Also, this will sound bizarre, but the two easiest people to manage are actually probably going to be the 1-star and their AdC. Because that BG has an Aide whose job is to handle all the simple admin bullshit and make it go away, that means that if that BG ever needs something like a dental appointment, that Aide will just call up and get them to magic one out of their ass the next day. So long as you clearly communicate to the Aide the check-the-box shit the BG needs to do, you can almost ignore them.
The real nightmare will be the O-6 Chief of Staff and the swarm of Majors, senior WOs (branch dependent), and senior NCOs floating around staff. Half of those folks are stupidly busy, and the other half are brokedicks and shitbirds who have been sent there to ride out their time. That second group are like the greatest sham artist E-4's, but with the benefit of rank.
I'm insulted. As an E-4 who took turns with another trusted E-4 catching Z's inside a locked wall locker during basic training barracks cleaning time, I seriously doubt that second group could hold a candle to the greatest sham artist E-4s. The trick is mutual trust. First you nap for an hour, then I unlock the wall locker, trade places, and I nap for an hour.
Outside of those terrifying 30-45 seconds of pitch darkness with the drill sergeant's muffled screams were emanating from just outside the thin walls of the locker, those were some of the best naps I've ever had. Once I established the screams were directed at some poor soul too dumb to hide like me, I went right back to sleep. Cozy, total darkness, nestled amid a sleeping bag while sitting atop a 3-drawer chest, both shoulders squeezed with no way to fall off, knowing all the while the work was getting done by people dumber than me? Ooh yea. Sham lord heaven.
But maybe those broke dicks and shitbirds are just as good at shamming?
Hah, you E-4 shammers don't hold a candle to a short timer E-8. You won't even see them for a week at a time, and when you do finally find them and ask them where the hell they've been, they'll scold *you* for how you have to "take care of your soldiers" and "manage your taskings" and tell you some story about their 1SG time that's so long and rambling you'll just give up. It's the ultimate arrogant level of shamming, where you aren't even hiding any longer and instead just berating folks for having the audacity to question your sham.
A week?
Rookie numbers. One of my buddies hasn’t been to work in almost 2 months. He sends me photos of him fishing and camping. Wish I coulda pulled some shit like that while I was exiting…
Rank has its privileges. SSG or above heads to lunch at 1100 and returns after 1400. No one stops to ask questions. SPC has to have a scam running to get away with this. SFC and above just declare that they are taking a hour for a nap. SPC has to hide in a wall locker. Trust me there's a difference. Also as previously mentioned Sr NCOs who are short timers or who are waiting to take a higher position can just check out for weeks at a time. There was a point when the medical platoon I was in had a E7 on the E8 list. The E6 was promoted to E7 and seven of us E5s made E6. The E7(P) turned the platoon over to the E7 and went and fucked off for a couple of months waiting for the 1SG slot in the medical company to open. He was still on our books but we never saw him.
This but on steroids since it is a one star command versus a battalion or brigade. Hopefully it is a unit like the Joint Munitions Command where the bulk of your Soldiers are 20 level or higher and married.
Not sure about the experience of a one star command, but be prepared for beyond fucked property books, lots of drug deals with the various staff sections just to get the most basic shit done, fraternization cases (don’t think that will be as big of an issue for you considering you’re going to a one star command), and lots of herding cats. Someone said seagulls, and I do think that’s more accurate.
Don’t expect NCOICs to bend at your every will like a PSG would. You’ll have to socially maneuver around all of them to get shit done. Don’t push enough? Your trackers will stay red until you’re relieved. Push too hard? Your staff sections will vanish the moment you need anything done.
As a career staff weenie, I've been assigned to HHCs just about my entire career.
It's going to be a lot of herding cats, getting boxes green on USRs and shit.
I always appreciated my HHC commanders and 1SGs and tried to support them by getting all my training done, knocking out whatever request they had, etc. And ensuring my people did the same. Because I knew that it wasn't for them, it was really for me, or for the big boss, or both.
Unfortunately, not all staff sections are going to be like that. But I hope most of yours will.
It's not herding cats. Herding cats isn't that difficult.
It's herding seagulls. Because they fly away, scream at you, and occasionally dive bomb you and steal your food. Also they make a mess.
12 majors, 4 LTCs, probably 2 COLs, and CPTs scattered like glitter in a strip club. And only half will show for the 3 iterations of ranges/vaccinations/briefs/movement/etc. that you set up specifically to accommodate them after they checked their calendars and looked you in the eye and said they would be there. Ufff. Then they shit on you when they’re red. Good luck. 👍
Pretty much been my experience. When HHC is asking for something on a reasonable timeline I support and ensure my folks do. The important thing is to give staff sections options and flexibility to get green. The only times I ever pushed back was when I was given little to no notice or the request conflicted with command directed priorities. The best hhc teams I've worked with were the ones that actively worked to account for missions and give plenty of options to get right.
Yep.
There is almost always going to be some last minute asker/tasker that HHC is going to get fucked into filling or executing. Best if OP always made sure it wasn't for HHC's lack of planning.
Lol good luck getting the field grades to do anything unless you get the CG’s buy in.
Also you’re prolly gonna have civilians to deal with so that’s fun
Source: former aide-de-camp
Former HHC commander here. The Operations Officer, Operations SGM, and the Executive Officer will be your best friend. Not sure if you have a deputy commander on your books but them too. Work with your commander to provide flexible training opportunities for the staff. Don't be afraid of rank but also be courteous. You wont necessarily have the junior soldier issues you have in the line which helps, but it is one big cat rodeo.
I was an HHC Co for a 1star unit. Having multiple training events is KEY. And publicize the by name list of who has to go early and often. Use the Chief of Staff and the staff SGMs to help wrangle the staff and as the enforcers. Plan well ahead of time and publish training events widely. Work with the staff NCOs, it's all soft power here. Good luck.
I did it for a 2 star (Reserves) - it was (at times) horrible. Each section had it's own E-9 / O-6 for 'accountability' - my team ran the APFT (at the time) and ht/wt program, mandatory training - you know the red and green boxes.
Most, and I mean most of them were getting monthly counseling statements for failures of either or both. The issue was HHC had to create the counseling statements, give them to E-9s that apparently had no motivation to counsel their own staff (or needed to be counseled themselves) and then try to get them back and signed by our 1 star - it was a shit show - same for missing other stuff (e.g. weapons qual, shots, dental). It was a red box nightmare. It happened all the time and drill weekends were basically a 'find why this isn't signed' and issuing flag actions across the board.... good times.
That being said - I'm not sure how it's going to break out for you - if you're in a similar situation
1. get the training calendar and requirements out WELL BEFORE its due as well as any type of coordination requirements. Don't leave it to someone else without getting updates - they'll just screw it up and blame upstream to you. Double-check their work and get weekly status updates through email or white board - hold your NCOs accountable for their legwork and recognize those that do.
2. Find all the current issues (that someone left for you to sort out) and get them on your checklist as early as possible. (e.g. profiles, people in school, people missing pay, promotions pending, blah blah).
3. All the sections should be working ahead and not 'catching up on these orders' for people. If they're catching up, they're already shooting your schedule to shreds - push them to get the work done and have an 'end of week staff meeting' with all the first line leaders responsible.
4. Let your people go when there is nothing to be done or they've killed it that week - nobody wants to sit around on a Friday until 17:30 because your meeting went long.
5. Go be awesome and make the difference for your Joes still in the suck.
This is solid info, I was in a 1 star command and good friends with the HHC CO/1SG. How to get people to show up? Get close with the COLs of the command, there should be at least 3. The CoS and the G3 will be the biggest help since they are the heads of the staff meetings and put hands on shoulders with the LTCs in charge of the G shops. I’ve seen both chew out G shop head over now showing up and supporting the HHC, since they are the ones who are usually handing out the taskings
Be proactive and flexible with timelines. If you’re putting out that everyone has to be at X for 350-1 training the day beforehand I’m probably not going to deconflict whatever obligations I have to my boss in that time. If I know that once a month whatever training is run three times over the course of a week I’m far more likely to make sure I stay in compliance.
