Posted on Sep 1, 2014
LTC Operations Officer (Opso)
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I know what my answer is. It is everyone up and down the chain. It is every NCO's and officer's job to ensure that Soldiers are taken care of.

However, I have constantly heard "that is NCOs business, Sir" or "taking care of Soldiers is NCOs' job". Where does that leave officers in the picture? Who is there to take care of NCOs?

Believe it or not, not ever NCO can take care of themselves and/or their Soldiers or choose to do so. Officers are there to support and ensure that their NCOs are taken care of as well as their Soldiers. Hence why officers should eat last, not the 1SG or CSM, but the officers.

Just my thoughts. What are yours?
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Responses: 21
2LT Quartermaster Officer
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I totally agree with you Sir,

Let me give you my quick bio. I am a new commissioned officer thanks to the Green to Gold Active Duty option. As a NCO, I prided myself on having a backbone that was never afraid of telling anyone, no matter what rank they were that if something was wrong or out of place to fix it. When I see something wrong now as a officer, and I try to correct the action, I get "Sir, you need to stay in your lane" I kindly and tacitly call that NCO or whomever that told me that, and ask "if it's not my lane and it's yours, why did you let the situation come to where it currently is at?" They never have a response. I feel like this, no matter what it is, who it is, if you see wrong, correct it, and prevent it from being a A: casualty B: a Bad knock against the Army C: a point of no return. I say that we are all responsible. A Soldier who turns their backs to wrong doing, is just as liable, so if I see a Soldier, NCO, Officer doing wrong, I will correct it!!
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
10 y
I have come to the belief that NCO business is Officer business. That is not to say that I am going to micromanage my NCOs (unless they clearly need micromanaging), but ultimately it is an officer's responsibility that the soldiers are taken care of and the mission gets done. So what the NCO's are doing to take care of soldiers, I'm going to keep tabs on, and if things are not getting done, I will take care of it myself....and then I'll have a discussion with the NCO in question behind closed doors.
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Cpl Ehr Specialist
Cpl (Join to see)
10 y
2LT (Join to see) Great response, I hope that you temper that solid resolve with inquiry to ensure you see the whole picture as well. Looks like you have a good future in front of you.
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SSgt Thomas A Tullis Jr
SSgt Thomas A Tullis Jr
10 y
NCO's are responsible for junior enlisted service members and Officers are responsible to ensure NCO's do their job. If NCO's aren't performing correctly then the Officer should step in.
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SPC(P) Jay Heenan
SPC(P) Jay Heenan
10 y
It is actually 'Army business'. We follow the CoC, but it is all of our jobs to take care of Soldiers. As NCO's, we need to handle the issue and make sure that we let the OIC know, as to not leave them hanging or looking bad. As a junior enlisted Soldier, it is my job to make sure that the mission is accomplished, and accomplished correctly and swiftly, so my bosses stay off the carpet. I also have Soldiers, so I need to make sure that I take care of their needs while maintaining mission completion. Ultimately, it is all of our jobs to take care of each other...22 Veterans a day...
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MSG Wade Huffman
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While it has traditionally been an NCOs job to ensure that the soldiers under his or her charge are taken care of, it is ultimately a LEADERSHIP responsibility. If you are a leader (Officer, NCO, Warrant, makes no difference) it is your responsibility.
Now.. when it come to the care and maintenance of 2LTs; that is NCO business! lol!
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2LT Quartermaster Officer
2LT (Join to see)
10 y
Wise words indeed MSG. I hope I have great NCO's to take care of this former NCO. If they do it wrong, i'll know when to say ok, but my mentality is that I go in with a clean slate. I won't act like I know everything, but I will use my experience to get a quick grasp of things.
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MSG Wade Huffman
MSG Wade Huffman
10 y
2LT (Join to see) , I hope the same for you , Sir! As a former NCO you should already be ahead of the power curve, your primary task now should be to stay there. None of us are all knowing and we can all learn from even the least of us. Good luck to you, Sir!
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CW2 Jonathan Kantor
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Since I became a WO, I have run into Senior NCOs who have asked me to back off because it was no longer my lane to take care of Soldiers. I generally do, but when I see that the NCO is either not taking care of the Soldier or is taking advantage of them, I basically go into attack mode. I was an NCO for 8 years so I can't really shake what I learned during that time. I don't stand for NCOs mistreating their Troops, and I act accordingly. Some stuff isn't in my lane and I get that, but some stuff is. I have stepped in when I have seen personal grudges keeping otherwise qualified Soldiers from being promoted and I have gotten those Troops the stripes they earned.

Officers shouldn't be discounted because we don't wear stripes. I wore them longer than most of my NCOs have been in the Army so I kind of know what I am talking about.
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CPT Public Affairs Officer
CPT (Join to see)
10 y
Bingo man. I completely agree!
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