Posted on Jun 18, 2015
Why is an E5 Sergeant being treated like a junior enlisted?
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Ive noticed and been apart of the despair that treats Sergeants like junior enlisted. I understand that these are junior NCO's but they are NCO's in the end and have earned the rank. Vehicle searches (for E5 and below), packing layouts (E5 and below), having to buddy up to go to the px (or needing an E6 or higher to go with) etc....Im not oppose to any of this stuff but I just feel like when I was at that rank I earned the respect and confidence of my leadership and the army as a whole.
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Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 76
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Maybe because now it is afforded to them automatically when before they had to go to school?? Just a guess
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SGT Hector Rojas, AIGA, SHA
I'm 46 years old ( I came in to the Army at 42) and I do NOT tolerate to be talked down to or treated like a child by anyone. Officer or Senior NCO.
So a snot nosed 22 y/o butter bar is going to have to escort me because I am "just an E5?" I don't think so sir.
Or a 26 y/o E-7 is going to teach me about leadership skills and managing people because I am "just an E-5?"....when I was managing people and multimillion dollar projects as a civilian even before he joined the Army? I don't think so.
If I make a mistake as an NCO then deal me my punishment and done. I am really tired and aggravated about the whole "mass punishment" madness running rampant.
Schooling doesn't mean maturity, or common sense, or experience.
So a snot nosed 22 y/o butter bar is going to have to escort me because I am "just an E5?" I don't think so sir.
Or a 26 y/o E-7 is going to teach me about leadership skills and managing people because I am "just an E-5?"....when I was managing people and multimillion dollar projects as a civilian even before he joined the Army? I don't think so.
If I make a mistake as an NCO then deal me my punishment and done. I am really tired and aggravated about the whole "mass punishment" madness running rampant.
Schooling doesn't mean maturity, or common sense, or experience.
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SGT (Join to see)
I actually joined when I was 24 so it was really hard to take orders from the youngins
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SGT Michael Frotten
It's not about age, it's about respecting the rank. Everyone in had to take orders eventually from someone who was younger and inexperienced, pointing out the young LT's coming in, no offense Sir's. But you respected their rank. If something needed to be addressed it would be done in private and not in front of the soldiers/troops. No exceptions. If the soldiers/troops see you do it, they will follow suit. be a leader not a boss.
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We are promoting spc’s too fast, they don’t know how to lead or still do the right thing. The sgt rank is just handed to them, I was a SPC for 2 years and a cpl for 1yr before getting my strips. I feel like I learned how to lead I knew how to do the right thing at the right time at the right place. The newer “e-5” are still acting like 4’s with strips on there chest. So with this new promotion system they don’t know what they are doing because they picked up 5 in 3 not know how anything works.
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Being a section chief my next in command was a E-5 making sure this individual female or male understood that the foundation to building a great relation ship with the solders you lead is respect and remember to lead by example a great NCO is one who takes time to listen to his solders on each training mission and not afraid to give it a try.
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Excellent question SSG Russell. In My opinion every unit is different and PLT SGTs hold thier TLs or SQD Leaders at a certain level. Keep in mind that CPLs and E5 SGTs are still NCOs. If that SGT has the proven ability to be a true leader on His own, then the PLT SGT will view Him as a true leader. But, in today's Army there are Soldiers who are promoted rapidly without the necessary skills and experience to be a true leader. One reason that He'll be treated as a junior enlisted individual. Orders role downhill. And, if that SGT can't perform the taks that the PLT SGT asks Him to do, then the PLT SGT will hold that TL or SQD Leader at a certain level.
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I agree with you, but if it helps in Korea all E6 and below were barracks Soldiers it didn't matter if u are promotable
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Sometimes it's a matter of perceived maturity. As leaders we must earn the respect of peers, subordinates, and superiors. Authority is less about position and more so transactional or transformational. The situation usually dictates which is more effective but seldom is positional authority most important.
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SGT Stephen Scott
I didn't test out, at the end of my first enlistment, I decided toget out. Jr. NCO's had no authority.
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I retired from Ft Hood, one reason was I witness disrespect for senior NCO’s upon entering the post on change of station from overseas. I saw Sergeant Majors performing not supervising police call on the base. Senior NCO’s not supervising but performing police duties cleaning debris from inside sewer drains. The supervision was junior officers.
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I’ve never had this problem, but I was fortunate enough to be a Drill Sergeant as an E5. On the trail, every one of my battles were senior to me, but we were one team in a sea of privates and I was treated as their equal. I may have been tasked to stay late and do some train-ups for the next day, teach the boring classes, be a demonstrator in the more physically demanding or just messy tasks. But I took pride in showing all those recruits how it’s done, with three stripes on my chest. I put myself through hell to earn those stripes, and gladly showed my soldiers what an E5 should be.
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