Why do so many people say they don't like their unit?

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 02:13:58 -0400

Every time I talk to my fellow battles, whether it is on social networks or on the phone, I ask them how they like their units. About 90 percent of them say they hate it. My question/discussion is if everybody hates their unit, are there truly any good units left. Just to clarify, I'm talking about the units you never want to leave once your in it. Please leave comments and please be respectful of others.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2014 6:44 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 06:44:54 -0400

Every duty station is what you make of it. There used to be a saying "your last duty station will always be your best one, and the current one will always be the worst". If these NCOs are your peers and are just venting to you then the system is working. That why we have buddies that are of the same rank is to get our frustartions out and talk to each other and still remain professional. Pride in a unit is not something that is issued when you get there. You have to earn, gain and learn that pride. Ask anybody that has ever been a Blue Spader (1-26 Infantry) what their favorite unit was and which one they would go back to if they could! The answer will be loud and thunderous 1-26!! Same with 1-4 Cavalry. Luckily for me I have served with both!!

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Apr 10 at 2014 7:31 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 07:31:08 -0400

It's human nature to resist change.. something that most of us with military experience have become experts at overcoming.. but there is always that little 'nag' in the back of your mind no matter how 'open' you are to any type of change... having said that, I was always told (and in many ways it can be true) that the best unit was the one your going to next .. until you get there.. THEN it's the one you just left!

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2014 7:48 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 07:48:32 -0400

Most garrison Soldiers hate what they do while they're not deployed. Lets face it, who like spending all day in a motorpool?

Response by SGT Richard Souza made Apr 10 at 2014 11:39 AM

SGT Richard Souza — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:39:34 -0400

I think it is a matter or perception and expectations. I absolutely love the unit I deployed with and am not looking forward to going home. We have a good rapport with eachother and an awesome command team. The problem with that is, as others have said, things change, and not only the name on the Commander's door. Along with that change must come the desire to make things better than they were when you got there. Granted, your opinion of better will probably differ from mine, but the entire point is to work together to build a community that a) accomplishes the mission and b) takes care of the Soldiers. With those two principles in mind, I think every unit can be remarkable.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2014 12:52 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:52:46 -0400

I've been to a few. They were in Germany. I will admit I loved V Corps and the 123rd MSB! I didn't want to leave either one.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Apr 10 at 2014 12:58 PM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:58:01 -0400

Well, it depends a lot on the rank and experiences of the personnel that believe they have a bad unit....my son is experiencing some of this in his current and first duty station, because what he is experiencing doesn't jibe with what he overheard from me for the first 22 years of his life when I was on AD. I have tried to help him understand that it's a "different" Army than I was brought up in, but sometimes he can't believe that I didn't experience some the of the BS that he is. Like most have said prior to my rant here, each unit and duty station will be as good or bad as you make it to be; some things you can affect and change, some you can not; change and improve what you can and try not to beat your head against a wall because of the things you can't!!

Response by CW2 Jonathan Kantor made Apr 10 at 2014 12:58 PM

CW2 Jonathan Kantor — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:58:20 -0400

In my experience, it isn't the unit, it's the leadership. Bad or toxic leaders can be the absolute worst thing you could have in the Army... especially for first termers. I have seen so many junior Enlisted and junior Officers get out of the Army because they had to work for some asshole. I always tell people, if you have a bad NCO or something, take the bad examples from them and never do them while taking the good from the positive leaders and emulate that.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Apr 10 at 2014 12:58 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:58:44 -0400

"The Chief is Always on my back" "The locals don't like us" "These Hours Suck". 20 yrs later. "Do Your Remember How Cool so and so location was". Perspective is a marvelous thing. I liked something about every unit I ever served in and disliked something about every unit. Too bad we don't get everything we like. If I could have had the Superiors I had at CINCPACFLT, COMSPAWARSYSCOM, NSGD SUGAR GROVE, WV at Diego Garcia, NSGA Adak, AK or both ships, now that would have been heaven.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2014 1:25 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:25:27 -0400

