Joint Service - Who has served in the joint environment?

SGM Matthew Quick — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 22:51:02 -0500

Where did you serve and what was the most difficult part of the transition from your primary service to working with sister services?

Would you recommend a joint service assignment to others? Why or why not?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2013 11:13 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 23:13:34 -0500

I have been (more or less) in Joint Service for my entire 6 years. I would definitely say go for it, as it offers a more diverse set of experiences, and sets you up for success in future assignments.

Now I know what a SCPO, a SMSgt, and a MGySgt are (more or less) and how to tell the difference... I can react equally well to being told to pop the hatch and run down the ladderwell or to open the door and run down the stairwell... and I have stories to tell to any junior enlisted about how I've interacted with Senior Enlisted and/or officers in their branch!

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2013 12:21 AM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 00:21:16 -0500

MSG Quick, great question, thanks for posting, I've worked in and around the joint community for the better part of the past ten years or so, along w/ several joint courses, and JPME I as well. All things considered, I'd recommend serving in a joint assignment, although there are of course caveats; I certainly don't have all the answers to all things joint (and I suspect very few, if any folks do); although, I'd be happy to help answer any questions on the subject. Again great topic, very important folks seek answers early on in their careers... thanks again for opening the thread!

Response by CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2013 12:35 AM

CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 00:35:07 -0500

I have had a few joint assignments. One at Ft. Meade, MD and the other in OEF. For the most part the transition was seamless. Just one word of advice, Marines like to be called by their full rank. This took a while to adjust to.

Response by LTC Jason Bartlett made Dec 8 at 2013 1:12 AM

LTC Jason Bartlett — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 01:12:46 -0500

My joint assignment was very favorable professionally and personally. I was assigned to a Worldwide Individual Augmentation System (WIAS) tasking to Afghanistan, working at HQ ISAF as the Global Force Manager. I was a member of a 4-star staff interacting across services and with Soldiers from over fifty coalition partner nations.  The most difficult part was the language barrier with so many languages and not all our partner nations sent reps that spoke English fluently. However the joint environment at HQ ISAF was a great location to facilitate learning and help our partners out. All of these experiences and interactions helped build cultural awareness and camaraderie, fostering lifelong bonds.

Response by SSG Kevin McCulley made Dec 22 at 2013 5:09 PM

SSG Kevin McCulley — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 17:09:37 -0500

I do. Serving with the other services is awsome and rewarding, but these organizations tend to be run by civilians (even with uniformed leaders 'technically' incharge) with enlisted looked down upon. NOTE: My org is joint, but also a training environment.)

Response by LTJG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 27 at 2013 2:26 AM

LTJG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 02:26:33 -0500

I greatly enjoy the joint environment. Wish there were more opportunites for joint-training in many ways (e.g. would love to send my Sailors through Army Infantry School and/or Marine SOI).

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 27 at 2013 9:39 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 21:39:19 -0500

Served with Air Force at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, did my first deployment at 332nd EMDG, at Balad Air Base. Currently assigned to Walter Reed-Bethesda. Even though it's "joint", when you refer to the floors as "decks", there's still a big Navy vibe.

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2014 4:31 PM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 16:31:02 -0500

I am serving in my first joint assignment in EUCOM. i have been position about three months now and learned more than about how the different services operte in these three months than ever. I do believe that every soldier should complete one joint assignment.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 14 at 2014 10:47 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 10:47:04 -0500

I currently work in a Joint Enviornment and I see it as both good and bad. To fix what I see and experience there are a few things. I think we should make sure that our Mid-Level to Senior Enlisted are properly instructed on Counseling and Mentoring the other Services. I have seen a Navy Personel have an Army Soldier assigned to them then went almost 3-4 months without ever getting an Initial Counseling.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 14 at 2014 12:37 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 12:37:12 -0500

As a seasoned Army NCO and being assigned to my only joint assignment, it was quite a culture shock to me. The way other services conduct their business seemed wrong to me. After spending some time with my peers and having many discussions we have an understanding of each others style which helped get through the mission. Communication is the key.

Response by Lt Col Luis A. Rojas made Jan 25 at 2014 7:28 PM

Lt Col Luis A. Rojas — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 19:28:00 -0500

I definitely recommend everyone having at least one joint assignment.  I've been lucky to have three in my career:  USSOUTHCOM (2002 to 2005), USEUCOM (2007 to 2011) and NORAD-USNORTHCOM (2011 to Present).  NORAD-USNORTHCOM is unique in that it not only is a joint command but also Bi-National with our Canadian partners.  All three assignments have been great experiences.  I also attended Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) in Norfolk Virginia back in 2003...outstanding opportunity to learn from fellow classmates from the other services.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2014 8:33 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 20:33:59 -0500