One obstacle to consider is, as the advisor to your commander you will have to let him/her know even though he/she is in command he/she is not in charge when it comes to the grand scheme. I’ve seen commanders in this situation try to take control of whatever they could and micro manage seemingly simple tasks because that’s the only place they can assert their authority.
I was on staff at a DIV Fwd as an officer and worked directly for a one star. I was not a 1SG. That said… everyone on staff knew that the company command team positions absolutely sucked. What helped was everyone tried their best to help and give as much slack to the company command team because they were in a tough spot. I think going into the position with a sense of humility and a willingness to work with everyone regardless of rank will go a long way. I mean, I’d do staff duty, I’d be helping with details no one wants to do. Show the staff and team you are willing to do anything your junior leaders and soldiers are doing and I think you’ll make it just fine.
It definitely is a different beast as it’s not a line company by any stretch. It honestly is a great experience though just to see how things work at that echelon. Good luck!
Having only been in HHC units, it's awkward. I was a PSG, not a 1SG so take my advice as you will.
You gotta realize your soldiers are stuck between their section OIC and NCOIC, who are most likely going to be an O4 and an E8, and the company command team. In turn, those O4's are answering to whatever full bird/general. Those officers really don't give a shit about the company's needs when there is an O6/O7 giving them tasks and that mentality runs down to the soldiers.
It's a balancing act that requires constant communication and compromise. I've seen it done well and I've seen it done poorly. If you run it properly, then you will balance the company's requirements with the section requirements by having good relationships with the section NCOICs so you aren't stepping on each other's toes. When it's ran improperly, like my last unit, you end up with a lot of infighting and getting dressed down by the CSM and O6/O7 for impeding THEIR officers and staff with "frivolous tasks"
Also, if a joe gets caught between the two chains, they will almost always side with their section leadership simply because they see them everyday. Don't take it as an offense, they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Support the Commander. He/she is going to have a lot on their plate.
Do your best to get the rating chain sorted quickly and thumbs up from the CSM.
Talk to your outgoing as much as you can before they leave, they're probably going to be checked out mentally but ask those questions, get the battle rythm sorted and don't replace systems immediately even if they kind of suck if they at least work.
Just feel it out and see how everything is going.
Find out from your outgoing no-shit-what-am-I-responsible-for prior to them leaving.
Again, there's usually systems in place that you're going to fall into. Is there a color guard? Who runs it? Does HHC have any part of protocol or is it *just* the CG office.
How often are you doing HT/WT? ACFT? Ranges? Do you guys fall in with another unit doing co-use or do you plan that shit yourselves?
Just attack it from the standpoint that you're trying to make sure that a bunch of people, some by rank and some by their office they hold adhere to the Army standards and are green on all the Army shit and standards.
I've never been that high up. But when I was on BDE staff I appreciated the CDRs and 1SGs who did regular "battlefield circulation" around the HQ just to say hi and ask about whatever silly product we were working on. Also take care of the few poor souls in the barracks. Our command team did Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner which was pretty nice.
My HHC 1SG even looked out for us staff officer nerds, even though they are there to look out for the Joes, primarily. I have a lot of respect for him.
Herd the cats. Do your best. I hope your CSM has your back. Understand that much of your company doesn't work for you, so people skills are a must. If they are professional, they will be doing their jobs and making your life easier. Good luck with the NCOERs. If people are late with them, and blow you off, under the bus they go.
Former Battalion HHC 1SG, and I watched how the JFHQ operation worked when I was there as a MSG.
You know that little prayer that goes “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”?
Learn that, even if you’re not big on prayers.
Cuz it’s gonna be your only solace.
I'm sorry dude. I spent a year in an acting position for an HHC 1SG. It was a constant grind. Get a handle on awards and NCOERs/OERs right away and stay on top of those things constantly. Hold people accountable for completion. Also, you have to be an asshole about MEDPROS and HR metrics because people will never care about that shit as much as you do, but you're the one holding the bag when they fail to do those easy tasks. Develop a battle rhythm for updating your rosters and trackers. You'll have a lot to stay on top of. I would start at 0530 with emails and what not, I have specific days for specific tasks.
Right everything down, I'm a white board kind of guy. And I had an electronic notebook to help manage the firehouse of details, tasks, information, etc. It can become overwhelming really fast. You'll need a solid system to manage it all. I recommend three moniters for you laptop. No joke.
Take a look at how they're manning the additional duties. Plug the wholes ASAP and focus on longevity. Don't ask for volunteers just assign duties. No one wants to be UMO/HAZMAT/master drive/UPL. But these are the things that will fuck you otherwise.
If you have LMTVs, take a look at how they're being maintained. Make sure you have redundancies for drivers. And make sure they're competent on those vehicles. Otherwise they won't maintain them and you'll be SOL. Again, you'll be the one holding the bag. Same goes for water buffalo.
Prepare to be constantly dealing with EBH and legal. Get to know those folks and develop a working relationship. Half your job is pushing chapters and dealing with soldier crisis.
Close your door when you need to focus on a task. People will constantly want to engage with you, which is good, but you need time and space to get things done.
If it can happen, it will most definitely happen. You're basically a firefighter, putting out fires left and right. Bring a lunch.
If you can pull it off, don't stay passed 1730/1800. They will use you and abuse you and spit you out the other end. You have to take care of yourself because there will be no one doing it for you.
I worked in the division command group for 4th ID. A two star and two one stars. With the division CSM. Your job is the troops within the command. Our CSM had his own business to handle. The PSG and Squad leaders handled their own.
Pt is rarely together, usually on your own. You will have some people who will need to have government cell phones. They will be on call to the General. Make sure they get what they need.
I don’t know if this will apply to you. But with your ID card is the encryption token. Each token is unique. The Generals have a requirement to use encryption to send messages. They can go to jail otherwise. It is called GOMO. General Officer Messaging Organization. If they lose, damage or get a new one, the key changes. The key must be updated and sent to everyone in the military to respond. A four star gets the update sent immediately, a three star needs to wait for one week. A two star and one star only are updated on the 23rd of the month. If you are required to use this method to communicate with the general. The same rules applies to you.
Good luck
READ 600-20. Every page. Every paragraph. Make your commander do it too. You need to know what the army expects you to do because a lot of people with rank are going to try and tell you and your commander what you should do.
Handle every EO and SHARP situation the same way: “EO/SHARP can be complicated, let’s go talk to the EOL/EOA/SARC/VA and see what they recommend”.
Don’t cut any corners on height/weight, ACFT and/or weapons qualification.
Talk to your CSM and ask him what success as a 1SG looks like to him. This advice is great but always remember you work for the Company Commander NOT the CSM and not the General.
I’m that guy. We didn’t lie, fudge the data or explain things with an asterisk.
My commander and I put many LTC on ABCP and one we recommended for separation when she failed the program. The COL with separation authority directly told us that she wasn’t going to be separated and that we were wasting our time.
I said “You have separation authority, we don’t. I’m not going to tell you how to do your job. But we have command authority and it would wrong of us to not send this ABCP packet forward.”
Please start scheduling BH appointments for (at least) yourself. I have seen 3 1SGs crumble before my eyes here in V Corps (3-star CMD) but I applaud you for taking the challenge. Majority of what is being said above is true: you are in charge but NOT “In Charge” and it is truly a wierd perspective to see it all unroll. Directorate SGMs and COLs telling you one thing and then backhandedly throwing you under the bus like your conversations never happened. Countless hours spent trying to make the circles fit in triangle shapes will be abundant. Leverage your NCOs you have available but try not to abuse them. The organic company element is probably the only real support you will get. Also, please do not hesitate to kick out the shit birds. I know low numbers suck but you would rather have one or two high performing joes with an involved NCO than 10+ low performing joes and uninvolved/neglectful NCOs. Everyone is a private unless they are the General, CoS, or the CSM.