What makes a unit that has great morale, great discipline and looks out for the welfare of the Soldiers? (this is long read the whole thing)

The Soldiers, Junior NCOs and the informal leaders (Spec4 Mafia), thats who. If you have these individuals that are career minded, team players and actually care for the betterment of the ones around them, then your Unit will succeed even with the most toxic of command teams. I can only do so much as a Platoon Sergeant to instill some of these traits in my Soldiers, but what I can do is start to weed out the ones that are a drain on morale with their "poor me" attitudes, lack of motivation and lack of loyalty to the unit.

Our company is right now the best in our Brigade, statistically and operationally. You wouldn't know it given our duty description and responsibility inside our facility. We work rotating shift schedules with long 12 to 14 hour days sometimes depending on training we come danger close to 18 hours on, our work weeks last between 4 to 6 days on and two days off, no breaks during the shift for lunch and minimal smoke breaks, zero defect policy on shift, and we work with convicted criminals who's mission is to be as problematic as possible to the Soldiers while they work. My Soldiers are subjected to being assualted, harrassed usually sexually, demeaned and threatened by the populace we guard. Then there are the mountain of SOPs, post orders, regulations, time hacks, inventory of potentially dangerous items (keys, tools, cleaning supplies, cords, mops, brooms, ect) and scrutiny by Seniors on how we react to vulnerability tests, what did we say to an individual, how did we handle a situation and how we account for our equipment. There are times that we have to deny a Soldier's leave due to manning requirements and mission and we never reap the benefits of a training holiday or federal holiday, unless it is the winter holiday block leave schedule and then we work 8 12 hour shifts in trade for the opposing holiday 8 days of leave or 3 day and a 4 day pass with a duty day in the middle.

With all the above crammed into one day my Soldiers and the Soldiers in the other platoon have the highest morale in the brigade, they complete their tasks, are complete professionals, find contraband, and have a high degree of discipline on and off duty.

We have the highest PT average in the Brigade with no APFT failures and no one on the ABCP, even though PT is done after our shift and is most time sacrificed for some training that we have to complete for our facility, Army or American Corrections Association.

We have no alcohol related incidents, DUIs, sexual assualts, or any other greivious discipline problems.

We have the HIGHEST retention in the brigade.

We as the senior NCOs protect the Soldier's off time, submit for COAs (awards at the BN or BDE level, AAMs or ARCOMs, are unheard of since most things fall within our scope of duty and responsibility) and try to give our Soldiers the pats on the back that they fully deserve.

BUT, it is the only the Soldiers, informal leaders and Junior NCOs that make our unit successful. It is the first line leaders and the informal leaders that are the glue that hold our unit together. It is the Soldiers that look out for each other after duty and take upon themselves to implement a battle buddy system. It is the Soldiers that make me successful by their want and desire to make themselves successful. It is the Soldiers that police themselves up during a lack of PT and go to the gym and work out informally in groups. It is the CPLs and SGTs that care about the Soldiers under them and their well being on and off duty. It is the Spec4 Mafia that enforce a no tolerance for hijinks and lack of discipline that would cause a Soldier to be taken off the DA 6 and effect the work schedule negatively. It is the Soldiers that train their peers new to the unit on how to properly complete their tasks. If you have not figured it out, I am proud beyond words of the way my Soldiers conduct themselves on and off duty. We just recently, the last few months, changed our Commander, so it's not him. The 1SG has been here a year and it's not him. I have been here a year and it's not me. We did weed out some of the problem Soldiers, but that is it, we didn't rewire or bring in new Soldiers as most of our Soldiers and NCOs have been in this company for up to two years.

So the young Cpl is right, if someone is bitching that their unit sucks, then they either need to "sack up" and fix it or get out so someone can take their place. Change starts with you, if you are unwilling to change it, then do not complain about it. A little bit of motivation and care instilled by you to your Soldiers will be contagious and it will spread and the unit will benefit. Just like the lack of motivation and lack of discipline will spread and kill a unit.

