Posted on Oct 16, 2023
What is it like being a 1SG for a headquarters unit?
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I am being promoted and will take on the responsibilities of a HHC 1SG. What are some of the unique challenges with this position vs a 1SG with a line company? (It is a chemical BN, not combat arms). Those who have served in this position: is it common to butt heads with BN staff and does having the CSM right around the corner add to the challenge of the position? We have one line company co-located with HHC, another about an hour away and the others a short plane trip away. So I suspect I will be seeing a decent amount of the CSM
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First SergeantHHC First Sergeant
First SergeantHHC First Sergeant
Edited 1 y ago
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 10
Comparing a line company to a headquarters company in a battalion:
Line Company:
● The operational mission for all Soldiers comes through/from the commander who balances administrative requirements with them. If needed, the commander will adjust as needed.
● The commander and the 1SG are the senior officer/enlisted in the company.
Headquarters Company:
● The operational mission for most of the Soldiers in the unit primarily comes from the battalion commander though the primary staff officers. The HHC commander will still have operational missions, but they are primarily focused on administrative and logistical support to the battalion headquarters.
● The commander and the 1SG are frequently junior to many of the individuals that are assigned to the unit.
To your specific questions, "Is it common to butt heads with BN staff and having the CSM right around the corner add to the challenge of the position?"
Yes, it's common to butt heads with the staff. They'll frequently have different priorities than the headquarters company and will want their Soldiers to focus on A when you want them to focus on B.
Does the CSM nearby add to the challenge? It depends, but usually only if there are few companies in the battalion. If the CSM is 'gainfully employed', even if they are right around the corner, they generally don't get in the way of the HHC 1SG.
How do you and your commander address these issues? Clear communications with your counter-parts in the staff sections (i.e., the NCOIC of each section for you). Make a pledge with them that you'll do your best to minimize the intrusion of administrative requirements so they can focus on their operational mission and section specific administrative requirements. Likewise, ask that they work with you to ensure they give full support when there is something required of them. Regular sharing of information will be critical to a smoother and less frustrating experience.
If you mirror one of the best practices the HHC commander will be doing (full transparency), you can use a lot of passive influence to accomplish your requirements. When a staff NCOIC knows that his administrative data will be seen periodically by his boss's boss, they will make sure that SPC Snuffy is at their fitness test, weapons qualification, mandatory training, etc. without your O3 commander respectfully requesting from the O5 staff officer that their Soldiers do something or another.
In the situations where you need something more than just pure professionalism to "cooperate and graduate", get the BN leadership on your side. Have regular meetings with the CSM to ensure he is being supported and doesn't have any unmet needs. Take this opportunity to ensure they are updated on HHC needs/requirements and if you need assistance with anything. Getting the CSM on your side is key when you need more 'active influence' to accomplish requirements.
The other best practice for the HHC is flexibility. There WILL be conflicts and you won't be able to get full participation very often even if the company leadership and the section leadership are in synch. There will be competing requirements where either the unit or the staff section have to give and in most situations, it's going to be the unit. That's where flexibility beyond what you would expect in a line company is key. Embrace the "add one more" approach for unit events. If you have two dates (primary and make-up) for doing the ACFT, add one more on the calendar.
Line Company:
● The operational mission for all Soldiers comes through/from the commander who balances administrative requirements with them. If needed, the commander will adjust as needed.
● The commander and the 1SG are the senior officer/enlisted in the company.
Headquarters Company:
● The operational mission for most of the Soldiers in the unit primarily comes from the battalion commander though the primary staff officers. The HHC commander will still have operational missions, but they are primarily focused on administrative and logistical support to the battalion headquarters.
● The commander and the 1SG are frequently junior to many of the individuals that are assigned to the unit.
To your specific questions, "Is it common to butt heads with BN staff and having the CSM right around the corner add to the challenge of the position?"
Yes, it's common to butt heads with the staff. They'll frequently have different priorities than the headquarters company and will want their Soldiers to focus on A when you want them to focus on B.
Does the CSM nearby add to the challenge? It depends, but usually only if there are few companies in the battalion. If the CSM is 'gainfully employed', even if they are right around the corner, they generally don't get in the way of the HHC 1SG.
How do you and your commander address these issues? Clear communications with your counter-parts in the staff sections (i.e., the NCOIC of each section for you). Make a pledge with them that you'll do your best to minimize the intrusion of administrative requirements so they can focus on their operational mission and section specific administrative requirements. Likewise, ask that they work with you to ensure they give full support when there is something required of them. Regular sharing of information will be critical to a smoother and less frustrating experience.
If you mirror one of the best practices the HHC commander will be doing (full transparency), you can use a lot of passive influence to accomplish your requirements. When a staff NCOIC knows that his administrative data will be seen periodically by his boss's boss, they will make sure that SPC Snuffy is at their fitness test, weapons qualification, mandatory training, etc. without your O3 commander respectfully requesting from the O5 staff officer that their Soldiers do something or another.
In the situations where you need something more than just pure professionalism to "cooperate and graduate", get the BN leadership on your side. Have regular meetings with the CSM to ensure he is being supported and doesn't have any unmet needs. Take this opportunity to ensure they are updated on HHC needs/requirements and if you need assistance with anything. Getting the CSM on your side is key when you need more 'active influence' to accomplish requirements.
