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Posted in these groups: 
Leadership Development
Basic Leaders Course (BLC formerly WLC PLDC)
Leadership Development Basic Leaders Course (BLC formerly WLC PLDC)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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Most do it as an E4 or E5. On a rare occasion an E6 has been know to be in the class.
Do the right thing, be at the right place/right time, do your SSD, and make your name well know for doing good things and I'm sure your Platoon SGT/1SG/Commander will have no problem enrolling you.
Do the right thing, be at the right place/right time, do your SSD, and make your name well know for doing good things and I'm sure your Platoon SGT/1SG/Commander will have no problem enrolling you.
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You are elegible to go once you completed SSD 1 and reached the rank of SPC, some units used to send PFCs, but that has gone away. And like the CPT said, stand out from your peers, volunteer, go to the soldier of the month board, excel on your APFT, don't get in trouble, and your CO and 1SG will gladly send you as hey see potential in you to become an NCO.
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WLC Question on Rally Point
I would think this is a question you should be asking your team leader or squad leader. This is not a decision made by the 1SG without input from the Team Leader, Squad Leader, and the PSG. They are the very first part of your chain of command, and in the case of the First Sergeant, the NCO support chain.
If you had to ask this question in this type of forum I'm guessing you have been given an answer you didn't like, or didn't ask at all. There are plenty of Soldiers in your squad or platoon you could have asked first if you didn't feel you could talk to your platoon leadership, but you shouldn’t be listening to the s!@t house lawyers either. AND, if you couldn't ask your platoon leadership, I personally don't think you are ready for WLC.
If your team leader or squad leader is doing his/her job, you should be getting counseling at least once a month, if you are getting good counseling from your squad leader you should be able to ask this question. If your counselor is not asking if you have questions during a counseling session then they are not doing their job.
Counseling sessions are not just about what you are doing wrong, they should also be balanced by what you are doing right. Do you take that extra half hour in the evening to make sure your uniform is squared away? Do you take time out of your off duty hours to improve yourself? Are you taking college classes in the evenings, or online? are you the SME (subject matter expert) in your squad? Are you on your team leader asking questions about your MOS, ask how you are doing and what can I do to be better. Ask yourself the toughest question; am I ready to do my squad leaders job?
When I was preparing for my first promotion board back in the stone age, my 1SG told me how to answer 1 specific question he knew would be asked of me during my board appearance, "Why do you want to be an NCO?" My 1SG said to look the CSM in the eye and say "I'm after your job, and this is the first step in getting there".
Let me add this first, when I was in Basic training I made myself a long term goal; my goal was to retire from the Army as an E-8.
Well, when the CSM asked me that question, I thought back to my goal and told the CSM, "I want my 1SG's job and this is the first step to getting there." My 1SG was trying to hide his smile, but the other four 1SG's and the CSM were taken aback at my reply, they definitely were not expecting that reply; I passed the board.
So take that extra time in your off duty hours to help yourself, plus the college credits are good toward promotion points, and anything showing you are trying to improve yourself is very helpful when it comes to the board.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here, WLC is a leadership school, as is BNCOC (or whatever they are calling it today) and you need to show your initiative in the class, so show the some in your job everyday.
Ok, so now that you have received a counseling on what you should do, and what I feel you shouldn’t have done (asking the question on RP), I hope you will take these matters to hand. NEVER, NEVER, EVER, jump the chain of command, it just causes problems back on you. A caveat here, there are times when you may need to jump the COC, but this was not one of them.
MAJ (Join to see) , no offense Ma'am, but this SHOULD be NCO business. Although it was a good reply on what this Soldier should be doing to get the knowledge he may need one day when he will be an assistant team leader/team leader/squad leader
I would think this is a question you should be asking your team leader or squad leader. This is not a decision made by the 1SG without input from the Team Leader, Squad Leader, and the PSG. They are the very first part of your chain of command, and in the case of the First Sergeant, the NCO support chain.
If you had to ask this question in this type of forum I'm guessing you have been given an answer you didn't like, or didn't ask at all. There are plenty of Soldiers in your squad or platoon you could have asked first if you didn't feel you could talk to your platoon leadership, but you shouldn’t be listening to the s!@t house lawyers either. AND, if you couldn't ask your platoon leadership, I personally don't think you are ready for WLC.
