Where can I research the topic of talking to multiple career counselors? Is this against any regulation or policy?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 May 2021 23:59:38 -0400

I’m am getting a lot of heat because I decided to talk to a different carreer counselor. It was my bad not giving the courtesy to mine. I went back to his office and told me he can’t talk to me unless it’s with my PSG. Does that sounds reasonable. Where can I refer to, for research on the topic?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 3 at 2021 12:14 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 May 2021 00:14:04 -0400

Your Career Counselor is attached to your Battalion. You have one Career Counselor who is authorized to work with you. If there's an issue you can go see their boss at Brigade. It's not a matter of giving them the courtesy. Would you go to different Platoon and ask their PSG if you can put in for leave? When Soldiers are Career Counselor shopping it means they don't like the answer they got from their own Career Counselor, and they're looking for someone to give them a different answer. I'm not surprised your Career Counselor is making your PSG come with you. Because the next thing you know you have Soldiers emailing HRC and school houses and getting different answers and it's a huge headache.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made May 3 at 2021 8:51 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Mon, 03 May 2021 08:51:51 -0400

You went to a counselor from a different Unit? That's odd. Generally when folks it sends a red flag because if they are going outside of their bubble there is generally a reason. Look at it like you are 8 yr old and asked Mom for Ice Cream. She said no so you go to Dad and ask the same question because you really want ice cream. Your Counselor wants your PSG there because it is CYA on their part. You broke protocol and he wants to know why but he also wants a third party on hand to help keep things grounded.

Response by CSM Carl Cunningham made May 3 at 2021 9:38 AM

CSM Carl Cunningham — Mon, 03 May 2021 09:38:45 -0400

SPC Private RallyPoint Member , while not technically against a policy or regulation, it can cause you heartache later. As long as you are doing it to get a different perspective, you still need to work through YOUR Career Counselor to action anything. Your generation of Soldier never trusts one source, so I get why you did it. Some of us more senior people get livid when you do it, but I have just accepted it. As long as you follow the right processes after getting a different perspective, you will do ok in your career.

Now, as far as the counselor only wanting to talk to you with your PSG, you brought that on yourself. You broke the trust of a lot of leaders by going outside the unit (which it sounds like you brought up that you did that when trying to get your way), and now the counselor wants one of your leaders there as a witness to what you are being told. It sounds totally reasonable and hopefully you learned something from this.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 3 at 2021 11:28 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 May 2021 11:28:41 -0400

There are reasons to bump the chain and go outside of it, without more information I'm not sure this qualifies. You didn't do anything wrong per se, but at the same time your Career Counselor is going to cover their bases now that you did go outside the chain.

You'll never hear me say every NCO and officer you talk to is right, you'll find a lot of morons with rank. If they're not touched in the head, then they got lazy and didn't read the regulation before giving you advice from the hip.

That said, there are a lot of NCO's and officers with a lot of experience and knowledge to give. Remember the saying, "trust but verify".

Always look up the regulation first, if you can't find it or don't understand it seek out an NCO in your chain. If the NCO isn't able to get it they usually go up the chain or to a SME. In this case the Career Counselor would be the ones your NCO's would go to.

If you don't like what your counselor is saying you can certainly research other options but jumping the chain to another counselor will certainly end up with this result. It's kind of like using the 1SG/CSM open door policy when you don't have to, sure you can do it and you won't get in trouble but it changes peoples perspective.