The other best practice for the HHC is flexibility. There WILL be conflicts and you won't be able to get full participation very often even if the company leadership and the section leadership are in synch. There will be competing requirements where either the unit or the staff section have to give and in most situations, it's going to be the unit. That's where flexibility beyond what you would expect in a line company is key. Embrace the "add one more" approach for unit events. If you have two dates (primary and make-up) for doing the ACFT, add one more on the calendar.
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1SG (Join to see)
Thanks for the excellent advice sir. One thing I did not mention, but I think it could add to the challenge: I am a Reserve Soldier and most of the BN staff are full time AGR. I think my number one step upon assuming responsibility will be to have a meeting with the senior staff NCOs and lay the cards on the table and come to an early understanding of how our roles will mesh. I have mostly been part of staff sections from BN and BDE S3 sections to CORP G34 sections, so I have a decent understanding of how they operate. This is the first time I have really had to conder things from the other perspective
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CSM William Everroad
1SG (Join to see) - Your first meeting should be with the Company Commander. The Staff NCOs work for their staff officer, who works for the Company Commander, but take direction from the Battalion Commander. The Staff Officers are rated by the XO and Senior Rated by the BN Commander (generally, some S3 OIC are rated by the BN CDR).
It does help that you want to be involved in the staff functions, this will prepare you for organizational leadership, but the HHC commander and 1SG are not really involved in "Staff work". That is the XO lane.
My advice, sit down with your CDR and go over the HHC METs, that is how you will drive day to day business. You will also be tracking and effecting evaluations, KPIs, PME, and leader development. Staff Work will probably take priority, and you won't win that fight, but having a CDR that understands that HHC still has METs, you can "negotiate" training time for those METs on the YTC. At that point, your CDR will run the show, or at least be at the table with the XO.
It does help that you want to be involved in the staff functions, this will prepare you for organizational leadership, but the HHC commander and 1SG are not really involved in "Staff work". That is the XO lane.
My advice, sit down with your CDR and go over the HHC METs, that is how you will drive day to day business. You will also be tracking and effecting evaluations, KPIs, PME, and leader development. Staff Work will probably take priority, and you won't win that fight, but having a CDR that understands that HHC still has METs, you can "negotiate" training time for those METs on the YTC. At that point, your CDR will run the show, or at least be at the table with the XO.
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COL Randall C.
CSM William Everroad - Solid advice, however I assume you misspoke when you said, "...work for their staff officer, who works for the Company Commander, but take direction from the Battalion Commander."
I can't recall ever being in a unit, from a battalion to a corps where a staff officer worked for a company commander (unless you meant "have individual training and readiness requirements tracked by" for the second 'work').
I can't recall ever being in a unit, from a battalion to a corps where a staff officer worked for a company commander (unless you meant "have individual training and readiness requirements tracked by" for the second 'work').
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COL Randall C.
1SG (Join to see) - Since you have been "on the other side", then you most likely will be able to empathize.
How many times in the S3/G3 sections did you or someone else complain about the bad communications coming from the company and that they just couldn't understand why you weren't able to attend a company training event (usually with a "don't they understand we have a mission to do!" type of comment)? Now when they don't show up to a unit training event, you'll understand! ☺
As CSM William Everroad said, your first meeting will be with your Company Commander. During the meeting, gauge the relationship that is already established between HHC and the Battalion staff - that will tell you if you're going to have a rocky road ahead or something a lot smoother. If rocky, then you have some work cut out for you to get rid of the bumps between the two.
If you view the staff as the primary consumer of the information you're generating, that should help a lot in maintaining/improving the information flow. What's the best mechanism(s) to get the information to those that need it? In addition to the formal processes, what informal processes will ensure that SPC Snuffy gets "the word"?
*stomp* *stomp* *stomp*
Again, effective two-way communications is the key to success between a headquarters company and the battalion staff.
How many times in the S3/G3 sections did you or someone else complain about the bad communications coming from the company and that they just couldn't understand why you weren't able to attend a company training event (usually with a "don't they understand we have a mission to do!" type of comment)? Now when they don't show up to a unit training event, you'll understand! ☺
As CSM William Everroad said, your first meeting will be with your Company Commander. During the meeting, gauge the relationship that is already established between HHC and the Battalion staff - that will tell you if you're going to have a rocky road ahead or something a lot smoother. If rocky, then you have some work cut out for you to get rid of the bumps between the two.
If you view the staff as the primary consumer of the information you're generating, that should help a lot in maintaining/improving the information flow. What's the best mechanism(s) to get the information to those that need it? In addition to the formal processes, what informal processes will ensure that SPC Snuffy gets "the word"?
*stomp* *stomp* *stomp*
Again, effective two-way communications is the key to success between a headquarters company and the battalion staff.
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I was HHC for 18 months. It can be hard because staff are receiving direction from the Bn XO but you'll be telling the NCOICs what needs to be accomplished to compete readiness stuff and tasking. If I had issues with stuff not getting done I would go to the OIC and get them to protect the NCOIC to get stuff done. Property is a huge pain in HHCs, be prepared to talk about it all the time. I didn't have an issue with CSM stepping on how I ran the company because he was worried about the Bn, hopefully yours will too. I did enjoyed getting after the Bn XO for being red on readiness because he always tagged on 1SGs about it, he did it when I told him though. Good luck.
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