Posted on Apr 24, 2018
The Army Reserve Simply Doesn’t Have Enough People Willing to Fill Command Slots
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Guard going through similar issues...
The Army Reserve Simply Doesn’t Have Enough People Willing to Fill Command Slots
Posted from taskandpurpose.com
Officers
Senior Leaders
NCOs
Company Commander
Reserves
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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Willing or Capable Sir, from experience many should never be given a command as they are like throwing sand into and motor and hoping for the best. Toxic and incompetent leadership can have a worse effect than being short commanders. That applies on the NCO side as well.
On a side note the use of Reserves troops as office Temps by the Active duty and never ending back to back deployments took its toll on the Officer and NCO Corp over the last 17 years. Its hard to support a family and pay your bills with your main employment being a civilian job when you are absent on deployments so much, regardless of USERRA employers find a way to do away with employees that spend most of their time in the sand box. An many own their own businesses and go under due to deployments.
On a side note the use of Reserves troops as office Temps by the Active duty and never ending back to back deployments took its toll on the Officer and NCO Corp over the last 17 years. Its hard to support a family and pay your bills with your main employment being a civilian job when you are absent on deployments so much, regardless of USERRA employers find a way to do away with employees that spend most of their time in the sand box. An many own their own businesses and go under due to deployments.
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1SG Dennis Hicks
Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth - Sir, I have heard of that happening but I saw more folks lose their own business when deployed back to back, one MAJ just said screw it and volunteered for multiple deployments, he was a good officer yet in the end when the train ride was over he was scrambling to find employment to pay his bills and support his family.
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LTC John Griscom
Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth - The law says the job must be at least equivalent in pay to what existed before. If the employer does the right thing, the individual filling the vacancy should be told that the position is temporary until the servicemember returns.
There have been cases where, because of restructuring, the job no longer exists.
Servicemembers can contact the ESGR when issues come up.
ESGR informs and educates Service members and their civilian employers regarding their rights and responsibilities governed by the Uniformed Services Employment Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). ESGR does not enforce USERRA, but serves as a free resource for employers and Service members.
Questions
ESGR's Customer Service Center is available to answer USERRA questions or to refer cases to a trained Ombudsman. Contact the Customer Service Center Monday through Friday (except Federal Holidays) toll-free at [login to see] , Option 1, between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM (ET); e-mail us at [login to see] ; or complete an online form.
There have been cases where, because of restructuring, the job no longer exists.
Servicemembers can contact the ESGR when issues come up.
ESGR informs and educates Service members and their civilian employers regarding their rights and responsibilities governed by the Uniformed Services Employment Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). ESGR does not enforce USERRA, but serves as a free resource for employers and Service members.
Questions
ESGR's Customer Service Center is available to answer USERRA questions or to refer cases to a trained Ombudsman. Contact the Customer Service Center Monday through Friday (except Federal Holidays) toll-free at [login to see] , Option 1, between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM (ET); e-mail us at [login to see] ; or complete an online form.
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CPT (Join to see)
I agree Top,
you can't serve two masters,
only one of them pays the bills (doesn't help that everything is getting more and more expensive)
the other has degraded into a crazy ex girlfriend stalker that keeps calling for all of your attention, time, and money
you can't serve two masters,
only one of them pays the bills (doesn't help that everything is getting more and more expensive)
the other has degraded into a crazy ex girlfriend stalker that keeps calling for all of your attention, time, and money
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WOW...command and leading troops is a privilege very few get to hold. I would think people would be jumping at the chance to effectively lead. Surprising and a little bit disturbing at the same time that we are putting people in command that shouldn't be commanders because that is all we have to choose from. It takes a special leader to be an effective commander...IMHO.
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LTC (Join to see)
SSG(P) Duke Allen - I've been getting emails stating that unless I "opt-out" I will be considered for BN command.
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I had thrown in my two cents on a similar post, but here it goes:
Why is that you say?
Because many already in the pipeline get overwhelmed with extra duty, extra time dedicated at the expense of our own time ( both family and work) IOT meet deadlines, briefings, TELECONs and a myriad of other numerous taskers, on our own dime. For free.
The USAR needs to work HARD and make more efforts to RETAIN the available talent they already have. Not dick them with pay shortages, restrict career movement, deployment opportunities and administrative/ policy bullshit, instead of focusing on recruiting raw material with limited experience. WAIT, sounds familiar.........or yes, Silicon valley comes to mind. After all, why pay already established experienced officers when you can get cheaper by the dozen ?
