Relationship between NCOs and Officers

[Admin]

[size=14pt]1^st Ranger Battalion
NCO School
Able Company[/size]

[size=12pt]Introduction[/size]

This concerns a major issue in the unit.

It has always been a problem for units that junior NCOs do not exercise their authority. They don't correct even minor problems themselves, and they don't speak up if an officer is present. They look to the higher-ranking people to do things for them. This is partly the fault of the lower-ranking members, and partly our fault, as your commanders.

Some NCOs are too timid. But also, as officers, some have set the tone incorrectly. To help get us past this and to the point where everyone is doing what they need to be doing, I'm making this topic which I have worked up with the help of your HQ. The point here is to better define what things should be handled by officers, and what should be handled by NCOs, especially with respect to discipline.

[size=12pt]The Relationship Between NCOs and Officers[/size]

Both NCOs and Officers are tasked with the same thing: accomplishing mission objectives and keeping the unit organized and fun. To do this, they must work together and understand and respect each other. However, the nature of their respective roles and responsibilities often requires that they approach tasks in different ways and from different perspectives.

[size=12pt]The Role of Officers[/size]

It is the job of officers to focus on ?the big picture.? They will often have dozens of enlisted men (and possibly other officers) under their command. Everything they do reflects this broader responsibility. They are most often generalists and can supervise members working in a number of areas. They are the planners, the organizers, the strategists. They set overall policy for the unit, and are concerned with overall unit performance. In terms of training, they work with soldiers at the collective level, in large groups. They are the final authority on all unit matters.

Officers are also students of psychology. They know what makes people tick, and how to get the most out of them. They make decisions and make them fast. If they're good, the troops are almost in awe of them. They must motivate others, both by giving them guidance and by setting an example.

[size=12pt]The Role of NCOs[/size]

Because he has such wide-ranging responsibilities and has command over so many individuals, an officer must delegate some of his authority to subordinates. Ultimately, however he is responsible for everything they do and is answerable to his own superiors for any mistakes, errors, omissions, etc. made by those under his command. Officers thus rely on their NCOs to act as their assistants. An Officer sets policy, and an NCO sees that it is enforced within the Officers? guidelines.

NCOs are the backbone of the Military. They take the orders and guidance from the Officers and put them to work. They take care of their troops. They discipline them and train them. They work side by side with their Officers in developing the training guides and mission templates for the unit. The NCOs coach and motivate the people in their charge. They correct the deficiencies and build on the strength of the individual. An NCO should be conscious of the authority he wields. He should not come running to an officer whenever there is a problem, but only if it is one he does not know how to solve, or that he does not have the authority to solve. An Officer must rely on NCOs to do their job, so that they may do theirs.

Officers rarely deal with soldiers on an individual level, when they speak to them, it is usually through an NCO. Thus, NCOs are concerned with the discipline and performance of lower-ranked NCOs and enlisted men. Officers are concerned with the discipline and performance of lower-ranked Officers and NCOs.

[size=12pt]Discipline and the Chain of Command[/size]

Discipline is what keeps the unit running smoothly. Therefore it is especially important that NCOs and Officers understand their respective roles with regard to discipline. Just as it is impossible for an Officer to personally oversee all aspects of his command, it is equally impossible for him to personally oversee the discipline and conduct of all of his troops. He must know with certainty that his men respect him and follow his orders because they want to, not because they have to. He cannot personally watch over every soldier, and thus must obtain a relationship of mutual respect and trust with each, so that he can be confident that they will carry out his orders even if he is not present. To achieve this, he should carry himself in a certain way. An Officer sets an example for all those underneath him. If he uses foul language then it is acceptable for those underneath him to do so. Thus, when he speaks, he should do so with confidence and authority, he should know when and how to be serious. At the same time, an officer must present himself as being fair, even-tempered, collected, and responsible. His soldiers should look up to him, because he knows what he is talking about and gets the job done, and because he leads with compassion and justice. He should not have to rule through fear. He should not need to yell or scream to command attention, nor is it appropriate for him to do so.

