Why do so many military members come here to the internet to ask questions? Do NCOs no longer mentor their joes?

As a junior enlisted, I can say that my NCO support channel is great, if they know the answers. But I also like to have a broad spectrum of ideas and experience that I cant normally obtain from my Chain of Command.

It’s a resource. A lot of the folks who provide answers here cite relevant regs. It’s just another way for the soldier to find the answer. My ego isn’t so fragile that I need my soldiers to be beholden to me for all knowledge and wisdom. Go and use the tools at your disposal, as long as you get a good and proper resolution it’s no big deal to me.

why didn't you ask your NCOs? LOL

No, it's a new culture of getting instant answers of the interwebs. Why seek out your FLL when you carry a computer around all the time.

This is why I jokingly made a post recently that I should have an NCOER bullet that reflects all my effort to be a squad leader for 100s of soldiers that choose not to use their own

If you don't trust what you hear, you go somewhere else to confirm or deny that hopefully won't get you in trouble. Then again, a high percentage of the questions are patchmania, I didn't like what I was told, somebody's picking on me, and failure to Google. There's some good stuff, but you usually have to dig for it.

Could be a vast number of reasons. Some are said by SFC James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4". Other reasons could be that they did go to their FLLs and didn't like what they heard....or wanting to "fact check" what they were told. Could also be that the first advice to them came from "barracks lawyers." And, as 1SG (Join to see) said...there is immediate access to the hand held computer. Plus, not a lot of newer troops....and even a few "seasoned" troops...know where to look. Their google-fu may not be very strong.

At least these troops are going somewhere to find out information and correct answers.

It's not a question of mentorship. Sometimes it is an issue where the service member does not feel comfortable in asking the question to just one person when there may not be a pat yes/no hard written in the regulations answer. Or it way be that they want to generate an honest discussion on issues that they may be wrestling with of a professional or personal nature.
Funny thing is here that I have seen question solicited by all ranks not just enlisted or NCO but Warrant and Connissioned Officers from Warrant Officer 1 thru bird Colonel.
And sometimes it is a useful forum just to vent away from the proverbial flagpole.

There are a million reasons why. The assumption that NCOs do not mentor their Joes May or may not be one of them.

In my time there was no internet that could answer every question possibly posed.
There are several thousand cumulative years of experience on just this site. Why would a soldier not use this resource?

No they are too busy, doing community service, attending college, maybe have a few minutes with family. Plus the NCO's are busy getting promotion fodder... It is all about me to most of the younger generation..You still have some great NCO's, but they probably won't stay in, because they can make a lot more money and not be looked at 24/7 on the civilian side. USAF is more worried about everything but your job and family (AF and Blood kin).

I just think people have grown accustomed to crowd source their opinions or solve their problems. I think the newer generation of individuals tend to not build human connections and that the digital world seems more appealing because the feel of anonymity protects them.