Do I need to counsel a soldier before recommending a soldier for a bar to reenlistment?

You aren't prepared to make such a recommendation if you do not no the process, standards, and applicable regulations. I suggest you raise this issue with the first NCO in your NCOSC.

Ultimately, you do not recommend a bar, you provide a counseling packet to the commander and they ultimately make the decision.

Keep in mind, if you try to bar someone just because you don’t like them, or haven’t put in the time with them to improve them, then you aren’t ready to be a leader.

YES, Blast it- Any Good or bad action they should be counseled. They had to have done something wrong to recommend a bar- w/o a counseling statement or a trail on them- you have no to little proof why the Chain of C should follow your recommendation.