Favoritism or fairness?

CPL Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 19:21:36 -0500

As a senior leader in a chain of command preparing as a unit for deployment, when filling unmanned slots in your company by cross leveling from other companies, would you turn down a soldier that had been with you on the same mission in the past with nothing negative to speak of, or choose a soldier unknown to you or less experienced/qualified to fill that slot under the reasoning of "they haven't been, so it's fair"?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2015 7:48 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 19:48:21 -0500

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS.
I would bring the best person for the job.
And I did, when it was my turn to make those decisions.

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Feb 9 at 2015 8:29 PM

SGT Jim Z. — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 20:29:56 -0500

CPL Private RallyPoint Member and like @1SG (P) Jerry Healy I would pick the correct people for the mission. I would take the known over the unknown.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2015 8:43 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 20:43:34 -0500

1SG Healy hit it on the mark. Fully agree! If it was a known choice and the lesser known experienced Soldier knew he was being considered but not selected, I would call him in, sit him down and talk to him. I would let him know the reason I didn't choose him was not due to anything negative, and then explain the reason why I didn't choose him and selected the other Soldier (i.e. Experience; Qualified; Comraderarie; Famaliarity;

Also let him know that he should continue to train and learn; building on his experience and letting him know his time may come all too soon. Someone in the chain of command should let him know, plus you may have one pissed off experience Trooper to talk to once he finds out, you've choosen him....again! It goes both ways.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Feb 9 at 2015 9:14 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 21:14:14 -0500

Honestly it depends.

The only way you gain experience is by doing.

So sometimes, you have to take someone who is less experienced so they have experience for the future. You have to rotate people around, and in essence, it is "fair."

Now, this isn't a case of "Want" but a case of "Need." Of course, I would Want to take the more experienced person each and every time. It makes the mission go smoother. However, from a Need standpoint, it really does make more sense to make sure everyone is on a more even standpoint, training wise.

Response by CPL Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2015 9:16 PM

CPL Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 21:16:24 -0500

@bryan

Response by GySgt Joe Strong made Feb 9 at 2015 9:27 PM

GySgt Joe Strong — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 21:27:40 -0500

Great Answers so far! But I think your question starts with a false premise. There's no favoritism in your initial question. There's simply the ability to choose between known and unknown quantities.
Brings up 2 answers.
A) If it's for an Operational Deployment, unless the known quantity is a Dirtbag, he's going every time.
B) if it's for an Exercise, I'm taking the New Guy probably 90% of the time and the other 10% involve his part being so integral & critical to the exercise that I cannot do without the known quantities already developed skill set.
Bottom line, Either way it's about completing the mission. In an Exercise, I can afford to grow and train subordinates. In an Operation, I need all hands putting out. If they grow, great, but you can't see an Operation as a training exercise.