Posted on Sep 9, 2016
Can having a permanent profile too early in your career keep from being successful
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Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 17
Whether it's a fair assessment or not, permanent profiles will impede your abilities to lead Soldiers. One of the major issues in my own career field is the sheer number of senior leaders who are unable to run or ruck with the Soldiers. It is amazing the esprit de corps and respect junior Soldiers develop when their leader is literally doing the exact same things that they are doing. It goes back to the old adage of never asking a Soldier to do something you're not willing to do... and I extend that by never asking my guys to do something they haven't seen me do first.
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1SG (Join to see)
As a caveat, there are plenty of strong leaders with permanent profile, and a physical limitation is in no way a measure of leadership potential nor capability. There are also plenty of physically healthy Soldiers who you'd only follow into combat out of curiosity. Everyone has challenges they must overcome and compensate for as leaders. Having a profile is just that... a challenge. I've mentioned it before on Rallypoint... try and find a mentor or several mentors who deal with challenges better than most, and learn from them. Chances are you can find a mentor within your circle who has overcome a similar challenge to what you're dealing with. Take a second to be courageous and seek those people out. It will pay dividends.
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I avoided it myself, but based on the experiences of others I've seen, I'd hesitantly answer the question thusly: There's the official answer, and then there's the real world.
(And all too often the two don't agree.)
(And all too often the two don't agree.)
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It really depends on if it impedes your MOS duties now or likley in the future, additional duties or Non MOS assignments you are likely to be assigned now and in your future.
But as almost all profiles in one way or another affect the performance of your duties as a Soldier (hence the reason for getting a physical limiting profile) Id say in many cases yes a P3 profile is likley to be a point of issue for most leaders considering you for future assignments, promotion, ect.
Hypotheticals
Hearing loss correctable with a hearing aid, MOS is 42A..Id say no affect. Mangable, does not impact duties , still world wide deployable and the medical condition and its remedies are easily handled in any theater or duty location.
Shoulder injury preventing you from raising your right arm higher then 53Deg no weight, and higher then 30 Deg with a weight of more than 4.5lb... Might you be able to perform ALL duties as a 42A? Maybe.. but who is going to pull your weight inn setting field operations? Who is going to pull your weight loading and unloading the section conex? Servicing the sections Gen sets, vehicles?
But as almost all profiles in one way or another affect the performance of your duties as a Soldier (hence the reason for getting a physical limiting profile) Id say in many cases yes a P3 profile is likley to be a point of issue for most leaders considering you for future assignments, promotion, ect.
Hypotheticals
Hearing loss correctable with a hearing aid, MOS is 42A..Id say no affect. Mangable, does not impact duties , still world wide deployable and the medical condition and its remedies are easily handled in any theater or duty location.
Shoulder injury preventing you from raising your right arm higher then 53Deg no weight, and higher then 30 Deg with a weight of more than 4.5lb... Might you be able to perform ALL duties as a 42A? Maybe.. but who is going to pull your weight inn setting field operations? Who is going to pull your weight loading and unloading the section conex? Servicing the sections Gen sets, vehicles?
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