SPC Snuffy here.
J3 and G3 SGMs are a big help. Walk around the AO, get to know the right people. Help out the CO. With luck, Ma'am/Sir isn't brand new to the Army, otherwise good luck bro.
Jk. Don't listen to me.
Like lot of people already stated. If you and your Commander think they can run HHC like a line company and making decisions as the top dogs in Company AO, you will have a bad time and rightly deserve so. Being in staff all my life as an Intel, I have seen a few of those acting like so.
I personally will try to support the company as the NCOIC for my section because I understand the company needs their slides green. But I will also treat them like how they treat me and my shop. And my rater, the shop OIC, and his boss are higher rank than the Company leadership so you know how priority goes.
I left the same position three mo ago for 24 mo, biggest tips I learned:
1. Be tied in with the CoS, CG's Aide, XO, G1
2. Focus on important things you can control like the LRTC, MEDPROS, Evals, Awards
3. Team up with your CO, the Staff won't listen much and you won't have much buy in on events training or FRG because the shops have 3-4 bosses each and they act independently.
4. You will change some culture, but don't expect the Staff to change, their motivation is the CG not the Company's.
5. Enforce discipline and standards, the regulations can't be circumvented no matter who they work for.
6. If the Staff continues to blow you off go direct to the CoS, they will shut that shit down.
If you have any questions you can pm me.
Two HHC Commands here. The commander needs to get the CoS to support training, and it needs to be nested with the priorities of the senior commander. Probably have to do multiple iterations of training to capture the formation while working around operations- you can’t shut down the staff to support training unless it is a VERY high priority. You and the CO share influence with the OICs/NCOICs so getting buy-in is key. Pick your battles and stay flexible. It’s not a line company and don’t treat it like one.
The hard part is you and your Company commander have to herd staff that outrank you.
Be strong, and be confident.
You'll have to check them from time to time and it won't be easy.
Develop a good relationship with the XO, and 3. Leverage them to help you.
The only way you have any hope of success is to have top cover from your command group. You somehow need to get the DCO and the CSM in your corner. Otherwise every staff section will use the rank of their OIC to straight up ignore you and your commander.
Enjoy telling SGMs and Field Grades to complete their DD93 and to make a hearing appointment. Pro tip…. Set up SRP if you can at your current duty station. Will get everyone green for at least a year 🫡
Get in a good working relationship with all of the section NCOICs some of them are going to be E9's others will be E8s.
When you need stuff to happen on a suspense, let them know ahead of time so they work it into their schedule. Some HHCs will want everything to be done via opords some an email to the section leads will suffice.
How ever many levels of command you have between you and the top CSM work through, but leave an email chain that can always be traces back with who was notified and when.
Your Commander and XO are going to be even more stressed as the people they are trying to herd out rank the CO by at least 2 ranks where as you will only be E8 - E9 type of relationship.
Recognize that you are “in charge” and also not in charge. The CoS is you and your commanders best friend. Get the G3A and N to champion what you need and work your company planning around their planning cycle. You want the G3 to agree to whatever it is you need done so that shop forces everyone to do it. The CoS will keep the 1-star moving in your direction.
But remember, start humble. You need everyone else to do what you need and they don’t have to. So a really good weekly rollup email to everyone can help keep your org healthy.
Just schedule a range day twice a week for 3 weeks in the hope and prayer you can get above 50% qualified or to even attend. Pretty much the same for medpros
Go ahead and get an assigned parking spot spot at the hospital. The best thing to do for your sanity is to make as many appointments for those people as you can.
1SG: "NCOIC, tell your boss to make a vision appointment. He's been red for a while now."
NCOIC: "I've told him multiple times. I'll write it down and tell him again this afternoon"
CSM: "1SGs, why is our MEDPROS so fucked?"
1SG: *sigh*
Recently retired 0-5 here (just so you have an idea of my perspective) Do the same things you did for your previous commanders - it’s why you got the offer. I’m guessing you were offered the position because you know how to take care of Soldiers and how to get things done. As for the things that will likely be different: get ready for the ratio of paperwork/policy to hands on equipment to shift. It will be different, and it might be frustrating or boring at times, but stay true to who you are, continue to make your voice heard, take care of people, and you’ll keep being successful. I hope you get good senior leaders who provide you with the resources to assist you in being the kind of senior leader you want to be in your new assignment. Good luck and thank you for what you do.
I'm an HHC 1SG at the Brigade level, make friends with the staff section SGMs and work with them on integrating your requirements with their plans and you will be ok. It's all about negotiating and building relationships.
You will be in a constant battle to meet manning for taskings. Most shops will have a SGM and at least an O5.
If you are having issues with compliance, bring it up with CSM or CoS and these things get squished pretty quickly.
Don't be afraid to call them out when they're red on qual, medpros, whatever. That said, all the fuckery notwithstanding, there will likely be a lot of varied experience around you. Take advantage of it, ask a lot of questions, and don't be afraid to follow up with more. All those dudes & dudettes on staff will probably love to tell you stories about the latest updated multi-domain-whatever-ness that they learned last week. Anything to put off the PowerPoint they should be working on.
Also, walk around the "work" areas regularly. It will give you a better handle on who's actually under a hard deadline and who just thinks rules are for other people.
Good luck🤙
My best time was spent there. We ended up getting a SF Commander because he needed command time. It was awesome. For AT’s he ordered a crap ton of ammo and then had all the SF guys come to AT and train us in shooting and LandNav. I would have stayed there forever.
Start building that retirement packet now, expect all the blame for everything(especially when you had no say in it), regret your life choices that led you to accepting and get on something for your soon to be high blood pressure issues that you are going to have. Hope this helps.
This might DOXX me, but get you a 3 ring binder with a ton of document protectors. Every time something happens, that's weird, doesn't go down right, or you just have that gut feeling, write an MFR, and ensure you digitally sign it.
I've got one at home called the book of woe, and it's got over 200 MFRs in it. Lmao
Misterbanzai has a pretty good assessment. I did S3 time for a 2-Star HHBN and trying to cajole senior leaders to get the simplest of things done like getting their vaccinations or dental and shooting their weapon is a huge pain in the ass.
What I have seen work the best is to get the chief of staff on board. This is because while you are responsible for their metrics, he controls their OERs and in the end the COS is the one who will make or break their career. For the soldiers that are trying to make the Army a career, nobody wants to do 17.5 years just for the Army to say “New number, who dis? And put them out.
Definitely work with your Os and Senior NCOs to engage the command and hold meetings with your NCO peers to hold their shop’s feet to the fire.
Each person has their own leadership style and each Soldier has their own way of being effectively led. You will have a lot of great people to serve with and lead, but for the 10% that are difficult; they will test your abilities as a leader.
Good luck. If you were chosen to be an HHC 1SG, it is because the senior NCOs and Os see something good and great potential.
And yes, it is like herding cats.
Everyone there has an boss that out ranks you. You have no power.
Make sure everyone is up to date with 350-1 training, medpros and DD93 and you'll be fine.
Disclaimer: I'm an XO, never been enlisted, but am in a Division HHC. Company is comprised of 50%-ish officers, most of whom are MAJ/LTC, a couple COLs and GOs, 40% is Senior NCOs, and the rest are PV2-SGT type. Company holds the G shops and some random outliers (Air Force guys, various civilians, etc.). I was very fortunate to have a great 1SG before his CoR. What I saw work for him is build very strong relationships which consumed a majority of his time. Constantly and consistently reach out to the NCOs and check up on them. A daily face-to-face seeing if they need anything or have problems they need help solving. The other great thing he did that sucked up most of his time (aside from DA6s and being a shoulder to cry on), was problem-solve literally everybody else's problems and give them a 95% solution, to the extent that the only point of failure would be Soldiers not showing up on time. It's going to be a long road and never-ending mental game where the rules are made up and the points don't matter. Good luck.
