What advice would you give to a new E-5 in order to help them be successful?

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 05:45:55 -0500

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Dec 25 at 2021 7:05 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 07:05:17 -0500

Treat your people with respect when you get your own squad, be firm but not to the extreme, share all info that you receive from higher up, and ask you suggestion on task at hand SrA Private RallyPoint Member

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2021 8:02 AM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 08:02:43 -0500

Get to know your soldiers, goals, interests, annoying habits, etc

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2021 9:42 AM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 09:42:53 -0500

SrA Private RallyPoint Member Accomplish the mission with the resources that you have. Learn from your mistakes and do not make the same mistake twice. Emulate the behaviors and actions of the best leaders around you. Constantly work on your MOS and Leaderships skills to be one of the best NCO's. Continue your education! Good luck.

Response by Maj John Bell made Dec 25 at 2021 10:08 AM

Maj John Bell — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 10:08:22 -0500

Never stop being a student of your MOS, Leadership, and military history. Almost everything you need to know about effective small unit leadership is in a book by Col Dandridge Malone Small Unit Leadership: A Commonsense Approach. Read it every year.

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Dec 25 at 2021 12:35 PM

Cpl Vic Burk — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 12:35:04 -0500

SrA Private RallyPoint Member Remember how you were treated as a junior service member. Copy those who treated their squad members good and learn from those who were not so good and resolve not to duplicate their behavior. Listen with an open mind to those you are over; their idea may work and be better than your own! Best of luck to you.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2021 3:10 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 15:10:24 -0500

SrA Private RallyPoint Member be the leader you want to lead you.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 25 at 2021 4:59 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 16:59:07 -0500

When I was the company commander, I told my buck sergeants to know the soldiers and their families because E-5s are where the rubber meets the road. Genuinely care for them and their families. Communicate with your immediate superior every day. If possible, tell your airmen the focus of the week and even the focus of today. Definitely uphold the standards and keep them informed. Try to have some fun.

I am under the assumption that you are not familiar with Troop Leading Procedures and the OPORD format. I don't know if you will need to know them at your level, but I don't think knowing them will hurt you, and it will help you as you build up rank. Those two are intertwined.

The Troop Leading Procedures (TLP) is a great way to prepare the unit for imperative and intensive missions. Forgive me if my memory is not crystal clear but I will try my best to illuminate what I know. The first step is receiving a mission from higher. You need to know how your organization is nested in the higher mission. What is it they want your organization to accomplish? That drives your organization's mission. Then the airmen are briefed on your organization's mission asap to give them maximum time to prepare for the mission. The TLP might require a recon for intelligence. It is also a time to supervise and refine the mission and preparations.

I will make it simple in regard to OPORDs. They are comprised by:
- SITUATION: What does the big picture look like and the higher mission.
- MISSION: That was determined in the TLP phase.
- EXECUTION: How will the unit execute the mission?
- SERVICE AND SUPPORT: Who supports you logistically, mechanically, medically?
- COMMAND AND SIGNAL: Who is the commander and other important people to be contacted.

My assumption is you don't need to know the TLPs and OPORDs at your level, but it would give you good insight into the methodology how units prepare for missions. It will prepare you for the future and give you paradigms to be understood.

Good luck and Merry Christmas.

Response by PO2 Aaron Crandall made Dec 25 at 2021 10:21 PM

PO2 Aaron Crandall — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 22:21:46 -0500

recently separated navy E-5. The best advice I've heard which applies to all levels of leadership is lead the way you would want to be led and follow the way you'd like others to follow you

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2021 11:43 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 23:43:53 -0500

Remember that your people are your greatest asset. They are vital in the units ability to complete the mission or task at hand. Mission first, People always!

Response by SSG Bill McCoy made Dec 26 at 2021 12:19 PM

SSG Bill McCoy — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 12:19:02 -0500

Above all, be honest and support and respect your subordinates, peers and those in rank above you.

Response by SPC Lyle Montgomery made Dec 26 at 2021 2:13 PM

SPC Lyle Montgomery — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 14:13:37 -0500

Finish your enlistment, stay out of trouble and get out as soon as you can.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Dec 27 at 2021 8:41 AM

SFC Ralph E Kelley — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 08:41:07 -0500

It's not a single bit of advice but a daily example from good leaders.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 28 at 2021 12:45 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 00:45:07 -0500

Don’t let it go to your head, and be the leader you always looked up to. Lead by example, lead from the front. Never stop learning.

Response by SMSgt Mike Wood made Dec 28 at 2021 3:21 PM

SMSgt Mike Wood — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 15:21:52 -0500

Learn everything you can about your new job. Pay attention to what your people require to get promoted and help them. Finally, LEARN the job of the person above you. I know it's a lot and wish I instinctively followed this when I was a "new" NCO. Good luck!

Response by SPC Chris Kuhlman made Dec 30 at 2021 4:06 AM

SPC Chris Kuhlman — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 04:06:29 -0500

First- congrats on the promotion. Now for the advice... 1) Understand that the men and women that were your equals may now be your subordinates which means you may be expected to task them out to some less than desirable details. 2) Just because you have a shiny new rank doesnt mean you automatically have everyones respect- you gotta earn that on your own. 3) Unless you were already an A-Hole, dont become an A-Hole. 4) Understand that as a new E-5 you are now the bottom of a whole new section of the military, as such you will get the worst duties- suck it up because thats just how it is. 5) Work along side your team- dont just give them orders and then vanish. 6) Be a mentor and role model.