Better have an answer ready!

[AirborneAli]

I thought I'd leave the tradition of AIFA and talk about something moderately serious, something I've run across while with a new platoon deployed in Iraq. I thought I'd share some stuff every once in a while that pops up that I wasn't prepared to deal with as an LT. Hope if helps someone.

So, the first thing that really struck me happened today, even though it's happened before, and I have yet to have an answer for it. A soldier said "I wish I was an officer - more pay, less work." That really struck me, because even though I'm making more money, I hate that soldiers think I do less work.

It's very frustrating to be a new person with more power than everyone and less knowledge than anyone. I try to make a point to get out and learn as much as possible. But, what I've discovered is that soldiers don't care if you're sitting in the switch learning how to affiliate telephones. That's their job, and while it's cool that you're taking an interest and learning how things are done, it's not what's important. It's getting out and dragging camoflauge all over the place, it's helping fill sandbags, it's policing up areas with the soldier instead of standing with a coffee cup doing step 8 (supervise and evaluate.)

The soldiers don't see that you have 7 hour meetings to go over the hand receipt with your commander. They don't see that you have to answer for everything that all 40 of them do. They don't see that regardless of how much you technically know, you are responsible for it all. And how do you make them see it? How can you explain to them that you get paid more because you have more responsibility?

I don't think that you can. I think you have to get out and prove to them that you're worth your base pay by not only doing your office/nerdlike/paperwork job, but making sure you get out and do everything that you're asking the soldiers to do. Sounds easy and sounds like something every officer promises to do, but after dragging around camo nets for a couple of hours, I had a soldier say "wow, ma'am, I've never had an LT do the slave labor with us." Meant a lot to them, and that meant a lot to me.

They don't teach that in Cadetland, so remember to get out and prove yourself when you get the chance!

[thepanther]

Excellent advice! This is what we need to see more of on AIFA. This is the kind of information that cadets will benefit from and what they'd log onto AIFA to find. Wish others would contribute more of this and less of the senseless, long threads. Thanks AirborneAli. You make me proud.

[Gambit]

Hey AA, how much of that is helped when you have a PSG who understands and supports your role as an LT to the troops? I've heard that by the time a soldier is an NCO they have a better appreciation for the job officers do, and are often thankful that they don't have to wade through as much of the BS. Seems like making sure the troops "know their role" is an important part of their job, and should be part of clearing up the "more pay, less work" facade... although I think probably nothing shows you care better than your example.

[Sammy Sandbag]

Excellent advice! This is what we need to see more of on AIFA. This is the kind of information that cadets will benefit from and what they'd log onto AIFA to find. Wish others would contribute more of this and less of the senseless, long threads. Thanks AirborneAli. You make me proud.

Your second post and you're already making directives. Anways, I agree to an extent. Comedic, cynical, and blatant humor are what AIFA is about. Has been from the beginning and always will be. I do however feel that we can use a healthy dash of serious advice, resources, and professional discussion. Hence, the FOD bucket's creation. That's where the crap is, if you don't wanna read it, don't go there. (And and by "you", I don't mean you Panther. Good to have you aboard.)

AA, thanks for the insight. You brought up several difficulties that new officers face, and you also gave some good solutions. I'd like to see more officers spreading their knowledge to the soon-to-be's here. Keep up the good work.

[hoosier500]

It's very frustrating to be a new person with more power than everyone and less knowledge than anyone.

Ali - first and foremost, good insight ergo good post. But I want to turn around to show another perspective.

It's very frustrating to be a older person with less power than someone and more knowledge than that one.



The soldiers don't see that you have 7 hour meetings to go over the hand receipt with your commander. They don't see that you have to answer for everything that all 40 of them do. They don't see that regardless of how much you technically know, you are responsible for it all...And they don't care - they will figure it's your better paid job to do so. They do theirs - you do yours, they expect no less (probably more!) from you - than do from yourself. BUT (OMIGOD such a big but) if you can establish a "respect factor" you will reap an earned authority factor that is a force multiplier.

[AirborneAli]

Gambit,

It's true that a PSG can be a great help when you're trying to deal with soldiers, and ideally a PSG would stomp out any comments that soldiers not make, but in reality, your PSG could possibly think that you don't do work either.

I just wanted to stress that even though LTs do a lot of work, it's usually work that soldiers don't see, so in their minds, you're sitting around on AIFA (oops!) and not doing anything productive. Like it or not, you have to prove things to your soldiers, and the best way to prove that you're a worker is to get out and work with them. One, it shows that you don't ask them to do anything that you wouldn't do yourself. Two, it gives you a chance to get to know your soldiers. Three, it shows them that you indeed do work, cause that might be the only work that they see you do.

[Gambit]

it shows that you don't ask them to do anything that you wouldn't do yourself

Sounds suspiciously like another fine military institution I know... ;)

AA, thanks for the comments. Congrats on your new comic stardom... maybe next time Domer'll actually draw ya. :roll: