It is my feeling that we are losing the professional part of today’s Army because of a lack of training. I am not talking about training given at the unit level, but at the initial entry level. Kinder, gentler drill sergeants are training today’s Soldiers, not the tougher and harsher ones of the past generations. This I feel is a big part of the discipline problems we, as non-commissioned officers, face in today’s Army. The non-commissioned officers of today are faced with a much greater role in …show more content…
training new Soldiers. Not only do we have to train them to do their jobs correctly but also we have to instill the discipline and respect they do not get during basic training anymore. When we get new Soldiers they do not got to parade rest and act as if we are their buddy.
Today’s Soldier doesn’t always join to be a part of the call to defend the nation but to get a college education or a steady job.
Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with increasing your knowledge; I feel that you must first commit to being a Soldier. Being a Soldier first is a vital and important part of being a professional. As a non-commissioned officer it is my duty to impress upon my Soldiers the importance of training. This must start with the way in which I carry myself both on and off duty if I do not set the example then who will? I see many of my peers who do not set the example for their Soldiers or they set the wrong one. If you say something to them they often get angry and respond with a rude comment. The most common problem I see is the non-commissioned officers hanging out with their Soldiers or letting the Soldiers treat them as if they we peers. This is not the standard and should not be
tolerated.
We as leaders must strive to re-instill the professional part of the Army. It is our responsibility as leaders to do whatever is necessary to right the ship and lead our Soldiers back to the high status we once held. I believe that is going to be a long, arduous task. I feel we must revert to the old ways of training Soldiers from the beginning starting with reinstating the drill sergeants during advanced individual training. Non-commissioned officers must remember there is only one standard. That does not change from post to post or because you are deployed. There is only one so it is our responsibility to enforce that standard. We, the non-commissioned officers, must also strive to increase our education both military and civilian in order to train and mentor our Soldiers. We must understand the outside influences our Soldiers face on a daily basis as well as know the challenges they face within the Army. I do not think every non-commissioned officer is truly in touch with the needs of their Soldiers. I also see most of the NCO’s come to work and just sit behind a computer and bark orders instead of getting on the shop floor and showing the Soldier what needs to be done. When the time comes at the end of the day most non-commissioned officers just go home and don’t give any thought about what their Soldiers are going to do. We the NCO’s need to take our Soldiers and show them what opportunities are available to them when the work day is done. Take the time to get you squad together after work and go to the education center, get them enrolled in some classes. Teach them what they need to do in order to obtain their next rank. Lastly I feel that by showing concern for your Soldiers overall well being, education and training as well as the well being of their family will have the most impact on our ability to return the professionalism to today’s Army