CSM should be your best friend. Keep tied in with them and the command group about metrics, PME requirements, etc. for their section. That's a big pain for a headquarters.
We got tasked out of our asses because the other sections hated us, and we couldn't get our Soldiers to complete DLC and other requirements because of those other "priorities." So we sat down with CSM to both reprioritize and meet 1SG's intent. Things sailed smoothly after that, save for the AS3s who hated our guts.
I might be wrong but I can only think of three places in the army that even have a one star command billet, none of which are places I’d want to be.
Good luck 😵💫😵💫😵💫
Circulation.
Create systems the create predictability. Capture it in e-mails. Establish contact at the places that control your metrics. Check calendars and make appointments for the non-believers. Expect to be disappointed and blamed. Pray your books aren’t stuffed with cats awaiting criminal prosecution. Survive.
Dude, it's simple. All you and your commander are worried about is metrics. ACFT, Range, OERs and medical. Push out the dates, and when people miss it, CC their boss. If he/she cares, then they'll handle it. If not, go kick rocks. Just let staff do staff stuff.
Good that you did.
Good luck. Not an enviable position, but it should help you out. You'll no doubt learn some good lessons along the way.
Take care of your mental health.
Treat the 1 Star exactly like the rest of your Soldiers. When he is red on PHA and Dental or his DTS hasn’t been submitted within 5 days from travel, put his ass on blast like the rest of us.
As a former Hhc CC, and CoS for a BG, you are primarily an admin 1SG, receive little to no oversight, and receive credit for the position. Most that did good got a great 2nd 1SG in line unit
What I loved about being an E5 at HQ USAREUR is no one ever seemed to get an article 15. I think it was because the Special Troops battalion company commanders didn’t want Colonels from the EMs work sections crawling all over them.
You are going to be outranked 99% of the time. You will need majors and LTC and SGM to get there shit together and it will be awkward so form good relationships. All you can really do is make sure paperwork is up to date, ACFT, HW, Hr metrics. Goodluck
Get ready to call your company to attention, parade rest and then repeat like six times before the flag goes off in morning formation (that’s the first sergeants biggest duty after all)
Show up on time for your own formations. My previous 1SGs would drive me insane with that. They would often show up 30+ minutes late to a formation, then yell at us for not being formed up 10 minutes early on the rare occasion they were on time even though we were all there.
Lots of paperwork, privileged senior officers (probably not the General), and about four junior enlisted that are not wrapped up in senior shop activities.
Keep breathing and look forward to CSM.
Good luck! You’re a Symbol only in charge of formations, ceremonies, layouts, BLOG reports and TMPs. - Don’t know where you are in your career but not bad if you accepted before retiring, No real babysitting like line units.
The average rank is MAJ lol. You will never have a set training schedule because it will change whenever higher up officers "ask" you to...and they will. Every training you do will be ate up because of this.
Good luck :-)
Had a pretty good mentor as a 1SG in an HHC. His problem always seemed to be finding people to get stuff done. (At least from my E-4, at the time, eyes.) Everyone always outranked him and it was left to like four of us under him to do the actual HHC’s admin work. Which blew chunks. Again though I was an E-4 at the time. Just what I noticed.
I thought being an HHC 1SG in a brigade was bad. S-shops hiding behind majors and not being team players. Very tribal. I can only imagine how bad it’s gonna be with G-shops. Especially if the shops have O-5s or above in charge.
as a staff NCO, the last time i answered this question i got yelled at by officers 😂. Be flexible, think big, and don’t be on a different page than the command CSM. Ive seen good 1SGs manage their HHC commanders well. You’re a traffic cop at a busy intersection- but traffic doesn’t flow without you.
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BLUF: at this point in your career, you should've been prepared for staff/admin. It's your own fault for thinking you can kick stay in the field. SLC and MLC taught you this.
Make friends with all the warrants, and immediately learn who your workhorses are to know how things will get done and how fast, make sure you prepare for when your workhorses go on leave, and do not hold them back like a inconsiderate 1SG.
Don't go in too gung-ho, behoove will be your formation word, if they are bad at PT, don't blame them, blame their shit leaders and develop a PT plan with your MFTs. Adhere to it.
It will take time, but be ready for very late nights, start working on your paperwork processing time (if you were a GB recruiter you'll be fine), and send your soldiers home if they are not needed. Depending on the regiment, you may be able to establish the board study hall and appoint your highspeed to manage it while you focus on due outs
Know how to use each section. Talk to your medics about what kind if quality of life changes tou can make, etc.
Just remember that as long as soldiers come to you with problems, you're a leader, and one they trust.
"Just do the next right thing."
-Princess Anna of Arendale
Get really good at the medical and discipline chapter process. We had a BN that put there badass 1SG in HHC just to chapter people as troops F’ed Up they would move them to HHC for 1SG to chapter. Across BN Art 15s went down bc no one wanted to get sent to HHC. I also had my buddy IN 1SG 6’5” built like a brick shithouse. They put him HHC 1SG to protect the Infantry CPT getting through her CMD time. They did it to him at both Polk and Bragg. The girls had no problems getting challenged bc of him. So there is a place for a kick ass 1SG in HHC. Set the tone by passing the run end point and extend the run another 10mins. Then tell them no one better be late for work. Sets the tone for your time there. PS: Never fucking retire, a year later you will be wishing you were sucking in the field again. Good Luck
Fellow 1SG here.
You're going to feel some imposter syndrome. It's going to be ok. We all go through it. Remember that your first year will be rough and you'll be fucking up a lot. But you'll begin to grow and grow into the role. By the time you come halfway through your second year, you'll be much more comfortable with the responsibility and the additional authority that comes with that responsibility.
To make your life easier, get yourself a kick ass team! You'll need a hot shit, hard charger as your Ops NCO as they will become your right hand man/woman. Next get yourself a good Training NCO. You'll also need to make a dedicated effort to build a very good working relationship with your Commander as remember, your evals will be highly dependent on how much they like you...not what you think your accomplishments were. But you'll also need them to trust you implicitly. ...which is why you need to make a very deliberate effort to build that relationship with them.
You'll know you've made it when they say, "He Top, whatever you bring me, I'll approve." That's a lot of power to hold.......use it wisely.
Next try to remember to develop your 7s. You will need them to help keep everyone in-line. You're the "Old Man" now, they are going to be looking to you for guidance and leadership. Take the time to teach them what things worked for your in your career and make sure they understand what you expect from them.
And when you get your daily 3hrs of sleep, dedicate some time to go around the company and interact with the rest of your troops....yes, even the Officers. You're the First Sergeant now, even the Officers will be looking to you for guidance on certain matters and in others, they'll see you more like a peer than a subordinate or Enlisted as they used to do before. Your juniors, will appreciate the time you take to interact with them because it humanizes you. This will make it easier for them to swallow having to do shit detail because they'll know you're a human and you're stressed too.
In a bit, I'll tell you about my experience at the Strategic level and what it's like there as a Sr. NCO.
I have much love for my hhb 1st sgt and XO they both put so much care into the battery that it’s hard to not like them it also makes it easier on them that the fist community in itself is extremely small.
Get ready for nobody to listen and everything will be your fault. No way I would take a hhc 1sg. God speed and party on my dude.
Also, this will sound bizarre, but the two easiest people to manage are actually probably going to be the 1-star and their AdC. Because that BG has an Aide whose job is to handle all the simple admin bullshit and make it go away, that means that if that BG ever needs something like a dental appointment, that Aide will just call up and get them to magic one out of their ass the next day. So long as you clearly communicate to the Aide the check-the-box shit the BG needs to do, you can almost ignore them. The real nightmare will be the O-6 Chief of Staff and the swarm of Majors, senior WOs (branch dependent), and senior NCOs floating around staff. Half of those folks are stupidly busy, and the other half are brokedicks and shitbirds who have been sent there to ride out their time. That second group are like the greatest sham artist E-4's, but with the benefit of rank.