So now you have your answer, go forth young SGT, change your friends' mentalities and watch their units benefit from your mentorship to those young SGTs and Soldiers.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2014 3:43 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 15:43:03 -0400

All it takes is one bad supervisor, 1SG, commander, and that person will hate that unit forever, regardless of anything else that happened before or after.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2014 9:05 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 21:05:48 -0400

I do believe that there are units that some would never want to leave. However, that does not mean that they are good units. Some want to stay with a unit because they have friends there and they have little expectations and are not required to meet all standards. However, there are some great units with great leaders who hold everyone to standards that some people do not like. Therefore they say that they do not like that unit.

Response by SFC Christopher Perry made Apr 28 at 2014 12:03 AM

SFC Christopher Perry — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 00:03:57 -0400

I like my unit, and I enjoy my job. I cannot say the same for Lawton OK.

Response by SFC Christopher Perry made Apr 28 at 2014 12:07 AM

SFC Christopher Perry — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 00:07:06 -0400

SGT Daffin,
It really doesn't matter if you are in a unit you like or not... Because you are in HI.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2014 1:59 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 May 2014 01:59:58 -0400

Military is going through some big changes- for those who have grown up in the wartime army, some of the policies that are being pushed down don't seem to make sense. However- like anything else; it's a matter of rolling with the punches. Adapt, or get out.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Oct 16 at 2014 9:44 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 09:44:43 -0400

Unit's are just numbers on a sheet of paper. It's the PEOPLE that matter. A unit is as great or horrible as the people in it.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Oct 16 at 2014 10:28 AM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 10:28:19 -0400

As the old saying goes, "The grass is always greener on the other side"... (because, many times, it is fertilized with bulls**t).

I have heard many say that they disliked their units over the years and I have asked them what they have done to make it better... Also, once they leave that unit, many times they look back on their time there as the "good old days".

There are pros and cons to every unit. I guess I was blessed in that I thought every unit I was privileged to serve in was great; although I recognize I may be a little biased if I happened to be the commander, but I also had higher headquarters as part of "my unit".

The key is to identify what you don't like about the unit and set about to change it, if possible. If unable to, don't make it worse; just do your best every day and the time will come that you can leave that unit. More likely than not, when you leave it, you will miss it. Just human nature, I guess.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 16 at 2014 12:44 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 12:44:00 -0400

I think it's because the grass is always greener ... on the other side ... or in another unit. Then, when we look back, we realize that we miss the unit that we thought sucked when we were there. At least that has been my experience.

Response by SSG Jacob Wiley made Oct 16 at 2014 1:30 PM

SSG Jacob Wiley — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 13:30:19 -0400

I think a lot of is has to do with where a person is in their military career. I don't mean rank wise...I mean their intentions. Is this their way of life, their everything, dream career - can't get enough? Or is this just a job? Is this just what they have to do to feed the family and pay bills. Are they over their "hooah! I'm harder that woodpecker lips!" stage we all at some point went through? Are they burnt out on the stupid?

We all know the stupid: formation at 0530 Saturday morning because some single private in the other company got a DUI/DWI so we all get lectured til noon! Good idea fairy raiding HQs coming up with idiotic things. Sitting around for no reason because someone cannot lead. Busy work.

I'll say that I detest my unit. Sure - I like the guys/gals to my left and right. The kind of work to be done, the way the leadership handles things, "emergencies" resulting from piss-poor planning, firing from the hip on everything due to a lack of experience...

Some can/will say "then step up and be the change". After "playing the game" for so long, the game becomes dull, uninteresting and is not fulfilling in the least. I'm not interested in changing it. I just want to finish this contract, if I even have to go that long, and find something better than this.

The thing that drives the nail home: It's not the Army/Military any more. This is a political process, it's a horse and pony show. It's an organization that gets made to bear the burden for any wrong doing in DC. We're completely expendable. What about any of that makes "this the best place I've ever worked"?

