Posted on Dec 15, 2013
CPT Company Commander
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I see one recurring theme here. A lot of confusion on topics due to lack of knowledge or experience. A key point is when someone states that an PFC has to stand at parade rest for an SPC.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>On a another level there are topics and issues that do not transcend time. The modern Army faces issues that were not around in the past. To be honest I don't know how wars were fought when no one even had a Reflective Belt to keep them safe.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>This also factors into the ranks of some. I know we try to counter an argument but at times it may be at a level above your understanding. I still don't understand why we can't walk on grass. If you are a CSM can you please let me know.&nbsp;</div></div><div><br></div><div>For this reason in the Army we must spend our time in each rank and learn to develop our logic. That is why you will never see a 2LT on a BDE Staff. He or she is not ready or why you will not see an SGT be the Enlisted advisor to the company commander. It is the 1SG.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Should Rallypoint make areas that questions from Enlisted and Senior Enlisted be posted in to find answers from their peers?</div><div><br></div><div>Should the same be considered for Company and Field Grade officers?</div><div><br></div><div>(This is not limit anyone or too exempt anyone from a discussion but to merely focus a question at an intended group of people.)</div>


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This would only be a option that would only be used at the request of the user. It would not be required. You can still buck shot a question to the whole community or would it force you to limit your reach. It would just to gather responses from a target group.
Edited 10 y ago
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Responses: 28
SGM Matthew Quick
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I wouldn't recommend this.<br><br>Junior leaders can learn a lot through this medium AND senior leaders can learn from its junior enlisted force. &nbsp;Knowledge sharing is an important part of our social media culture.
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CW4 Ray Montano
CW4 Ray Montano
10 y
I've been retired for over 10 years and I still don't walk on the grass. In fact, if any of my visitors some over and park on the grass, which is wat too common in Florida, I make then get off and part in the driveway. Hell, I have an L-shaped driveway that can fit at least 10 cars!
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SFC Peter Cyprian
SFC Peter Cyprian
10 y
SGM Matthew Quick

I think you hit the nail on the head. I would add that it would be very egotistical for anyone to believe that they are at such a high level that others cannot comprehend the issues unless they too are at that level. In addition to the insight that juniors get by participating in these discussions that are "over their head", the seniors get a very good insight to the how the juniors are seeing things. What PFC Snuffy is thinking today is NOT the same type of stuff I was thinking as a PFC. The Army is ever evolving and the newer generation of Soldiers think differently than you and I did when we were their age. To be sure that there are some similarities, but they grew up different, had different technology at their fingertips, and were educated different from what we were. It would be naive for anyone to think that just because they were once a PFC (many moons ago) that they can relate to the Soldier that is a PFC today. On a basic level, yes, but not much further. It is beneficial to ALL when these conversations are wide open to any and all comers.
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SGT 94 E Radio Comsec Repairer
SGT (Join to see)
10 y
SGM Matthew Quick, you make a good point about knowledge-sharing, but don't you think it would be beneficial to have an optional "Enlisted Only" filter? Topics such as Should a 2LT Salute a 1LT have no value to me, whereas topics like these do:

LEADERSHIP STYLE - What style do you practice?
How involved are you in YOUR and your service-members' career?
What makes you professional?
Leaders 'Inspire' - How do YOU inspire your subordinates?
How Can We Preserve Military Knowledge and Experience?
Will simply 'Taking Care of Soldiers' really take care of your career?

By the way, those are all topics you created, SGM.
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CSM Mike Maynard
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2LT Rosa - I'll take a stab at your "walking on the grass" statement.<div><br></div><div>It's not that we don't think anyone should walk on grass, we have you walking on grass all the time for PRT or ceremonies or when cutting it. So, it's not fair to say that CSMs don't want you walking on the grass, that's not it.</div><div><br></div><div>It's when there are sidewalks around and you choose to walk on the grass instead of the sidewalk. That's what a sidewalk is for - otherwise why would we have them. And it's really no different than a lot of things that we do or have Soldiers do that promotes and improves discipline.</div><div><br></div><div>And practically, if a lot of folks are following the same path on grass, it will become worn and will not present that neat and orderly appearance. Some of it is about the image you project and how people interpret things - if you walk up to a headquarters and everything is painted and all the grass is cut and trimmed and everything just looks "professional", then that's the image you will have of that unit and it's people. It is a non-verbal attempt at conveying the level of discipline and pride that a unit has.</div><div><br></div><div>Not sure if that answers your question sufficiently, but that's some of the reasoning behind it.</div>
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PO1 Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialist
PO1 (Join to see)
10 y
CSM Mike Maynard You have a point re: continual traffic leaving bare patches on the grass. However, like a Force Command Master Chief once told me in a conversation that ranged wide and far: "You know, if we can't keep people off the damned grass and they're making a path to somewhere and all your admin efforts are coming to naught - just put a damned sidewalk where the path is! There are entire books of things that we need to worry about that are way more important than grass! We need to focus on taking care of our people and not worry so damned much about the grass!"

I'd like to say that's a precise quote - but it's as close as my memory will remember after 22 years.
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SFC Network Engineer
SFC (Join to see)
10 y
I had a SGM once get on me about walking on grass... I told him "Grass is meant to be walked on." He asked me: "How the {explitive} do you know that?", to which I replied: "It's God's carpeting for us..." He told me it was the best answer he'd ever heard, but that if I wanted to continue to be able to walk on grass in the future, I'd better not walk on HIS grass anymore!
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SFC Peter Cyprian
SFC Peter Cyprian
10 y
CSM Mike Maynard

A Sergeant Major can turn into a very strange creature when grass is involved. 1996, Ft. Bliss, TX. We were running cable for Roving Sands by Logan Heights. Across the main road (forget the name of it) is a walkway (it was across from an obstacle course). We are standing outside a building and passing cable to guys on the roof. Now I am standing in SAND. Not grass, not "soil", but hard baked sand. A Sergeant Major comes out of the building and starts yelling "Get off my grass!". We ignored him and kept running the cable (because he isn't talking to us, we are standing on sand). He comes over to us and gets right in our faces and yells "what part of get off my grass did you not understand Sergeant?". I was a little taken back....so I went to Parade Rest and said "Sergeant Major, I didn't think you were talking to us because there is no grass here". To which he responds "There's no grass here because Sergeants like yourself and their Soldiers keep standing on it, now get off my damned dirt!" We moved out smartly!
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CSM Mike Maynard
CSM Mike Maynard
10 y
SFC Peter Cyprian - that's hilarious. I can tell you the real reason there was grass on Logan Heights - during AIT, BNCOC and ANCOC, I spent every minute of free-time on duty picking grass and burning grass to ensure there wasn't anything green.

Not sure what the fascination and obsession was with the grass there, but there was nothing green on Bliss, especially Logan Heights.
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SSG Robert Burns
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Yes it needs to remain open so that everyone can benefit on either side.
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