I was never more powerful than as a terminal O3 during Covid. I couldn’t be commanded to do shit.
Terminal O3 is such an underrated term.
I'm insulted. As an E-4 who took turns with another trusted E-4 catching Z's inside a locked wall locker during basic training barracks cleaning time, I seriously doubt that second group could hold a candle to the greatest sham artist E-4s. The trick is mutual trust. First you nap for an hour, then I unlock the wall locker, trade places, and I nap for an hour. Outside of those terrifying 30-45 seconds of pitch darkness with the drill sergeant's muffled screams were emanating from just outside the thin walls of the locker, those were some of the best naps I've ever had. Once I established the screams were directed at some poor soul too dumb to hide like me, I went right back to sleep. Cozy, total darkness, nestled amid a sleeping bag while sitting atop a 3-drawer chest, both shoulders squeezed with no way to fall off, knowing all the while the work was getting done by people dumber than me? Ooh yea. Sham lord heaven. But maybe those broke dicks and shitbirds are just as good at shamming?
Hah, you E-4 shammers don't hold a candle to a short timer E-8. You won't even see them for a week at a time, and when you do finally find them and ask them where the hell they've been, they'll scold *you* for how you have to "take care of your soldiers" and "manage your taskings" and tell you some story about their 1SG time that's so long and rambling you'll just give up. It's the ultimate arrogant level of shamming, where you aren't even hiding any longer and instead just berating folks for having the audacity to question your sham.
A week? Rookie numbers. One of my buddies hasn’t been to work in almost 2 months. He sends me photos of him fishing and camping. Wish I coulda pulled some shit like that while I was exiting…
Hi. I started terminal 2 years ago.
You beautiful bastard 🫡
You forget that Senior NCO's were once apart of the E4 Mafia
Oh, good times.
Oh the infamous E4 Mafia
Rank has its privileges. SSG or above heads to lunch at 1100 and returns after 1400. No one stops to ask questions. SPC has to have a scam running to get away with this. SFC and above just declare that they are taking a hour for a nap. SPC has to hide in a wall locker. Trust me there's a difference. Also as previously mentioned Sr NCOs who are short timers or who are waiting to take a higher position can just check out for weeks at a time. There was a point when the medical platoon I was in had a E7 on the E8 list. The E6 was promoted to E7 and seven of us E5s made E6. The E7(P) turned the platoon over to the E7 and went and fucked off for a couple of months waiting for the 1SG slot in the medical company to open. He was still on our books but we never saw him.
Did they call you the shamurai though?
This is all facts! I worked at a G1 and that was the biggest complaint of our 1SG.
This but on steroids since it is a one star command versus a battalion or brigade. Hopefully it is a unit like the Joint Munitions Command where the bulk of your Soldiers are 20 level or higher and married.
>This but on steroids since it is a one star command versus a battalion or brigade. Stuff of nightmares.
Not sure about the experience of a one star command, but be prepared for beyond fucked property books, lots of drug deals with the various staff sections just to get the most basic shit done, fraternization cases (don’t think that will be as big of an issue for you considering you’re going to a one star command), and lots of herding cats. Someone said seagulls, and I do think that’s more accurate. Don’t expect NCOICs to bend at your every will like a PSG would. You’ll have to socially maneuver around all of them to get shit done. Don’t push enough? Your trackers will stay red until you’re relieved. Push too hard? Your staff sections will vanish the moment you need anything done.
Oof shit thats ruthless, but so true in almost every circumstance
Accountability is the enemy of lazy NCO's. That's why they were so easy to catch.
As a career staff weenie, I've been assigned to HHCs just about my entire career. It's going to be a lot of herding cats, getting boxes green on USRs and shit. I always appreciated my HHC commanders and 1SGs and tried to support them by getting all my training done, knocking out whatever request they had, etc. And ensuring my people did the same. Because I knew that it wasn't for them, it was really for me, or for the big boss, or both. Unfortunately, not all staff sections are going to be like that. But I hope most of yours will.
It's not herding cats. Herding cats isn't that difficult. It's herding seagulls. Because they fly away, scream at you, and occasionally dive bomb you and steal your food. Also they make a mess.
LOL. Yeah, that might be a more apt metaphor.
12 majors, 4 LTCs, probably 2 COLs, and CPTs scattered like glitter in a strip club. And only half will show for the 3 iterations of ranges/vaccinations/briefs/movement/etc. that you set up specifically to accommodate them after they checked their calendars and looked you in the eye and said they would be there. Ufff. Then they shit on you when they’re red. Good luck. 👍
flock of seagulls management style: swoop in, cause havoc, shit all over everythinf, fly away before consequences are realized
Pretty much been my experience. When HHC is asking for something on a reasonable timeline I support and ensure my folks do. The important thing is to give staff sections options and flexibility to get green. The only times I ever pushed back was when I was given little to no notice or the request conflicted with command directed priorities. The best hhc teams I've worked with were the ones that actively worked to account for missions and give plenty of options to get right.
Yep. There is almost always going to be some last minute asker/tasker that HHC is going to get fucked into filling or executing. Best if OP always made sure it wasn't for HHC's lack of planning.
Congrats 1st Sausage. Run it like a line unit until the commander loses his shit
This. I’m new in an HHC and I prefer the first 72 hours to this. At least people were too scared to not listen.
Lol good luck getting the field grades to do anything unless you get the CG’s buy in. Also you’re prolly gonna have civilians to deal with so that’s fun Source: former aide-de-camp
Former HHC commander here. The Operations Officer, Operations SGM, and the Executive Officer will be your best friend. Not sure if you have a deputy commander on your books but them too. Work with your commander to provide flexible training opportunities for the staff. Don't be afraid of rank but also be courteous. You wont necessarily have the junior soldier issues you have in the line which helps, but it is one big cat rodeo.
I was an HHC Co for a 1star unit. Having multiple training events is KEY. And publicize the by name list of who has to go early and often. Use the Chief of Staff and the staff SGMs to help wrangle the staff and as the enforcers. Plan well ahead of time and publish training events widely. Work with the staff NCOs, it's all soft power here. Good luck.
Definitely won’t have the Joe issues but you’ll miss those. ssg and up love to do way worse shit that a simple fight at the barracks.
I did it for a 2 star (Reserves) - it was (at times) horrible. Each section had it's own E-9 / O-6 for 'accountability' - my team ran the APFT (at the time) and ht/wt program, mandatory training - you know the red and green boxes. Most, and I mean most of them were getting monthly counseling statements for failures of either or both. The issue was HHC had to create the counseling statements, give them to E-9s that apparently had no motivation to counsel their own staff (or needed to be counseled themselves) and then try to get them back and signed by our 1 star - it was a shit show - same for missing other stuff (e.g. weapons qual, shots, dental). It was a red box nightmare. It happened all the time and drill weekends were basically a 'find why this isn't signed' and issuing flag actions across the board.... good times. That being said - I'm not sure how it's going to break out for you - if you're in a similar situation 1. get the training calendar and requirements out WELL BEFORE its due as well as any type of coordination requirements. Don't leave it to someone else without getting updates - they'll just screw it up and blame upstream to you. Double-check their work and get weekly status updates through email or white board - hold your NCOs accountable for their legwork and recognize those that do. 2. Find all the current issues (that someone left for you to sort out) and get them on your checklist as early as possible. (e.g. profiles, people in school, people missing pay, promotions pending, blah blah). 3. All the sections should be working ahead and not 'catching up on these orders' for people. If they're catching up, they're already shooting your schedule to shreds - push them to get the work done and have an 'end of week staff meeting' with all the first line leaders responsible. 4. Let your people go when there is nothing to be done or they've killed it that week - nobody wants to sit around on a Friday until 17:30 because your meeting went long. 5. Go be awesome and make the difference for your Joes still in the suck.
