Posted on Jan 18, 2015
What is the ONE thing EVERY young Officer must know?
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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
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We talk about this one a lot: Listen to your NCOs (especially senior ones). Absolutely do that, but also, seek out an officer that came before you and get yourself mentored by him. He can very likely help you avoid a whole bunch of pitfalls....and probably some of those will be things that an NCO can't (or even shouldn't) help you with.
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I realize this is an old post, but I'm going to provide the single piece of advice Gen Lewis (Chesty) Puller gave me, "Be a leader, not a commander."
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Capt Richard I P.
LtCol Robert Quinter an old post Sir, but I would argue (humbly) one of the most useful. Made more so by contributions like yours, stored for young Officers looking around for them. Great to have been given advice by the legend himself! Thanks for sharing it with us here.
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Don't go in guns blazing trying to change the world...you can't. Trust in your SNCO's. They have a responsibility to train you and they know the heart and pulse of the unit and their soldiers, sailors, airmen or marines. Join them at the hip and ask for guidance but there will come a time when you have to make decisions...they won't...that is your job but seek their counsel and move out. Make mistakes but learn from them and hold yourself accountable as well as everyone up and down the chain. Get you a little notebook and right down the good and bad and study it...never lose it and when it is full get another one.
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How to problem solve... or what I call FSO skills (Figure 'Stuff' Out) and... don't ask someone to do something you wouldn't attempt to do yourself.
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#1 piece of advice for young and inexperienced officer...remain humble, listen to your seasoned NCOs, and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions!
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Your question fences the discussion to "the one thing" so this is an easy answer. Your honor and integrity is the "one" thing that you must have and protect at all times. That's it! It is not the "one" thing that will make you above zone or successful or even tactically proficient, but it will give you the bedrock leadership requirement from which you can launch all other critical requirements that you must know and learn. I don't care how proficient you are at everything else, if you have no honor and no integrity then I would not have you in my wardroom. As a senior leader if I can't trust you and believe what you say, then I can't lean on you in a time of extremis. Honor and integrity lad. It has always been so. What is was is what it is.
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Capt Richard I P.
CAPT (Join to see), an excellent point, Sir. I was actually having this conversation yesterday with another vet I'm going to school with. If you cant trust someone's integrity, how could you possibly entrust a life to them?
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LCDR Jayne Garland
It is interesting to see so many complaining on other boards about how the motivations of the command structure are driven solely by political forces. While I believe this is a rather broad brush to paint decision-makers, distrust of the people who will be making decisions that impact one's safety and survival is inherent in the military. So to the Captain's remarks, honesty and integrity must reign supreme if you ever wish to consider yourself a leader of people.
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Great question! My number one tip is never make a decision that affects your troops prior to consulting with your senior-most enlisted person. No matter how convinced you are that you are correct, you may not understand the full consequences of your decision. A good 2nd Lt or Ensign develops a relationship with their senior enlisted that visually looks like the JO is in charge yet behind the scenes he/she is always open to feedback and preferably seeking input from the more experienced. It's that or be hung out to dry. Though the good senior enlisted would never allow that anyway.
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