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Command Post What is this?
Posted on Aug 14, 2014
1SG Steven Stankovich
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MAJ President
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We've been down this road before. For example, from 1975 to 1990 there was relative peace (other than a few flare ups and the cold war). Some leaders couldn't keep their troops focused. However, good leaders found ways to motivate there soldiers to train hard and be ready. In other words tough realistic training is paramount during peacetime. It is the antidote for peacetime complacency. The greatest example I can think of is 15 years of peace (75 to 90) then Desert Storm. The ground war lasted 100 hours for a reason. We were ready. Places like the NTC, JOTC, JRTC and the equivalent for other services made us all believe we needed to be ready for war and we trained until we puked. So the antidote for the "garrison" mindset...is to get the hell out of garrison and train your ass off in the field and make it brutal. Be ready.
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SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS
SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS
10 y
MAJ Joseph H. In furtherance of your point, "Without constant practice, the officers will be nervous and undecided when mustering for battle; without constant practice, the general will be wavering and irresolute when the crisis is at hand." Wang Tzu His clarification was based on the Sun Tzu principle of the question "On which side are officers and men more highly trained?"

Basically my comment would be, the military has been preparing for war in peace for the entire history of the World. Consequently, of there were never peace the military would never have time to prepare for war. New tactics, doctrine, training, equipment, etc needs time to develop and be implemented in to prepare for the next war.

Great commentary sir, thank you for the honor of being able to post with you and in support of your comments.

SFC Joseph M. Finck USA (Ret)
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MAJ President
MAJ (Join to see)
10 y
SFC Finck - your comments are right on. One of my favorite lines (pretty much same as yours but different words) is "we have been at war since 1776". Really, it's true (cold or hot). I have argued many times that the peacetime army was dangerous and should be, especially during the time period noted above (i.e. the cold war). Training was so intense we lost around 2,500 personnel a year just training hard. Hate to say it but it was worth it when the wall went down. You can't train hard without loosing people, although the losses should be minimized. Sadly the last month I was at the NTC we lost 8 soldiers to training accidents, always at night. Four months later Saddam attacked Kuwait.
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SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS
SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS
10 y
MAJ Joseph H.

The age old adage remains true, "the more we sweat in training, the less we bleed in combat." I lived through the Cold War period and was effected by the training tempo, but many of my fondest memories are encapsualted by training events.

Again, thank you sir,

SFC Joseph M. Finck USA (Ret)
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SFC Bde Mobility Nco
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The first thing is the uniform. The ACU has taken the "pride" out of the appearance of the Soldier. The Army has to stop changing the standard and start enforcing the standards. It seems like the Marines havent really changed much from the 90s til now, unlike the Army. The Army needs to have a standard and you either meet it or find new employment. Its to much gray area in the Army now.

I would like to see NCOPD seperated by junior and senior NCOs. In my opinion I dont want to sit through hours of how to do a proper counseling, as a SFC I should already be tracking on that. I would like dos and donts, tips, and the proper way how to mentor seasoned SSGs. How to properly rate my Squad Leaders on their NCOers. I would like to master my level. I think once you make SFC you are kind for forgotten about because people think you are going to retire. Just my opinion.

Garrison is not hard for most support MOSs, due to we are still doing our job in Garrison, unlike combat arms MOSs.
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1SG Visual Information Operations Chief
1SG (Join to see)
>1 y
I agree with this statement 125%

"I would like to see NCOPD separated by junior and senior NCOs. In my opinion I don't want to sit through hours of how to do a proper counseling, as a SFC I should already be tracking on that. I would like dos and don'ts, tips, and the proper way how to mentor seasoned SSGs. How to properly rate my Squad Leaders on their NCOers."
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SPC Matthew Birkinbine
SPC Matthew Birkinbine
10 y
I also agree immensely. There's no reason a SFC should be treated like s/he doesn't know his/her subordinate position duties or responsibilities. Seniors should be trained in senior tasks, such as "rating" juniors. Juniors should be trained in counseling.

I don't recall the marines having changed uniforms at least since I was in Basic and my first AIT, but they were in transition still in 2002 as I met Marines who wore BDU pattern and digital pattern uniforms. The thing about it is when they adopted their new uniforms, wear and appearance didn't (it would appear) go completely out the window, as common sense wear and appearance rules seem (from the outside) to have taken hold. I don't know if someone was over-compensating when deciding that we couldn't roll our sleeves anymore, or when we "had" to wear the beret at all times, or not, but it really felt like common sense disappeared with the adaptation of ACU's.

Garrison is definitely not hard for us personnel other than grunts.
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SPC Matthew Birkinbine
SPC Matthew Birkinbine
10 y
Oh, and I DEFINITELY at a MINIMUM, miss my black boots, that shined so bright.
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SFC Section Sergeant
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MSG, what a thought provoking post! Thank you.

It is making me evaluate some things that I am doing. Well, I am one of the old Soldiers who remembers being counseled monthly. I am one of the ones who search diligently for mentorship, especially during times when I have a supervisor who is not interested (capable) in leading me or other Soldiers. That mentor (leader) helps me continue to grow as a person and as a leader. In an attempt to answer your questions, let me start by saying the obvious. The way ahead is defined in current/updated regulations, ADPs, ADRPs, the like, and news events. To tell you all a secret, I like helping Soldiers study for Boards, because it helps me stay current, and exposed to what they encounter. I always offer to help Soldiers (people) in any aspect. Usually, I often have to mandate Study Hall because most figure two minutes on an app will take care of that.

Ensuring Soldiers are shaped to emulate the "Total Soldier" is an art. Meaning, I don't have a format; it is constantly changing. Someone said a few years ago, "You can't lead without relationship." Connecting with Soldiers (people) can be a challenge, as relationships are dynamic. Having a trustworthy team of my peers and subordinate leaders who share the same mental model is key. It still takes 'a village' in every setting.
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1SG Steven Stankovich
1SG Steven Stankovich
10 y
Thank you very much for your input SFC (Join to see). Building "Total Soldiers" is an art and what works in one setting may be difficult to emulate in another. I think that it is critical for leaders to share lessons learned in order to build a better current and future force.
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