Posted on Jul 27, 2015
CPT Customer Service Engineer
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Shouldn't we as leaders foster an environment that gives every opportunity for our soldiers to improve their skills and not hinder the soldier based upon whether a budget or functionality is a fit? That is unless the functionality is so far fetched as pointed out in a response of sending a cook to dive school. If the soldier displays the ability to successfully complete the school, the component is gaining a more skilled soldier in the end. Your thoughts?
Edited >1 y ago
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Responses: 25
LTC Deputy Chief Of Behavioral Health
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Functional fit? I'm not going to send my cook to dive school...
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SSG Gerhard S.
SSG Gerhard S.
>1 y
Great reference when one considers the life and career of Carl Brashear, as depicted in "Men of Honor".
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SSG Todd Lysfjord
SSG Todd Lysfjord
>1 y
Don't go to Ranger Regiment then...all MOS's have opportunities to attend most every school. Most of our cooks went to EMT school and manned our CCP'S during company/battalion sized combat operations. Most notably during our airborne assault into Afghanistan 10-19-01.

Guess it all depends on your unit and applicability of the course/school.
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SFC Acquisition, Logistics & Technology (AL&T) Contracting NCO
SFC (Join to see)
>1 y
I would say it depends on your units mission. If your in 82nd everyone should go to jump school. 101st everyone to air assault... dive school... engineers/ sf. Don't lock down a slot for a soldier who needs that skill to complete their mission... ie... as a contracting nco... what good would it do the Army to send me to sniper school? It's all about resource management

On the flip side... if a school has a low fill class... load it up
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SGT Squad Leader
SGT (Join to see)
>1 y
If you were the most qualified Soldier in your unit for sniper school, and you wanted to attend, why would the Army not send you? I see that you said if the school has a low fill class, fill them up. I agree with that, but as a 91E, should I not be able to attend if I'm the best qualified for the school? I know the thread is about more than just sniper school, but it's a good example because you don't have to be 11B to become a sniper.
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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Schools are not toys to be given out like candy because someone feels they deserve it. The Army owes nothing but MOS and NCOES training in the form of schools. The fact that schools are hard to get, makes them more desirable. The needs of the Army trump any personal entitlement to a school.
Also, there are a lot of opportunities for these schools. I went to Airborne School and Ranger School as a cook
cook. Fort Benning has a policy of allowing any resident to walk on to their schools. Campbell sends everyone to Air Assault.
The opportunities are there, it's up to the Soldier to stand out by making the most of them.
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2LT Section Chief
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The school should fit the MOS in my opinion. As we all know, sometimes slots are used by a BN or BDE on a soldier who may not fit the bill for that particular school, but is available to go when others can't or won't. For exampl, I'm a 42r (Band) and I just attended Air Assault in March while serving in the National Guard. Don't ask me how we got a slot, because I don't know and I don't care, but I went on to be the Honor Grad!! The opportunities come around and every dog has his day. But overall we can't afford to send everybody who wants to go to any school they want. In my opinion, the Army should strive to give opportunity where available, but schools should go to the necessary MOSs first and for most.
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CPT Customer Service Engineer
CPT (Join to see)
>1 y
Well said.
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