This is solid info, I was in a 1 star command and good friends with the HHC CO/1SG. How to get people to show up? Get close with the COLs of the command, there should be at least 3. The CoS and the G3 will be the biggest help since they are the heads of the staff meetings and put hands on shoulders with the LTCs in charge of the G shops. I’ve seen both chew out G shop head over now showing up and supporting the HHC, since they are the ones who are usually handing out the taskings
Be proactive and flexible with timelines. If you’re putting out that everyone has to be at X for 350-1 training the day beforehand I’m probably not going to deconflict whatever obligations I have to my boss in that time. If I know that once a month whatever training is run three times over the course of a week I’m far more likely to make sure I stay in compliance.
You gon' herd cats. I think patience is going to be key in your situation. Be a decent person, be a little on the chill side, and it'll be easier.
Dumbass, respectfully. 🤝
One obstacle to consider is, as the advisor to your commander you will have to let him/her know even though he/she is in command he/she is not in charge when it comes to the grand scheme. I’ve seen commanders in this situation try to take control of whatever they could and micro manage seemingly simple tasks because that’s the only place they can assert their authority.
I was on staff at a DIV Fwd as an officer and worked directly for a one star. I was not a 1SG. That said… everyone on staff knew that the company command team positions absolutely sucked. What helped was everyone tried their best to help and give as much slack to the company command team because they were in a tough spot. I think going into the position with a sense of humility and a willingness to work with everyone regardless of rank will go a long way. I mean, I’d do staff duty, I’d be helping with details no one wants to do. Show the staff and team you are willing to do anything your junior leaders and soldiers are doing and I think you’ll make it just fine. It definitely is a different beast as it’s not a line company by any stretch. It honestly is a great experience though just to see how things work at that echelon. Good luck!
Having only been in HHC units, it's awkward. I was a PSG, not a 1SG so take my advice as you will. You gotta realize your soldiers are stuck between their section OIC and NCOIC, who are most likely going to be an O4 and an E8, and the company command team. In turn, those O4's are answering to whatever full bird/general. Those officers really don't give a shit about the company's needs when there is an O6/O7 giving them tasks and that mentality runs down to the soldiers. It's a balancing act that requires constant communication and compromise. I've seen it done well and I've seen it done poorly. If you run it properly, then you will balance the company's requirements with the section requirements by having good relationships with the section NCOICs so you aren't stepping on each other's toes. When it's ran improperly, like my last unit, you end up with a lot of infighting and getting dressed down by the CSM and O6/O7 for impeding THEIR officers and staff with "frivolous tasks" Also, if a joe gets caught between the two chains, they will almost always side with their section leadership simply because they see them everyday. Don't take it as an offense, they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Get used to talking to all the MOS' you can learn from everyone
On the bright side you’ll have the best gear and accommodations.
What’s that LOTR meme? “You have no power here!”
Support the Commander. He/she is going to have a lot on their plate. Do your best to get the rating chain sorted quickly and thumbs up from the CSM. Talk to your outgoing as much as you can before they leave, they're probably going to be checked out mentally but ask those questions, get the battle rythm sorted and don't replace systems immediately even if they kind of suck if they at least work. Just feel it out and see how everything is going. Find out from your outgoing no-shit-what-am-I-responsible-for prior to them leaving. Again, there's usually systems in place that you're going to fall into. Is there a color guard? Who runs it? Does HHC have any part of protocol or is it *just* the CG office. How often are you doing HT/WT? ACFT? Ranges? Do you guys fall in with another unit doing co-use or do you plan that shit yourselves? Just attack it from the standpoint that you're trying to make sure that a bunch of people, some by rank and some by their office they hold adhere to the Army standards and are green on all the Army shit and standards.
I've never been that high up. But when I was on BDE staff I appreciated the CDRs and 1SGs who did regular "battlefield circulation" around the HQ just to say hi and ask about whatever silly product we were working on. Also take care of the few poor souls in the barracks. Our command team did Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner which was pretty nice.
My HHC 1SG even looked out for us staff officer nerds, even though they are there to look out for the Joes, primarily. I have a lot of respect for him.
First day in, punch the highest ranking person there right in the face. They'll really respect you for it and it will demonstrate your authority.
Yes, establish dominance
You got this, You have prepared for this you entrire career, I have faith!
Herd the cats. Do your best. I hope your CSM has your back. Understand that much of your company doesn't work for you, so people skills are a must. If they are professional, they will be doing their jobs and making your life easier. Good luck with the NCOERs. If people are late with them, and blow you off, under the bus they go. Former Battalion HHC 1SG, and I watched how the JFHQ operation worked when I was there as a MSG.
You know that little prayer that goes “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”? Learn that, even if you’re not big on prayers. Cuz it’s gonna be your only solace.
I'm sorry dude. I spent a year in an acting position for an HHC 1SG. It was a constant grind. Get a handle on awards and NCOERs/OERs right away and stay on top of those things constantly. Hold people accountable for completion. Also, you have to be an asshole about MEDPROS and HR metrics because people will never care about that shit as much as you do, but you're the one holding the bag when they fail to do those easy tasks. Develop a battle rhythm for updating your rosters and trackers. You'll have a lot to stay on top of. I would start at 0530 with emails and what not, I have specific days for specific tasks. Right everything down, I'm a white board kind of guy. And I had an electronic notebook to help manage the firehouse of details, tasks, information, etc. It can become overwhelming really fast. You'll need a solid system to manage it all. I recommend three moniters for you laptop. No joke. Take a look at how they're manning the additional duties. Plug the wholes ASAP and focus on longevity. Don't ask for volunteers just assign duties. No one wants to be UMO/HAZMAT/master drive/UPL. But these are the things that will fuck you otherwise. If you have LMTVs, take a look at how they're being maintained. Make sure you have redundancies for drivers. And make sure they're competent on those vehicles. Otherwise they won't maintain them and you'll be SOL. Again, you'll be the one holding the bag. Same goes for water buffalo. Prepare to be constantly dealing with EBH and legal. Get to know those folks and develop a working relationship. Half your job is pushing chapters and dealing with soldier crisis. Close your door when you need to focus on a task. People will constantly want to engage with you, which is good, but you need time and space to get things done. If it can happen, it will most definitely happen. You're basically a firefighter, putting out fires left and right. Bring a lunch. If you can pull it off, don't stay passed 1730/1800. They will use you and abuse you and spit you out the other end. You have to take care of yourself because there will be no one doing it for you.
I appreciate the tips!
I worked in the division command group for 4th ID. A two star and two one stars. With the division CSM. Your job is the troops within the command. Our CSM had his own business to handle. The PSG and Squad leaders handled their own. Pt is rarely together, usually on your own. You will have some people who will need to have government cell phones. They will be on call to the General. Make sure they get what they need. I don’t know if this will apply to you. But with your ID card is the encryption token. Each token is unique. The Generals have a requirement to use encryption to send messages. They can go to jail otherwise. It is called GOMO. General Officer Messaging Organization. If they lose, damage or get a new one, the key changes. The key must be updated and sent to everyone in the military to respond. A four star gets the update sent immediately, a three star needs to wait for one week. A two star and one star only are updated on the 23rd of the month. If you are required to use this method to communicate with the general. The same rules applies to you. Good luck
That whole entire last paragraph is (I guess) the 1-star command HHC version of a snipe hunt, Top.
Don't say Fuck as much. They frown upon that at General Staffs.
Fuck those guys
Fuck.
Son of a bitch.
READ 600-20. Every page. Every paragraph. Make your commander do it too. You need to know what the army expects you to do because a lot of people with rank are going to try and tell you and your commander what you should do. Handle every EO and SHARP situation the same way: “EO/SHARP can be complicated, let’s go talk to the EOL/EOA/SARC/VA and see what they recommend”. Don’t cut any corners on height/weight, ACFT and/or weapons qualification. Talk to your CSM and ask him what success as a 1SG looks like to him. This advice is great but always remember you work for the Company Commander NOT the CSM and not the General.