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2014 7:47 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 19:47:37 -0500

SGT Daffin--when you are the center of the universe, you expect great things to happen. When no one discovers your particular form of genius, it must be them killing your Karma, for it couldn't possibly be you.

Response by MSG Floyd Williams made Nov 4 at 2014 9:54 PM

MSG Floyd Williams — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 21:54:07 -0500

It is different reasons why some people don't like their unit, it can be a morale and leadership issue, location meaning way out in the boon dock, unit readiness, just to name a few.

Response by Cpl Gregory Hajder made Nov 7 at 2014 3:16 PM

Cpl Gregory Hajder — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 15:16:31 -0500

because they joined the army.....

Response by PO3 Greg Lytwyn made Nov 8 at 2014 10:53 AM

PO3 Greg Lytwyn — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 10:53:10 -0500

for me it was how the different commands where run

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 8 at 2014 12:25 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 12:25:42 -0500

A unit is just a group of people. That being said, it makes it easier for Soldiers to "buy in" to a unit when their is history or tradition connected to that unit or type of unit. It also makes it easier to brag or praise a unit when you have had shared hardship, a selection process or common bond with the Soldiers to your left and right. But, overall I would say there is a lack of pride in a lot of units these days in age because of lack of "buy in" due to unit leadership p not instilling it in the new troops tbat arrive to the unit. Yes, with famed units such as 82nd AB, 101st AB, 75th Ranger Regiment, 10th Mountain it is easy because a lot of individuals choose to go to those units because of the tales of glory they have heard from their parents and grandparents. But, with newly redesignated units such Sustainment Brigades it is essential that the leadership tell the new Soldiers joining their unit of their exploits however new they are so that they can become those famed units in the next 50 years.

Response by SFC Josh Jackson made Nov 12 at 2014 11:06 PM

SFC Josh Jackson — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 23:06:20 -0500

Great question, SGT Daffin! Is it the unit that they don't like, or some aspect of it? I love my job, but I don't always like it. There are plenty of things I dislike about my job, and people I don't care for in my company. But I still love what I do!

When I was a SSG, I had a MSG explain to me that there was no such thing as the "real" Army. To clarify, whenever you're new to a unit, someone invariably approaches you and talks about how messed up this unit is, then pines for some unit where everything is gumdrops and cannon fire. They'll tell you something to the effect of "this isn't the real Army."

The problem with that is that everywhere you go is the real Army. Every unit is a slice of the pie. It has good leaders and bad, hard working Soldiers and lazy ones. It's possible to have a good section in an otherwise bad unit, and vice versa. It's all about the leadership. Is your boss trying to make the best of the situation? For that matter, are you?

Okay, so you don't like some aspects of your unit. Now what? What are you doing about it? Are you at least taking notes of what *not* to do in your next unit? There is life after a so-called bad unit, and everyone has something to teach you.

Response by SGT Hector Rojas, AIGA, SHA made May 22 at 2015 6:38 PM

SGT Hector Rojas, AIGA, SHA — Fri, 22 May 2015 18:38:54 -0400

At least from my perspective, so many expectations of the new unit I was going to, it had to be better than the mess I was about to leave behind...only to find it was the same. Army is the same no matter where you go.

Response by Amn Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 30 at 2015 3:22 AM

Amn Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 03:22:32 -0400

Not all units are being trained the same. As I said before we should give back the military and how it is ran to the top military men not the white house and the pay is horrible along with benefits. But we r not here to like each other but to back each other.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 16 at 2016 12:59 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 12:59:25 -0400

Most of the guys in my current unit have been there most of their careers. we are very officer heavy and about the only time anyone leaves is when they make LTC and go somewhere to take a BN command job.

Response by SSG Herman Bauman made Jul 22 at 2019 3:05 PM

SSG Herman Bauman — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 15:05:15 -0400

The worst unit is always the one you are in. The best unit is the one you were in last.