That also means that those up higher need to understand, that those of us in the USAR cannot be expected to run around conducting command duties on our own time, while balancing jobs, business obligations, family demands, school to name a few. It is unrealistic, and unreasonable.
Easier for someone on a full time position to pass judgement. I'm just saying.
I don't work for free. Not in the civilian world, nor in the military.
So let's start by paying people their fair share.
Why is that you say?
Because many already in the pipeline get overwhelmed with extra duty, extra time dedicated at the expense of our own time ( both family and work) IOT meet deadlines, briefings, TELECONs and a myriad of other numerous taskers, on our own dime. For free.
The USAR needs to work HARD and make more efforts to RETAIN the available talent they already have. Not dick them with pay shortages, restrict career movement, deployment opportunities and administrative/ policy bullshit, instead of focusing on recruiting raw material with limited experience. WAIT, sounds familiar.........or yes, Silicon valley comes to mind. After all, why pay already established experienced officers when you can get cheaper by the dozen ?
That also means that those up higher need to understand, that those of us in the USAR cannot be expected to run around conducting command duties on our own time, while balancing jobs, business obligations, family demands, school to name a few. It is unrealistic, and unreasonable.
Easier for someone on a full time position to pass judgement. I'm just saying.
I don't work for free. Not in the civilian world, nor in the military.
So let's start by paying people their fair share.
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MAJ (Join to see)
MAJ (Join to see) - Try a BTA weekend when you show up, with your Joes showing up only to find out that " suddenly" there is no LIK, and no available meals after it had been determined there would be ( or sorry, there IS MREs).
We forked out for them to have a decent meal.
Situations like this are one of the many reasons why the USAR finds it difficult to find Officers willing to commit. It makes you jaded and cynical very quickly.
It's not just about the "honor" or " privilege" to be in command.
Before you do that, you need to have the tools, i.e appropriate equipment, fuel, sustainment, ensure pay is properly processed and ON TIME, and many, many other factors before we even get on pedestal. Basic shit I'm talking about. And that's where the USAR keeps coming up short.
Platitudes and sales pitches do not motivate soldiers and do not put food on his table. Results do.
But what do I know.
We forked out for them to have a decent meal.
Situations like this are one of the many reasons why the USAR finds it difficult to find Officers willing to commit. It makes you jaded and cynical very quickly.
It's not just about the "honor" or " privilege" to be in command.
Before you do that, you need to have the tools, i.e appropriate equipment, fuel, sustainment, ensure pay is properly processed and ON TIME, and many, many other factors before we even get on pedestal. Basic shit I'm talking about. And that's where the USAR keeps coming up short.
Platitudes and sales pitches do not motivate soldiers and do not put food on his table. Results do.
But what do I know.
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MAJ (Join to see)
MAJ (Join to see) Sir I used to think we had it bad in the Guard. But from what you've described I'm thankful that as a Commander I've been able to fend off many of the challenges you've mentioned. I would not have been able to do that without the support of my BN CO, my unit's designation for additional training scrutiny under OBJ-T.
I agree it takes someone special to be able to not let the shortcomings of the military or the increased requirements and the toll they take on your civilian job and your family. In my case both are frayed due to my dedication to my unit. 160+ troops and everyone of them has 2-4 people that care about them, so to me those 400-650 people weigh more than the few in my family so I give them my all as long as I'm their Commander and responsible for them and their welfare.
Should I have a better balance, sure, but I believe and was taught that Leadership comes at a high price and more you progress the lonelier it gets as you are more removed from the troops and are trapped behind a desk some where some day.
Until that day though I'm going to fight for my Soldiers to get them equipment, training aids, food and any other supplies we need to effectively train and develop them. And when I get caught behind a desk I will not forget the lessons I have learned as a young Officer, just as I have not forgotten the lessons I was taught as a young Enlisted.
I agree it takes someone special to be able to not let the shortcomings of the military or the increased requirements and the toll they take on your civilian job and your family. In my case both are frayed due to my dedication to my unit. 160+ troops and everyone of them has 2-4 people that care about them, so to me those 400-650 people weigh more than the few in my family so I give them my all as long as I'm their Commander and responsible for them and their welfare.
Should I have a better balance, sure, but I believe and was taught that Leadership comes at a high price and more you progress the lonelier it gets as you are more removed from the troops and are trapped behind a desk some where some day.
Until that day though I'm going to fight for my Soldiers to get them equipment, training aids, food and any other supplies we need to effectively train and develop them. And when I get caught behind a desk I will not forget the lessons I have learned as a young Officer, just as I have not forgotten the lessons I was taught as a young Enlisted.
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