If your team leader or squad leader is doing his/her job, you should be getting counseling at least once a month, if you are getting good counseling from your squad leader you should be able to ask this question. If your counselor is not asking if you have questions during a counseling session then they are not doing their job.
Counseling sessions are not just about what you are doing wrong, they should also be balanced by what you are doing right. Do you take that extra half hour in the evening to make sure your uniform is squared away? Do you take time out of your off duty hours to improve yourself? Are you taking college classes in the evenings, or online? are you the SME (subject matter expert) in your squad? Are you on your team leader asking questions about your MOS, ask how you are doing and what can I do to be better. Ask yourself the toughest question; am I ready to do my squad leaders job?
When I was preparing for my first promotion board back in the stone age, my 1SG told me how to answer 1 specific question he knew would be asked of me during my board appearance, "Why do you want to be an NCO?" My 1SG said to look the CSM in the eye and say "I'm after your job, and this is the first step in getting there".
Let me add this first, when I was in Basic training I made myself a long term goal; my goal was to retire from the Army as an E-8.
Well, when the CSM asked me that question, I thought back to my goal and told the CSM, "I want my 1SG's job and this is the first step to getting there." My 1SG was trying to hide his smile, but the other four 1SG's and the CSM were taken aback at my reply, they definitely were not expecting that reply; I passed the board.
So take that extra time in your off duty hours to help yourself, plus the college credits are good toward promotion points, and anything showing you are trying to improve yourself is very helpful when it comes to the board.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here, WLC is a leadership school, as is BNCOC (or whatever they are calling it today) and you need to show your initiative in the class, so show the some in your job everyday.
Ok, so now that you have received a counseling on what you should do, and what I feel you shouldn’t have done (asking the question on RP), I hope you will take these matters to hand. NEVER, NEVER, EVER, jump the chain of command, it just causes problems back on you. A caveat here, there are times when you may need to jump the COC, but this was not one of them.
MAJ (Join to see) , no offense Ma'am, but this SHOULD be NCO business. Although it was a good reply on what this Soldier should be doing to get the knowledge he may need one day when he will be an assistant team leader/team leader/squad leader
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MAJ (Join to see)
MSG Johnson, Your reply did rub me the wrong way. I was a little crabby from being jetlagged and in an airport for 12 hours when I replied, so sorry if I came across as a bitch. RallyPoint is for everyone. I absolutely agree that there are people at a lower levels that this Soldier and other junior enlisted should seek counsel from, but this is an open forum where anyone is allowed to post a response. We don't all get good leadership in the early years and I'm glad that RallyPoint is available for everyone to seek answers to questions that their leadership may not know or provide. There are so many knowledgeable NCOs and Officers on this site that are willing to provide guidance.
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MSG David Johnson
MAJ (Join to see)
I couldn't find your last response so I've posted here.
I understand what you're saying about an open forum and asking questions on RP, but being an NCO'S for nearly 20 years if I had seen one of my Soldiers make a post like this I wouldn't be talking to him about why he asked the question, I would be talking to his COC why he thought he needed to ask in this forum.
I've had some toxic leadership so I know there are those who don't think, or know, they won't get a straight answer from their own command. But there were quite a few junior enlisted that gave very good replies so I have to wonder what other reason why he's asking here.
You may be the type of officer that is approachable by junior enlisted, and its good to hear, but you are in the minority.
I couldn't find your last response so I've posted here.
I understand what you're saying about an open forum and asking questions on RP, but being an NCO'S for nearly 20 years if I had seen one of my Soldiers make a post like this I wouldn't be talking to him about why he asked the question, I would be talking to his COC why he thought he needed to ask in this forum.
I've had some toxic leadership so I know there are those who don't think, or know, they won't get a straight answer from their own command. But there were quite a few junior enlisted that gave very good replies so I have to wonder what other reason why he's asking here.
You may be the type of officer that is approachable by junior enlisted, and its good to hear, but you are in the minority.
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PVT (Join to see)
MSG, thank you very much. Reading this comment hasnt just helped the creator of this post but every other junior enlisted who read it. Again, thank you,
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