an AF O-3) Had some jerks test me, and that same weekend, they indulged in things that got them positively screened in urinalysis. and were in front of me a week or two later.(This before USN just flushed them) I took them into the Deck office with my LPO-good man- off the foc'sle-and RIPPED each of them a new one.-1 for being stupid and two. for being disrespectful. Things were very different after that. (lol) I DID hear that crap in USAF-not from my men, but from several smart-assed E-3s at different places. When they said "What's the difference between you and me-you just have four years in college?" I'd look at them and if I sort of could tolerate them, I'd say, " Go get a real four year college degree and come back and ask me." (The more thoughtful ones got the point.) The more arrogant ones got "Hey it isn't my fault that I had my s##t together in HS, and you didn't!". That usually cooled their jets.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
1. Timing is everything
2. Better lucky than good
3. There is no justice
No one cares as much about your career as you...so you will benefit greatly by understanding the personnel system to the maximum extent possible.
In the Air Force, at least, your job performance is important to accomplishing the mission, but your vounteerism and performance on outside projects is what will get you noticed by leadership. Leadership will take a competent, but mediocre, performer with volunteer time, advanced education, and outside projects over the very best performer in the career field with nothing going on outside the squadron. Prioritize appropriately.
PT is paramount. Nothing will sink your career like a failed PT test. It's barely a step above a DUI in terms of career progression.
Take charge of your people. The key to taking charge of your people, however, is to understand your boss's intent. That means talking to the boss. Figure out what the boss has set as his priorities, then figure out how to put your people to work on it.
Two-fold advice - don't be afraid to tell the boss "this is a dumb idea" behind closed doors (staff meetings, planning meetings, etc). Don't treat your own people with disdain when they tell you "boss, this is a dumb idea". I'll throw in the caution for free - do this behind closed doors, in an appropriate setting. Do NOT tell the boss something is a dumb idea in front of the entire unit. Another free follow-up - be prepared to tell the boss WHY it is a dumb idea, and what you should do instead.
Try to get yourself nominated for awards. I know a lot of people kind of treat the awards process with disdain...and I get it. However, getting nominated (win or lose) gets your name, and your accomplishments, in front of the boss on a regular basis. The boss gets to see the list of things you are doing for the unit. That helps when it comes time to decide who gets the special project, the good opportunity, the higher strat. It isn't the end-all be-all...but getting your accomplishments in front of the boss can lay the groundwork for the future.
Finally, don't be afraid to make mistakes. If it won't get you or your boss arrested, then it can be debriefed. Even a bad decision is better than no decision. Try to minimize the times you say "I'll check with the boss" in response to a choice. At the very least, make a choice before you go to the boss, so you aren't asking WHAT to do, but for permission to execute YOUR course of action. That isn't to say you can't seek advice...just don't consistently defer your decisions to the next level up your chain.
2. Better lucky than good
3. There is no justice
No one cares as much about your career as you...so you will benefit greatly by understanding the personnel system to the maximum extent possible.
In the Air Force, at least, your job performance is important to accomplishing the mission, but your vounteerism and performance on outside projects is what will get you noticed by leadership. Leadership will take a competent, but mediocre, performer with volunteer time, advanced education, and outside projects over the very best performer in the career field with nothing going on outside the squadron. Prioritize appropriately.
PT is paramount. Nothing will sink your career like a failed PT test. It's barely a step above a DUI in terms of career progression.
Take charge of your people. The key to taking charge of your people, however, is to understand your boss's intent. That means talking to the boss. Figure out what the boss has set as his priorities, then figure out how to put your people to work on it.
Two-fold advice - don't be afraid to tell the boss "this is a dumb idea" behind closed doors (staff meetings, planning meetings, etc). Don't treat your own people with disdain when they tell you "boss, this is a dumb idea". I'll throw in the caution for free - do this behind closed doors, in an appropriate setting. Do NOT tell the boss something is a dumb idea in front of the entire unit. Another free follow-up - be prepared to tell the boss WHY it is a dumb idea, and what you should do instead.
Try to get yourself nominated for awards. I know a lot of people kind of treat the awards process with disdain...and I get it. However, getting nominated (win or lose) gets your name, and your accomplishments, in front of the boss on a regular basis. The boss gets to see the list of things you are doing for the unit. That helps when it comes time to decide who gets the special project, the good opportunity, the higher strat. It isn't the end-all be-all...but getting your accomplishments in front of the boss can lay the groundwork for the future.
Finally, don't be afraid to make mistakes. If it won't get you or your boss arrested, then it can be debriefed. Even a bad decision is better than no decision. Try to minimize the times you say "I'll check with the boss" in response to a choice. At the very least, make a choice before you go to the boss, so you aren't asking WHAT to do, but for permission to execute YOUR course of action. That isn't to say you can't seek advice...just don't consistently defer your decisions to the next level up your chain.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google