White space on the training calendar, how have you got after this in your unit?
CSM,
There should definitely be white space, but I feel the company/detachment commanders/1SGs don't have too much if any white space to use due to higher level initiatives, training events, etc. Since I've been a senior NCO, and in all of my previous units, white space is plentiful for long range planning, but will be trumped by higher events as time goes by. I'm trying to find more ways to plan ahead to have better angles to conduct unit level initiatives/training that we would like to do while nesting with our higher commands priorities and philosophy.
Sir,
Thank you for sharing. Those are all pains I unfortunately know all too well. I also just love it, when we're trying to input all that data into DTMS, the system either goes down, gets bogged down, or we can't even access it. Then someone beats you to whatever you were trying to fill in what you might thought to have been "White Space".
Like CSM stated - it's ok to have "some" white space in DTMS (or whatever training management you're utilizing). For the moments when you feel as if you have "to much" white space - that's where you can be creative and be resourceful. Being Civil Affairs - I schedule "Key Leader Engagements" with local city leadership, emergency management agency directors, local Non-Governmental Organizations; cultural seminars, etc..., because it ties into what we do as Civil Affairs. You can apply that mentality to any MOS in the Army - just as long as you can give a valid purpose to your higher and relate it to your MOS and mission.
In the end, I think Soldiers will appreciate training more, if it's not always the cut and dry mandatory "Army" training that becomes mundane. Between my Team Sergeant and myself - we go out of our way to make training interesting, just as long as we can brief on how it supports our BDE's training guidance.