One of the things I've found very peculiar about the Army is the command structure. Whereas, in the civilian world, there's only one boss, in the Army there are two parallel lines of authority -- officer and enlisted.
At the company level, the two people at the top are the company commander (usually a captain, O-3) and the first sergeant (E-8). The captain sets the policy, and the first sergeant implements the actions.
At the platoon level, it gets more ambiguous. The platoon sergeant (E-7) takes orders from the first sergeant, but they also have to take orders from the platoon leader (usually a newbie second lieutenant).
In a good situation, the platoon sergeant takes the lieutenant under his wing, guides him through what they need to do, and shows him how to expect respect as an officer. However, in a less-than-perfect situation, the platoon sergeant can cut the platoon leader out of the equation and leave him dangling.
This isn't quite the situation I'm in, but it's close. My platoon sergeant has been out a lot, and it's frequently left me out of the loop.
So now here's my dilemma: how hard should I try to make things better? On one hand, I'd like to leave my platoon better than when I came in, but there's no incentive for that. For better or worse, nothing I do (short of a criminal act) is going to change my promotion timetable.
On the other hand, I don't want to be the worthless lieutenant -- the "butter bar" who just fills a slot and soaks up taxpayer dollars. I'd rather spend my time learning new things and taking on new challenges, but when there's really nothing more than an intrinsic reward for it, it's harder to be motivated.
So what do I do? Simply sustain what's already been attained, or push myself for a temporary "surge" in platoon operations for the impermanent benefit of my soldiers?
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3 comments:
You do what you have to do. Lead your platoon to the best of your abilities, even though you may think it doesn't make a difference it will. Do it as best as you can.
I know nothing about leading a Platoon, except from what I hear and see Kenny doing, but I would agree with Robert above said. Strive and do your best, it will only benefit you in the future. It will help mold you into the Officer you want to be and not the lazy one that just sits around and orders others around. What you do now could lead into a habit and you will eventually be promoted based upon what you do instead of time at a certain rank. But that is just my two sense.
On another note, I hope all is going well for you. We are enjoying our time in Korea, but are ready to come home!
Just be more hands on. Don't be afraid to work with the Junior NCOs and Junior Enlisted in their daily duties. Don't do anything that they should be doing, but get more in the weeds from time to time. Ask questions, observe and learn. This will build confidence in yourself and your junior corps will be more confident in your leadership abilities.
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