How can we fix the S-1?

While I am a 15U, I also hold 42A as my Secondary MOS (School trained). I worked in a BN S-1 when I was a 42A and I am currently assigned to our BN's S-1 shop since they were short an S-1 NCOIC. Here are my ideas:

1.) Whenever you submit paperwork to your BN S-1, use a DA Form 200. It is essentially a hand receipt for paperwork. I have mandated their use in my shop for both incoming and outgoing documents. That way, paperwork can be tracked, and if it is misplaced, there is a date and a name attached to the receipt of that document. We keep 200s in a binder for CYA purposes, should we need to figure out where paperwork went. With that being said, ask your Company Orderly Room first. Many times your paperwork never left your Orderly Room, so S-1 never got it to process.

2.) No one cares about your career more than you do. It is YOUR responsibility to keep your records (ERB/ORB, and OMPF) updated. DTS, which tracks everything from 350-1 training to your weapons and APFT scores, does NOT talk to eMILPO, the system that most of your other information on your ERB comes from. So just because your training room input your scores into DTS does not mean your ERB is also updated; it is not. So your training room needs to bring all those scoresheets to the S-1 for updating ERBs. Failing that, it is YOUR responsibility to ensure your scores are put onto your ERB.

With that said, do not wait until the day before the promotion board to update everything on your ERB. Same thing for Centralized Promotion Boards (promotion to E-7 and above). Don't bring your "I Love Me" Book in the day before your My Board File closes. It just pisses off the S-1 person helping you. You should be updating your records as required. By that, I mean, everytime you complete a Military Education course, NCOES, APFT, weapons qual, etc. This keeps updates manageable.

When you need your ERB updated, do NOT just leave your documents. Other stuff comes up in the S-1 and ERB updates are, sadly, NOT at the top of the priority list when Command & Staff meetings come up, FTXs are being planned, or a hundred other things need to get done. So... Make an appointment and then sit down with the clerk. Have all your source documents with you. Go over each update and/or correction with the clerk. I always print out an updated ERB to show the person all the changes we made together, and the person leaves satisfied knowing that the changes were done to their satisfaction.

3.) Do NOT come into the S-1 angry, making wild accusations, and generally pissing people off. This is like yelling at people who cook your food or handle your money. Not a good idea. If you come in angry, you will likely be sent away until you can calm down and act civilly with some respect. Same thing with goofing on S-1s. You bag on the S-1 shop, then need a PCS award fast-tracked-- we don't take kindly to that. Kindness works wonders. Remember that.

4.) This is kind of a repeat, but documents are YOUR responsibility, not the S-1's. Whenever the Army hands you a piece of paper, go make 10 copies of it, scan it, burn it to CD, and E-Mail it to yourself. I have personally seen Soldiers get told they will get their awards mailed to them later, and then those same awards get found months or years later, rotting in a CONEX. Get a copy of it. Do NOT leave your unit without your Award or NCOER/OER. When you arrive at your next unit, that S-1 then has to try to track down a piece of paper that was processed by personnel who may no longer be at that unit anymore, or in some cases I've seen, the unit was disbanded and no longer exists. So don't take "we'll mail it to you" from anyone. Get a copy before you leave! We will try to help you as much as we can, but ultimately it is YOUR responsibility.

5.) When it comes to awards, know the regulations that govern awards (AR 600-8-22 applies to most) and ask the S-1 about award templates that will make your award writing process a lot quicker and easier. Getting a First Time GO on an award submission is the Holy Grail of award writing. Work smart, not hard. Do NOT wait till the last minute to submit an award. People do get last-minute orders, got it. But in most cases, you will have several months lead time for PCS awards. Same with ETS/Retirement awards. The BN Adjutant does NOT like trying to explain to the commander that s/he has to sign an award right now because someone down the chain dropped the ball.

6.) To wrap it all up, TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR OWN CAREER! It is not the S-1's job to manage your career. If it is important to you, then you will ensure the proper things get done at the proper time. If you do not know, there is someone around who has done it before you. If you cannot find someone to get a good answer from, come ASK the S-1; we live and die by regulations.

A friendly hint: If you expect you will have a lot of need for the S-1's services, come by when you do not have an emergency. Introduce yourself and be friendly. When you establish a good working relationship, you're going to have a better time. I have personally stayed late to help Soldiers of every rank because they had established a good relationship, there was mutual respect, and they ASKED rather than demanded. So food for thought.

Same experience as you, SSG. I've yet to see a unit with a smoothly-run S1. Granted, I don't envy their job. It's tiresome, thankless, and repetitive. And I think that's sort of the root of the problem--often, soldiers get assigned to S1's who aren't 42A, and have no formal training on dealing with Army paperwork.

As for how to fix it, it the short answer? Start putting boot to throat on the shop NCOIC. Too often, it's a senior leader who's not enforcing the timeline standards for their subordinates, or who isn't able to articulate their needs to higher command. If you're the S1 NCOIC and the BN is making outrageous, unreasonable demands of you, it's your (albeit crappy) duty to manage their expectations more appropriately. More often than not, though, it's sheer laziness. Three of the four S1's I've worked with were entirely populated by sandbaggers, sick call rangers, and pregnant females. The units I've been with used S1 as a garbage dump for "problem children", which I found absolutely baffling, given how critical S1 is to running a smooth operation.

So you look at the shop. If the problem is that they've got good troops who are being underutilized or mismanaged? Fix the leader, or replace them. If the problem is a good leader who's been dealt a bad hand as far as troops go? Fix the troops, or replace them. Start with those two steps, and things will begin to get better.

I've recently been assigned to S-1 in my unit, I am the only Paralegal in the Battalion so I'm not really sure of my function as I don't have an immediate JA. Everyone immediately around me is a 42A so I'm curious to see what peoples problems are and see if I see the same.