What are the direct leaders doing for the Army?

[static69]

I am an instructor at PLDC. This last cycle, we had a soldier attend that had 4 months left in the army. He was downrange, promoted down range, and sent to an NCOES school with 4 months left in the Army. He WASTED a slot that a soldier could have filled. The kid had the short timers attitude the whole time and showed no appreciation for where he was and what he was receiving. What are the direct leaders in the army doing? Are we not the quality control? I just have a hard time justifying the act of sending what is practically a civilian to an NCOES school, when there are those that are dedicated to the service waiting for a slot. Is this BS or do I just have ideals that are too...... 1980

[19K4XA8]

interesting observation. But, the real question should be why are force feeding soldiers to the grade of E5? Notice that I did not ask why we are making Sergeants.
The current policy of sending all E4's in the primary zone to the promotion board is putting soldiers in leadership positions that are not prepared. Yes I understand that is our job to prepare soldiers for the next level. How can anyone expect a soldier with only 2-3 years time in service to be prepared to lead others in stressful combat situations?

[static69]

I dont believe in force feeding the soldier to the e-5 board. The problem is not the higher leadership saying you will send them to the board. The direct leader just has to smile and take the soldier. NO one said that I had to tell the board that the soldier is ready. NO one is telling the direct leaders to not to counsel the soldier on why he/she is not ready. If a leader is doing his/her job, then force feeding soldiers to the board will just result in alot of soldiers not being recommend for promotion. Personally, I think that direct leaders (e-5/e-6) are scared to tell a soldier that they are not SERGEANT material. Proper counseling and good observation and recording can prevent most of the "forced" soldiers to not get recommended. Just asking questions with the students at PLDC, and going over the counseling class with them, none of them have ever truly been "counseled." I will give it to the 11B's. They set a standard, and hold it. If you are tore up, you are not going. I have too many E-5's with no idea about leadership coming to PLDC. Yes, they can clear a room, and they can engage targets at 4000 meters, and yes; they can even process pay paperwork.

But if you start putting these soldiers in positions outside combat, outside the MOS skills, they are lost. What do you do if a soldier that is normally spit-shined and pressed comes to work for a week looking like he/she just slept in a duffle bag? The most common answer I received was corrective training. Most along the line of smoke the sh1t out of the soldier or the old change uniforms every hour for 12 hours. No one ever thinks to ask why they are this way. They look for a quick fix. This is not leadership. Not in my eyes anyway. I want to know what in his/her life is detracting from his/her duties. Personal problems; financial problems; marriage problems; some one important in their lives die recently?

Also, no one wants to punish. Soldiers that are unable can be trained. Soldiers that are unwilling need to be gone. Stop wasting good soldiers time on futile people. The Army has restricted te ability of the recruiter and the Drill Sergeant to eliminate those that are unfit. It is the job now of the direct leader to eliminate those that are not worthy of the army. A soldier can be great in the field, but a **** bag in garrison. That person is not a whole soldier. If you cant fix it, he/she needs to go home.

The fix I thinks comes from when they intially receive teh promotion to a leadership position. They should be moved to a new location. It is hard for someone to be a leader of someone they were just a follower with. This is not happening. In the 200 students I have had in the last couple of months, they just stay with their friends. I am more apt to cover something up for a friend than i am someone I met 2 weeks ago and I am responsible for.

Again....too 1980?

[tch1718a]

No way. Not too 1980.
You make several good points and I can understand where your coming from, I've seen it myself.

There are an untold number of things that affect a soldiers performance, you listed the top ones. I'm afraid I don't have a good answer as to what can be done about it, especially with a short timer.

As a 19 D MOSQ instructor I was often in the same position. I found that with some troops you just have to cut your losses. It's a horrible thing to say and for me it was nearly impossible to do. But I have had 50 year old PFC's and Spc's that had 15 years in grade. Some of those guys could not be rolled out of bed if you set it on fire. This is going back a few years and I think it's gotten better since - it better have, or these guys are runnig crews by now.

How much of this are you seeing? Is it a typical problem or just the occasional? I'm hoping it's a rare thing but I'm interested in knowing.

I know I've not been any help to you but I hope that you keep us informed.

[static69]

The incident about the short soldier was a one time deal... I hope. however...I get 10 students at PLDC every month that tell me they were forced to come...that they were told they were going. I should not have to tell a soldier to go to professional development school. If they say they do not want to go...that is a failure to seek self development. Is that not punishable under UCMJ? Another problem I have with the leadership in todays army is this. There is a packing list for school. If you dont have it when you get here, then you have 72 hours to get it. That is fine and dandy. But what happens at 73 hours? The leadership has already told us that they are not going to send someone home because they have 5 pairs of socks. Why not? That sounds like a good way to get soldiers back into the business of soldiers. When we send 30 students home for not having piddly stuff....say socks or a bowtie... the leadership at all levels should get a wake up call and say "Hey... who is not doing their job?" We are successful at the large scale things. Soldiers can perform in combat. But when the little things are over looked....attention to detail...eventually the trend will carry over into the larger stuff. Make the leaders check the small stuff and the big stuff will fall into place. That was the way I was taught and it seems to be working for me. I just see an army that is failing at the basic soldier skills. But that is just me.