Because NCOs in general have authority over smaller numbers of soldiers, they are able to give those under their command a greater degree of personal attention. It is for this reason they are so often tasked with handing out discipline personally. An NCO should also strive to have his soldiers follow because they want to and not because they have to, but if there is ever an enlisted man who needs to be set straight or who needs to be put in his place, verbally or otherwise, it is the NCO who will carry this out. This does not mean that the NCO is to be a tyrant, but it does ensure that discipline is maintained and that officers always retain the image of being fair and even-tempered in the eyes of all. Good soldiers will understand why an NCO is so personally demanding of them, and why he may need to occasionally ?tear them down,? for it is always for the purpose of building them back up. Furthermore, if an Officer is forced to focus his attention on individual discipline, he cannot fully attend to his own responsibilities, which may be broader in scope.

[size=12pt]What Does This Mean?[/size]

That's all well and good, but how does that apply to our unit? Here are some examples:

1. During drills an officer should never need to yell at the privates to fix the line, or to stop screwing around. The NCOs assisting him should attend to this so that the officer in charge may focus on the running of the actual drill. If someone speaks out of turn, the NCOs will tell him to knock it off. The Officer will never need to address issues with discipline.

2. An officer is organizing a realism scrim for fun on the weekends. The NCOs should be telling the privates to fix the line. If they are talking and making it hard for us to start and pick teams, the NCOs should tell them to quiet down. The Officer should be able to stay quiet and let the NCOs get everyone in line. If the Officer feels like the NCOs aren't taking care of this, he will say: NCOs get them in order please, rather than just solving the problem himself.

3. If we are in Ventrilo, or playing realism, or anywhere, and a private is being disrespectful or annoying, an NCO should tell him to knock it off. An Officer shouldn't have to step in, even if he is there.

4. If some private needs to be "given a talking to," this will be handled by an NCO, likely his SL. Unless the NCO for some reason doesn't have the authority to deal with the problem himself.

5. If we are running AIT, the NCOs should be in complete control of the situation. Officers are just there to monitor and to see to it things get done. NCOs are trained to administer training.

6. If there is a larger problem among the unit as a whole. For example, people haven't been following the chain of command lately. And a post needs to be made telling people to wise up, SNCOs should be able to handle this, probably the Company Sgt. The Company CO will most likely inform the SNCO of a need for this. Discipline is micro-level issue, Officers focus on the macro-level.

[size=12pt]Conclusion[/size]

Above all, remember this. If an officer is present, that does not mean you need to stay quiet and let him handle everything. NCOs and Officers have different responsibilities and ways of handling situations. At the same time, do not think that being an NCO necessitates that you yell and scream and be a tyrant. You want to be courteous and respectful. However, you must be demanding of those under you. If someone needs to lay the smack down, it will be the NCOs.

Effectively putting this into action will mean that HQ is expecting a lot out of each of you. And additionally, you will be expecting something out of us: that we give you the necessary authority, and not do your jobs for you. Remember that every officer around in this unit was once an NCO. Old habits die hard. This is going to take some work on everyone's part.

Also be aware, you are being delegated authority, but don't overstep your bounds. You should never question someone of higher rank in public, even for the most minor of things. Comments and concerns should be taken up privately. Also, higher-ranking members should take care to handle any discipline of their subordinates privately unless it is something very minor. NCOs need to be respected by those under them as well, so you shouldn't chew them out in front of the privates.

If at any time you feel you need to contact me personally, the easiest way is to Personal Message me over the forums. If you need to contact me over different means, you can also send me a message over Steam Friends. If the problem requires immediate remedy, I suggest Ventrilo.

And as always:
[size=14pt]Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance

Copyright 2011, All rights reserved.
Do not use, alter, change, or quote outside of this thread without explicit written permission.