What is the best advice you have ever received?

2017-10-07T09:04:10-04:00

I've gotten a lot of advice in life. A lot of it was BS. Some of it was great. What are some great pieces of advice you've been given, military or otherwise?

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Oct 7 at 2017 9:19 AM

2017-10-07T09:19:12-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member: "Don't rest on your laurels." -Margaret

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2017 10:43 AM

2017-10-07T10:43:21-04:00

"Drink Water and Stay Motivated" -Drill Sergeant

"Troop Straps Save Lives" -Platoon Sergeant

But seriously, the best advice I've received has been: "Feet and Knees Together Erhbone!" -Sergeant Airborne

Ok, seriously this time, a now retired but influential Warrant Officer in my past told me, "The longer a Soldier stays in the Army, they either drink the Kool-Aid or become Cynical."

It wasn't really advice, moreso than a more experienced perspective of my observations at that point. My observations were that genuine care for the Mission and the Soldiers absolutely mattered at the ground level, where the mission took place and the Soldiers lived; but not much above there, unless one was willing to make noise two levels up, to bring attention to their accomplishments.

The best advice I've formed over the years, is to never forget the true power of morale, and how positively recognizing a Soldier's work through verbal, written, or award methods can vastly improve their motivation to perform. Army re-enlistments rely to much on "I need to get out of this unit," rather than Soldiers staying because they truly feel appreciated. If Soldiers only ever receive negative counselings, they often won't assume they are doing well because of confirmation bias, and as this compounds over time, their morale will continue to drop. Be that NCO who breaks the norm, and hits them with positive Event-Oriented Counselings, or pulling them aside in private and commending their work, when applicable, and see how their morale changes.

Just my $0.02

Response by MAJ Montgomery Granger made Oct 7 at 2017 4:08 PM

2017-10-07T16:08:21-04:00

"Follow your gut." The example that went along with that piece of advice came from my Battlefield Ethics instructor in OCS. He was a battlefield promoted LTC, who high-jacked a helicopter in Vietnam to go and extract his buddy from a fire fight when the chopper pilot refused to go back for them after extracting the then SGT. He was called on the carpet by the BN CO, and instead of a reprimand or Article 15, he received a battlefield commission to Second Lieutenant. The LTC displayed the highest possible loyalty and personal courage, two revered Army values, to do what every soldier should do - never leave your buddies behind. Always do the right thing, no matter what.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Oct 8 at 2017 12:44 AM

2017-10-08T00:44:21-04:00

"This, too, shall pass."

Response by CSM Eric Biggs made Oct 8 at 2017 6:27 AM

2017-10-08T06:27:49-04:00

SGT Nicholas Senn
The best advice I received in the Army was from my first Squad Leader; "nobody F%&cks my Soldiers but me, and since that will NEVER happen, NOBODY F%&CKS my Soldiers". What that means is if anyone is disrespecting, mistreating, not recognizing, not going to bat for my Soldiers, I as their leader will cause such a storm as far up the chain as is required to get it fixed. This advice has served me well. When your Soldiers see how far you are willing to go for their benefit, or on their behalf, they will go into Hell to slap the devil for you!
Once as an E-7, when some of my Soldiers were getting screwed out of going to school, I went to bat for them with the 1SG and Co. When that fell on def ears I used the Battalion Commander's open door policy and addressed it with him and the CSM. This to fell on def ears, but before I could got to the Brigade command team my Soldiers transferred, and I was told to find a new home, I was causing to many waves. 9 months later I was promoted to MSG, given a Company and laterally appointed to 1SG. 3 years later I came back to the other unit as the 1SG, and am currently the top rated company in the BN. One of those two Soldiers has come back to my unit and is my best NCO. If I have my say he will take my place as the 1SG when I move on.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 31 at 2017 5:37 PM

2017-12-31T17:37:02-05:00

If you fall down 7 times, stand back up 8.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Aug 23 at 2019 10:25 AM

2019-08-23T10:25:41-04:00

Some questions on here just tend to catch my eye, you're obv did...that being said, it'd be extremely.difficult to synopsize every iota of advice in that fashion I've ever been given...however, when I was in, I found out very rapidly that, no matter how one plans to be doing a certain thing when in, all too often that just simply doesn't happen, whether due to inexperience, impulsiveness, poor planning, sheer benighted ignorance, or just plain bad luck, maybe a combination of all of.them...when that happens, the most important thing anyone in any svc can remember is that, wherever one ends up, whoever one ends up working under, the inherent responsibility is just simply to accept it...you can't change it, you can't fight it, it's like trying to fight God, you're just not gonna win, no way, no how...your sole function is to do your small.fragment of day to.day work as best as you're able, and, no matter how temoted, bored, frustrated, or feeling thwarted you might feel at any given moment, to just simply learn to cooperate, or you're just gonna wind up, in the end, regretting not doing so, for the simple reason that you're just gonna wind up losing all your hard work to get in, in the first place, by not cooperating to begin with...the other major lesson is learned is that, in any serious field, regardless.if what it is, there are gonna be aspects that'll hold your interest, if you give them, and those you're compelled to be under doing them for, if you just give them half a chance, and just simply learn to keep.your often silly, stupid mouth shut, and your personal.ambitions to yourself...svcs don't care beyond a certain point about one's own oersonal.ambitions, except in so far as those ambitions help the larger goal of the unit you're in at any given moment...I quite literally needed to effectively have my head pounded figuratively into concrete pavement God only knows how many times, by God only knows how many really important people before I finally learned my place.in the Godalmighty universe...many people told.me.much that contributed to that set of thoughts, though, for the most part, I finally symbolized that viewpoint on my own after basically bollixing up more times than even God could keep track of, I can't even remotely count that high, honest...I was told,.and told, and told, to just simply basically shut up and do my work...once I did, I started to learn to function in the role I found myself in, way too late,.admittedly, which has nagged at me ever since, I'd be the first to admit it, I assure all of.you...in a svc, the fundamental tent is svc, you're there to serve, not be served, it's just as simple.as.that, honest, that's the simple truth is found to be the case...I've met two Apollo astronauts, sat with my unit CO, a Vietnam war hero, who got the DFC and flew over 400 combat missions in Vietnam as a forward air controller (FAC), trust me, he most definitely straightened me out, albeit, as haooened, unfortunately, way too late to ultimately do any tangible good beyond the experience of leaving the room with him feeling like a.limp.dishrag, honest...he was by no means the only one, he merely had the longest lasting impression on me, I just wish to God is had a chance to have met him earlier on, before my own ignorance, cloddishness, and ineptitude totally collided up everything I'd accmpomplisjed, or tried to, that's why I'm total oerm.disabled now...very long, weary, tried story, I'm equally weary of recounting, however, I figured given your question it might be worthwhile for all.of.you to hear it, if nothing else, you know?

Response by SSgt Jim Gilmore made Mar 7 at 2022 9:50 AM

2022-03-07T09:50:45-05:00

Listen with then intent to understand, not with the intent to respond.

Response by PO3 Patrick Armstrong made Mar 10 at 2022 1:31 AM

2022-03-10T01:31:20-05:00

be eclectic take just a piece