I am currently in a Joint Assignment. It has honestly been one of the most challenging assignments. I have learned a great deal about the other services and their outlook on military service. I think the hardest part about the transition was getting used to how they operate and their perspective on things like promotion, leadership, responsibility, and how to deal with problem children. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I think that ultimately I have learned a great deal about myself as a person, a Soldier, and a Leader,  I would recommend a joint service assignment for the experience and to learn new ways to operate.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 25 at 2014 10:00 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 22:00:28 -0500

I have served in a Joint billet in two environments. I also attended a sister service ILE (Navy). Both were also multinational with NATO, Force Command in Germany and ISAF Hq. I am glad I have the experience. Different services have different expectations of their NCOs. They also have a different paradigm on what is considered as the lowest Command level, hence the authority scale varies. If you are a leader, ensure that good folks that do great things get recognized with the appropriate joint decorations. It may be their only joint opportunity. Not saying hand them out for GP.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made May 25 at 2014 7:33 AM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Sun, 25 May 2014 07:33:51 -0400

GTMO JTF-160. We had all 5 services represented, 4 in the J6. It was a great experience to see how similar but yet how different all the services are and how we managed to sand all the edges to make all the square pegs fit into the round holes. Definitely need more sand paper to make "purple" ops run better, especially since its becoming more the rule than the exception.

The enlisted rank structure of the other services was the toughest. I spent many an evening studying the rank chart for fear of looking like a moron. I wanted to be able to properly address everyone because we're all proud of our rank. The toughest was the Navy with the rank and position meshed together.

I would highly recommend a joint service assignment - hopefully outside the 5-sided puzzle palace, somewhere where the rubber meets the road and you get to see all ranks in action, doing what they each do best.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 13 at 2014 12:51 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 12:51:01 -0400

My first of many joint assignments was at Buckley Air Force Base, my joint command supervisor was a Marine Staff Sergeant. First day I made the mistake of calling him Sergeant, needless to say, I will never make that mistake again. Also the Air Force rank is weird, each rank is named what the rest of the military calls the next higher rank, a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force is an E-5… once you get around the rank thing and the differing terms, everything else was pretty much the same. I would recommend a joint assignment; you really get an opportunity to learn how the other services do things and it usually helps with your career development.

Response by GySgt Joe Strong made Feb 26 at 2015 10:34 PM

GySgt Joe Strong — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 22:34:54 -0500

6 years at JCSE, was initially pulled for a 3 year tour but was held over.
Enjoyed almost every single minute, new tech toys, new ways of doing business, so many things to learn and do. Air Force Combat Challenge Competitions (2x), Hosting Foreign Service personnel, Giving briefings to various visiting delegations of Armed Forces Staff Colleges, Lots of Travel, Coordinating Sites and Services with Host Nation personnel when deployed and most of the time we were on the ground 90 days or less and then it was time to hit the road for a new assignment. Absolutely the most fun part of my 21 year career.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Feb 26 at 2015 10:51 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 22:51:46 -0500

SGM Matthew Quick, my last assignment prior to retirement was as a Regional Emergency Staff Officer for the National Communications System. The National Communications System (NCS) was an office within the DHS (originally, and while I was there, the DOD) charged with enabling national security and emergency preparedness communications (NS/EP telecommunications) using the national telecommunications system. The NCS was disbanded by Executive Order 13618 on July 6, 2012.
I honestly had no difficulties in transitioning to a position wherein I worked with the sister services. I considered it a real pleasure to interact not only with the sister services, but many high level government civilian employees as well.
Since that was my last assignment, I don't think I can really advise as how it might enhance your career in the Army.

Response by SSG Keven Lahde made Feb 26 at 2015 11:23 PM

SSG Keven Lahde — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 23:23:25 -0500

SGM Matthew Quick SGM I served on 3 different Joint Services and I think it was highly beneficial. You learn more about the Military, the other services and what they can and cannot do. It gives the military I think all these talents and ideas from everyone involved thus making us an even stronger force to deal with. I would do it again without hesitation or reserve.

Response by SPC(P) Jay Heenan made Feb 26 at 2015 11:34 PM

SPC(P) Jay Heenan — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 23:34:29 -0500

My whole MOS can (and often do) work in a joint environment. I deployed with the 101st, attached to TF MED (an AF run task force). Spent most of my years working on a Navy base, Marine base and a mostly civilian base. Unless I am completely not understanding the question (it is late here, that is a definite possibility)...

Response by LTC Jason Strickland made Dec 23 at 2019 9:22 AM

LTC Jason Strickland — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 09:22:52 -0500

I served in several joint assignments:
US Central Command (MacDill AFB, FL) - great opportunity to learn from and alongside sister services.
Multi-National Force - Iraq (Baghdad, Iraq) - great to be a part of a coalition force delivering combat power with sister services and fellow countries.
US Northern Command (Peterson AFB, CO) - terrific experience working with the US Coast Guard, Dept. of Homeland Security, and our Canadian brethren (for NORAD activities) for domestic operations and training.
I would definitely recommend a joint assignment for E-6 and above and/or O-3 and above. Learn your craft in your service, then see how your colleagues do their business.