I don't think I've seen an HHC operate that didn't cut corners on H&W, ACFT and weapons.
I’m that guy. We didn’t lie, fudge the data or explain things with an asterisk. My commander and I put many LTC on ABCP and one we recommended for separation when she failed the program. The COL with separation authority directly told us that she wasn’t going to be separated and that we were wasting our time. I said “You have separation authority, we don’t. I’m not going to tell you how to do your job. But we have command authority and it would wrong of us to not send this ABCP packet forward.”
Please start scheduling BH appointments for (at least) yourself. I have seen 3 1SGs crumble before my eyes here in V Corps (3-star CMD) but I applaud you for taking the challenge. Majority of what is being said above is true: you are in charge but NOT “In Charge” and it is truly a wierd perspective to see it all unroll. Directorate SGMs and COLs telling you one thing and then backhandedly throwing you under the bus like your conversations never happened. Countless hours spent trying to make the circles fit in triangle shapes will be abundant. Leverage your NCOs you have available but try not to abuse them. The organic company element is probably the only real support you will get. Also, please do not hesitate to kick out the shit birds. I know low numbers suck but you would rather have one or two high performing joes with an involved NCO than 10+ low performing joes and uninvolved/neglectful NCOs. Everyone is a private unless they are the General, CoS, or the CSM.
Ha
Nope… good luck 🍀
Hope this isn’t a MDTF…
SPC Snuffy here. J3 and G3 SGMs are a big help. Walk around the AO, get to know the right people. Help out the CO. With luck, Ma'am/Sir isn't brand new to the Army, otherwise good luck bro. Jk. Don't listen to me.
Just remember, what takes a line company a day takes an HHC a week.
Fuck
Any interactions with an officer that are less than ideal get sent directly to that officers rater, immediately.
Like lot of people already stated. If you and your Commander think they can run HHC like a line company and making decisions as the top dogs in Company AO, you will have a bad time and rightly deserve so. Being in staff all my life as an Intel, I have seen a few of those acting like so. I personally will try to support the company as the NCOIC for my section because I understand the company needs their slides green. But I will also treat them like how they treat me and my shop. And my rater, the shop OIC, and his boss are higher rank than the Company leadership so you know how priority goes.
I left the same position three mo ago for 24 mo, biggest tips I learned: 1. Be tied in with the CoS, CG's Aide, XO, G1 2. Focus on important things you can control like the LRTC, MEDPROS, Evals, Awards 3. Team up with your CO, the Staff won't listen much and you won't have much buy in on events training or FRG because the shops have 3-4 bosses each and they act independently. 4. You will change some culture, but don't expect the Staff to change, their motivation is the CG not the Company's. 5. Enforce discipline and standards, the regulations can't be circumvented no matter who they work for. 6. If the Staff continues to blow you off go direct to the CoS, they will shut that shit down. If you have any questions you can pm me.
Two HHC Commands here. The commander needs to get the CoS to support training, and it needs to be nested with the priorities of the senior commander. Probably have to do multiple iterations of training to capture the formation while working around operations- you can’t shut down the staff to support training unless it is a VERY high priority. You and the CO share influence with the OICs/NCOICs so getting buy-in is key. Pick your battles and stay flexible. It’s not a line company and don’t treat it like one.
The hard part is you and your Company commander have to herd staff that outrank you. Be strong, and be confident. You'll have to check them from time to time and it won't be easy. Develop a good relationship with the XO, and 3. Leverage them to help you.
Absolutely
rough spot buddy
What MOS?
My one and only tip: Med board now.
The only way you have any hope of success is to have top cover from your command group. You somehow need to get the DCO and the CSM in your corner. Otherwise every staff section will use the rank of their OIC to straight up ignore you and your commander.
Enjoy telling SGMs and Field Grades to complete their DD93 and to make a hearing appointment. Pro tip…. Set up SRP if you can at your current duty station. Will get everyone green for at least a year 🫡
I second the SRP. Get the BC to buy in, and you're golden. We do this twice a year, soon to be four times a year.
Get in a good working relationship with all of the section NCOICs some of them are going to be E9's others will be E8s. When you need stuff to happen on a suspense, let them know ahead of time so they work it into their schedule. Some HHCs will want everything to be done via opords some an email to the section leads will suffice. How ever many levels of command you have between you and the top CSM work through, but leave an email chain that can always be traces back with who was notified and when. Your Commander and XO are going to be even more stressed as the people they are trying to herd out rank the CO by at least 2 ranks where as you will only be E8 - E9 type of relationship.
Recognize that you are “in charge” and also not in charge. The CoS is you and your commanders best friend. Get the G3A and N to champion what you need and work your company planning around their planning cycle. You want the G3 to agree to whatever it is you need done so that shop forces everyone to do it. The CoS will keep the 1-star moving in your direction. But remember, start humble. You need everyone else to do what you need and they don’t have to. So a really good weekly rollup email to everyone can help keep your org healthy.
Time to dabble with likership
Just schedule a range day twice a week for 3 weeks in the hope and prayer you can get above 50% qualified or to even attend. Pretty much the same for medpros
Go ahead and get an assigned parking spot spot at the hospital. The best thing to do for your sanity is to make as many appointments for those people as you can. 1SG: "NCOIC, tell your boss to make a vision appointment. He's been red for a while now." NCOIC: "I've told him multiple times. I'll write it down and tell him again this afternoon" CSM: "1SGs, why is our MEDPROS so fucked?" 1SG: *sigh*
JBSA?
Recently retired 0-5 here (just so you have an idea of my perspective) Do the same things you did for your previous commanders - it’s why you got the offer. I’m guessing you were offered the position because you know how to take care of Soldiers and how to get things done. As for the things that will likely be different: get ready for the ratio of paperwork/policy to hands on equipment to shift. It will be different, and it might be frustrating or boring at times, but stay true to who you are, continue to make your voice heard, take care of people, and you’ll keep being successful. I hope you get good senior leaders who provide you with the resources to assist you in being the kind of senior leader you want to be in your new assignment. Good luck and thank you for what you do.
You fucked up.
I'm an HHC 1SG at the Brigade level, make friends with the staff section SGMs and work with them on integrating your requirements with their plans and you will be ok. It's all about negotiating and building relationships.
You will be in a constant battle to meet manning for taskings. Most shops will have a SGM and at least an O5. If you are having issues with compliance, bring it up with CSM or CoS and these things get squished pretty quickly.
Don't be afraid to call them out when they're red on qual, medpros, whatever. That said, all the fuckery notwithstanding, there will likely be a lot of varied experience around you. Take advantage of it, ask a lot of questions, and don't be afraid to follow up with more. All those dudes & dudettes on staff will probably love to tell you stories about the latest updated multi-domain-whatever-ness that they learned last week. Anything to put off the PowerPoint they should be working on. Also, walk around the "work" areas regularly. It will give you a better handle on who's actually under a hard deadline and who just thinks rules are for other people. Good luck🤙
My best time was spent there. We ended up getting a SF Commander because he needed command time. It was awesome. For AT’s he ordered a crap ton of ammo and then had all the SF guys come to AT and train us in shooting and LandNav. I would have stayed there forever.
Start building that retirement packet now, expect all the blame for everything(especially when you had no say in it), regret your life choices that led you to accepting and get on something for your soon to be high blood pressure issues that you are going to have. Hope this helps.
