Personal Experience: My Experience As A Platoon Sergeant

This position enabled me to liaise with H&HS Squadron MCAS Miramar FRO frequently where I learned a great deal. While serving in this position I was able to volunteer to

Since I was ten years old, I have been a member of the Young Marines, a program dedicated to the enrichment of youth. Aside from my family and school, this organization has had an incredible impact on my life, not only providing me with many unique and amazing experiences, but by shaping the foundation of my character by instilling in me the three core principles of the Young Marines: Discipline, Leadership, and Teamwork and also by emphasizing the importance of community service. I have had many amazing and unique experiences as a Young Marine which included the challenges of promotion to become the senior ranking officer, learning many new skills such as CPR, teaching Drug Demand Reduction, leading and mentoring the members of the Unit, going on encampments and traveling. In my sophomore year, my Unit Commander, a Korean War veteran, selected me to travel with him to Seoul. Every few years he chooses a Young Marine to take to South Korea based on merit.

Through this, new leaders and soldiers were not as competent as those of soldiers that were a part of the organization for some time. This effected the higher levels of command from getting new leaders added to the staff to assist with making calculated analysis and help form possible solutions. Also, it impacted lower levels of soldiers at a team, squad, and platoon level because extra care and training was needed to teach the new recruits the ways in which their team fought. Competence was also

From the lesson of training, I also realized the weight that officers hold when it comes to building trust, motivating, and pushing their soldiers. They are going to expect the utmost level of skill as well as professionalism that you must provide as an officer. In return, it is your right to expect the same level of excellence from your soldiers, being there to push them above the standard and holding them to being experts and professionals. This is a trait that no matter how skilled you or your soldiers may be, there will always be room for constant improvement and

It teaches that regardless of facing great challenges, a military leader must demonstrate resilience and insistence. A leader must be flexible in his judgment, beliefs, tactics, and actions. By following Wheeler’s example, a leader must do the utmost to accomplish maximum results with available resources. In addition, discipline is one of the most important characteristic of an Army at all times. Leaders have the obligation to command their troops under any situation and under no circumstance should never allow the lack of discipline.

Lastly, as a Warrant Officer I am expected to be the subject matter expert in my field. With no knowledge of my personality or past, Soldiers will expect me to have a high amount of knowledge on my particular field; therefore, I will need to ensure their trust in my knowledge is not wasted. The new found responsibilities that await me offer up challenging new challenges. I have always been a firm believer in the value of hard work.

2. Are you enrolled in school and furthering your education in some capacity, whether it be certifications and or a degree(s), and tracking your education needed for your military career? 3. Are you happy? Taking an interest in the lives of your Soldiers on a broad scope I believe is important to ensuring that they are in good standing overall, comfortable in the path

That is the wrong answer. Leaders should feel obligated to be the prime example and enforce the Army Values and Warrior Ethos not only thru their action on duty but also off duty. For example cutting edge to get the job done quicker is the wrong answer, it show that you don’t live the army values. It show that you have loyalty to you task, respect to the leader that told you complete the task, and the personal courage to do the right thing when no one is looking. Not only should a leader live the army values and warrior ethos while on duty but a leader should live them off duty.

When a squad leader listens and shows interest in soldiers’ performance, they are likely to appreciate and put effort in their work. Accountability saves time and finances. When soldiers in an organization are answerable and responsible for their actions, utilization of time and funds is adequately spent in among others, identifying solutions towards a challenge as opposed to trying to determine the problem. In this situation, accountability means that every soldier conducts their roles competently, and if a problem occurs, they raise it up instead of keeping quiet and letting it eventually create a bigger consequence. In conclusion, the building of accountability in an organization is crucial.

Communicate effectively with my subordinates, never leave my soldiers uninformed, stand to protect my soldiers in any cost, and always place their needs above my own

We all understand how to be a good Soldier. We must not only know those values, we must encompass them. As Dempsey says; (2010) “The Army Ethic begins with the moral values the Army defends” (p. 12). As a Human Resources Sergeant in the Profession of Arms, we have a calling. We have been called upon to take care of so many in so many different ways.

In order to run a successful organization, especially a good standing Army, there needs to be quality leaders within the organization. Leaders are artists, remaining flexible and adaptable in order to conform to any certain situation. In FM 6-22, leadership is defined as, “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization”. The vast majority of successful Army leaders exemplify this definition in their everyday life. So, what exactly does this process involve?

Subordinate units were empowered to make decisions and take action within the overall intent, but this did not mean they acted independently or without discipline. They were required to coordinate their actions with other units and maintain communication with higher headquarters, allowing for flexibility in execution while ensuring unity of effort. Shared understanding of the risk was another critical aspect of the Mission Command principles that contributed to the success of Operation Anaconda (Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2011). The commanders and subordinates recognized the risks involved in the operation, such as the challenging terrain and weather conditions. They took calculated risks, such as conducting air assaults, while maintaining situational awareness and adapting to the changing circumstances.

He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent" (McCarther 2015).  A leader should lead from the front and also have the ability to think quickly on their feet and take care of their Soldiers.  Have faith and trust that the leadership is doing their best to keep everything in

Along with being deployed some of my learned skills were acquired when I was assigned as a Fury FSC retention NCO two years ago, and my job was to educate soldiers about what they qualified for and other entitlements. Even though the soldier already knew the skills needed in the Army and had knowledge of the Army, I still had to persuade individuals to why they should reenlist. This required some craftiness on my part as some of these soldiers needed to hear something that they haven't heard