What is the best advice you can give a junior Soldier?

No matter what, get that civilian education. I used to go as a PFC just for the promotion points, but I was going. Then 11 years later as a CW2 I finally finished. Guess what? The education was one of the most keys factors in CW3/4/5 selection.

Went to a Hail and Farewell Thursday night and the 1SG was becoming a civilian, his advice to all was education. He had applied for and was qualified for about 25 jobs, but every job told him that due to his LACK of a degree that he was not competitive for the positions for which he applied.

With the number of online degrees and training, I cringe when I see formations wired together and playing video games for hours when the mission takes a pause, if they networked and took college, it is more productive, so take time and get some schooling.

I encourage them to sit down and think about where he or she wants to be in 5, 10, 15, and 20 years.  Once the Soldier has completed that I encourage them to then write out what he or she needs to do to reach the goals (make benchmarks) .  I then encourage them to write down those benchmarks in priority and place them somewhere he or she looks daily.  As each benchmark is completed cross it off and move on to the next.  I am a strong believer that goals are put on paper and dreams are in your mind.

Take College and use their TA!