Posted on Apr 20, 2014

Should leaders encourage PFC or new SPC to attend WLC as early as possible?

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WLC is primarily a course that teaches and mentors young potential leaders to develop effective leadership. WLC is a course that can ready Soldiers to hold the Team Leader position or even the Squad Leader position effectively.

If PFC or new SPC are able to finish the WLC course early, I think they can hold the position of leadership effectively and take the initiative in the absence of order rather than giving the excuse, "I didn't know any better because I'm a private."

I believe that Soldiers can be given a early stage of leadership experience through WLC and use the early experience in future when they are officially given the leadership position.

What do you guys think about this?

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Posted >1 y ago

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1SG Steven Stankovich

Posted >1 y ago

While I have always supported sending those who are ready, this is new regulatory guidance:

SUBJ: ALARACT 104/2014 - WARRIOR LEADER COURSE (WLC) AND ADVANCE LEADERS COURSE (ALC) COMMON CORE (ALC-CC) ATTENDANCE

UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED BY USAITA ON BEHALF OF//DAMO-TRL//

...

SUBJECT: WARRIOR LEADER COURSE (WLC) AND ADVANCE LEADERS COURSE (ALC) COMMON CORE (ALC-CC) ATTENDANCE

1. REFERENCES:

A. AR 350-1 ARMY TRAINING AND LEADER DEVELOPMENT, DATED 18 DEC 09.

B. AR 600-100, ARMY LEADERSHIP, 8 MAR 07.

C. AR 600-8-19, ENLISTED PROMOTIONS AND REDUCTIONS, 30 APR 10 (RAR 001, 27 DEC 11).

D. DA PAM 600-25, U.S. ARMY NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE, 28 JUL 08.

2. PURPOSE: YOUR IMMEDIATE SUPPORT IS NEEDED ON THIS MATTER. THE ARMY IS COMMITTING VALUABLE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE OUR ENLISTED SOLDIERS AND NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS (NCO) WITH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (PME) SO THEY ARE PREPARED TO SUPPORT FORCE REQUIREMENTS.

3. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: PFC'S WILL NO LONGER BE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND THE WLC. IN ORDER TO BE CONSISTENT WITH ESTABLISHED ARMY TRAINING PRIORITIES COMMANDS WILL ENSURE THAT ALL SOLDIERS IN A HIGHER OML CATEGORY ATTEND WLC.

4. EFFECTIVE 1 OCTOBER 2014:

A. NO SGT (E-5) WILL BE ENROLLED IN ALC RESIDENCE PHASE UNTIL COMPLETION OF ALC-CC OR SSD 2.

B. SGTS (E-5) SCHEDULED OR HAVE A RESERVATION IN ALC RESIDENCE PHASE, BUT NOT IN ATTENDANCE, WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CLASS AND RESCHEDULED FOR A LATER CLASS TO ALIGN WITH COMPLETION OF SSD 2, PRIOR TO ATTENDING THEIR RESPECTIVE ALC RESIDENCE PHASE.

5. AS WE TRANSITION FROM AN ARMY OF EXECUTION TO AN ARMY OF PREPARATION, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT COMMANDERS AT ALL LEVELS ENSURE OUR NCOS ATTEND PME IN ACCORDANCE WITH ESTABLISHED DEVELOPMENTAL TIMELINES.

THE PME ATTENDANCE IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT OUR NCO'S EFFECTIVENESS AT ALL LEVELS OF ASSIGNMENT. FAILURE TO ATTEND PME ON TIME CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT A NCO'S CAREER.

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SGT (Join to see)

>1 y

MSG,

This message seems to be very cut and dry, however with the current backlog for common core it almost looks as if ALC will have very few resident students for the foreseeable future.

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1SG Steven Stankovich

>1 y

It is what it is SGT Buckholtz. I agree with your assessment. NCOs will have to come to plate ready to hit for the cycle if you ask me. Be REDCON1 ready to go. Anything less may be the first strike in your trip out of the Army...

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CSM David Hopkins

Posted >1 y ago

I can understand and agree with why a PFC or newly promoted SPC should attend WLC earlier vs later. I did attend PLDC when I had only 2 1/2 months TIG because no one else wanted to attend. The difference between now and 23 years ago is that back then we did not have a major backlog of NCOs and promotable SPCs that were required to attend because of their rank.
Due to the deployments everyone has been on and the fact that personnel have been deferred in order to allow them to train for the upcoming deployment vs attend WLC, we now have too many SGTs and SPCs that need to attend. Until that number decreases dramatically, the Army wants to reserve the available training seats for them. So now it is on the units to get those Soldiers into the course or move them out of the service for failure to complete a mandatory school, whatever that reason might be, such as refusal to attend, overweight, or APFT failure.

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SFC (Join to see)

>1 y

CSM Hopkins

Roger, when I was going through the course, I noticed many of my peers refused to attend the course because they thought the course was "stupid".

Problem is, like you said, these peers of mine will and have made points and are now REQUIRED to attend the school. This is the problem all across the Army now. Everyone pretty much procrastinates until they are "REQUIRED" to attend the course.

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SSG Donald Cochran

>1 y

the earlier they get it, the better they are for their unit and the better their likelyhood to make the next rank.

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SPC Matthew Birkinbine

Posted >1 y ago

I think if the first-line recognizes the soldier's potential for leadership excellence, yes, the soldier should be groomed and prepared for WLC attendance. I do not, however believe that all soldiers, necessarily have that leadership potential.

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SSG(P) (Join to see)

>1 y

This is exactly what I was thinking. I feel like we are pushing Soldiers into leadership. The best Soldier will not necessarily be the best leader. I would like to see RECOMMENDATIONS to attend WLC/ALC from supervisors rather than just saying "hey, it's your turn".

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Should leaders encourage PFC or new SPC to attend WLC as early as possible?

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