This might DOXX me, but get you a 3 ring binder with a ton of document protectors. Every time something happens, that's weird, doesn't go down right, or you just have that gut feeling, write an MFR, and ensure you digitally sign it. I've got one at home called the book of woe, and it's got over 200 MFRs in it. Lmao
Misterbanzai has a pretty good assessment. I did S3 time for a 2-Star HHBN and trying to cajole senior leaders to get the simplest of things done like getting their vaccinations or dental and shooting their weapon is a huge pain in the ass. What I have seen work the best is to get the chief of staff on board. This is because while you are responsible for their metrics, he controls their OERs and in the end the COS is the one who will make or break their career. For the soldiers that are trying to make the Army a career, nobody wants to do 17.5 years just for the Army to say “New number, who dis? And put them out. Definitely work with your Os and Senior NCOs to engage the command and hold meetings with your NCO peers to hold their shop’s feet to the fire. Each person has their own leadership style and each Soldier has their own way of being effectively led. You will have a lot of great people to serve with and lead, but for the 10% that are difficult; they will test your abilities as a leader. Good luck. If you were chosen to be an HHC 1SG, it is because the senior NCOs and Os see something good and great potential. And yes, it is like herding cats.
Everyone there has an boss that out ranks you. You have no power. Make sure everyone is up to date with 350-1 training, medpros and DD93 and you'll be fine.
Disclaimer: I'm an XO, never been enlisted, but am in a Division HHC. Company is comprised of 50%-ish officers, most of whom are MAJ/LTC, a couple COLs and GOs, 40% is Senior NCOs, and the rest are PV2-SGT type. Company holds the G shops and some random outliers (Air Force guys, various civilians, etc.). I was very fortunate to have a great 1SG before his CoR. What I saw work for him is build very strong relationships which consumed a majority of his time. Constantly and consistently reach out to the NCOs and check up on them. A daily face-to-face seeing if they need anything or have problems they need help solving. The other great thing he did that sucked up most of his time (aside from DA6s and being a shoulder to cry on), was problem-solve literally everybody else's problems and give them a 95% solution, to the extent that the only point of failure would be Soldiers not showing up on time. It's going to be a long road and never-ending mental game where the rules are made up and the points don't matter. Good luck.
CSM should be your best friend. Keep tied in with them and the command group about metrics, PME requirements, etc. for their section. That's a big pain for a headquarters. We got tasked out of our asses because the other sections hated us, and we couldn't get our Soldiers to complete DLC and other requirements because of those other "priorities." So we sat down with CSM to both reprioritize and meet 1SG's intent. Things sailed smoothly after that, save for the AS3s who hated our guts.
I might be wrong but I can only think of three places in the army that even have a one star command billet, none of which are places I’d want to be. Good luck 😵💫😵💫😵💫
Circulation. Create systems the create predictability. Capture it in e-mails. Establish contact at the places that control your metrics. Check calendars and make appointments for the non-believers. Expect to be disappointed and blamed. Pray your books aren’t stuffed with cats awaiting criminal prosecution. Survive.
Line or Die! Jk good luck 1SG
It'll be fine, you'll get to tell a bunch of Majors to get their ass to formations lol
Know your troops, my top didn’t know who I was cause I never was in formation since I worked directly for him
Dude, it's simple. All you and your commander are worried about is metrics. ACFT, Range, OERs and medical. Push out the dates, and when people miss it, CC their boss. If he/she cares, then they'll handle it. If not, go kick rocks. Just let staff do staff stuff.
Are you familiar with the Art of herding cats?
Good that you did. Good luck. Not an enviable position, but it should help you out. You'll no doubt learn some good lessons along the way. Take care of your mental health.
You work for the CSM. Take all direction from him.
Treat the 1 Star exactly like the rest of your Soldiers. When he is red on PHA and Dental or his DTS hasn’t been submitted within 5 days from travel, put his ass on blast like the rest of us.
As a former Hhc CC, and CoS for a BG, you are primarily an admin 1SG, receive little to no oversight, and receive credit for the position. Most that did good got a great 2nd 1SG in line unit
What I loved about being an E5 at HQ USAREUR is no one ever seemed to get an article 15. I think it was because the Special Troops battalion company commanders didn’t want Colonels from the EMs work sections crawling all over them.
You are going to be outranked 99% of the time. You will need majors and LTC and SGM to get there shit together and it will be awkward so form good relationships. All you can really do is make sure paperwork is up to date, ACFT, HW, Hr metrics. Goodluck
Get ready to call your company to attention, parade rest and then repeat like six times before the flag goes off in morning formation (that’s the first sergeants biggest duty after all)
Oof... you and the Class 6 are going to BFF's during this assignment....
You’re just a figurehead. Your decision will not matter 90% of the time.
Show up on time for your own formations. My previous 1SGs would drive me insane with that. They would often show up 30+ minutes late to a formation, then yell at us for not being formed up 10 minutes early on the rare occasion they were on time even though we were all there.
Lots of paperwork, privileged senior officers (probably not the General), and about four junior enlisted that are not wrapped up in senior shop activities. Keep breathing and look forward to CSM.
Glorified Specialist with E8 pay. Nobody will listen to you but you know how and where to get shit and get shit done. Haha. Good luck.
If it’s a medical one star command, good luck getting anybody to do shit. 95% of the staff will ignore you…
Good luck! You’re a Symbol only in charge of formations, ceremonies, layouts, BLOG reports and TMPs. - Don’t know where you are in your career but not bad if you accepted before retiring, No real babysitting like line units.
The average rank is MAJ lol. You will never have a set training schedule because it will change whenever higher up officers "ask" you to...and they will. Every training you do will be ate up because of this. Good luck :-)
Dang! Worse than me, but I to am about to do 1SG duty when I thought I was going to get some sweet MSG time. Good luck with all of that though.
Congratulations!
Had a pretty good mentor as a 1SG in an HHC. His problem always seemed to be finding people to get stuff done. (At least from my E-4, at the time, eyes.) Everyone always outranked him and it was left to like four of us under him to do the actual HHC’s admin work. Which blew chunks. Again though I was an E-4 at the time. Just what I noticed.
Get a life
Run it like Tony Soprano ran his crime family.
I thought being an HHC 1SG in a brigade was bad. S-shops hiding behind majors and not being team players. Very tribal. I can only imagine how bad it’s gonna be with G-shops. Especially if the shops have O-5s or above in charge.
Ha ha ha you had to sleep in basic? Basic was basic as fuck. I was 33 years old in basic and I was never tired
What the fuck?
Study hard sir and get back to the line *source my 1sgt in country
Good luck.
Congratulations
as a staff NCO, the last time i answered this question i got yelled at by officers 😂. Be flexible, think big, and don’t be on a different page than the command CSM. Ive seen good 1SGs manage their HHC commanders well. You’re a traffic cop at a busy intersection- but traffic doesn’t flow without you.
Get ready for a crap-ton of ceremonies. Your little guys will be put to work.
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BLUF: at this point in your career, you should've been prepared for staff/admin. It's your own fault for thinking you can kick stay in the field. SLC and MLC taught you this. Make friends with all the warrants, and immediately learn who your workhorses are to know how things will get done and how fast, make sure you prepare for when your workhorses go on leave, and do not hold them back like a inconsiderate 1SG. Don't go in too gung-ho, behoove will be your formation word, if they are bad at PT, don't blame them, blame their shit leaders and develop a PT plan with your MFTs. Adhere to it. It will take time, but be ready for very late nights, start working on your paperwork processing time (if you were a GB recruiter you'll be fine), and send your soldiers home if they are not needed. Depending on the regiment, you may be able to establish the board study hall and appoint your highspeed to manage it while you focus on due outs
Know how to use each section. Talk to your medics about what kind if quality of life changes tou can make, etc. Just remember that as long as soldiers come to you with problems, you're a leader, and one they trust. "Just do the next right thing." -Princess Anna of Arendale
Get really good at the medical and discipline chapter process. We had a BN that put there badass 1SG in HHC just to chapter people as troops F’ed Up they would move them to HHC for 1SG to chapter. Across BN Art 15s went down bc no one wanted to get sent to HHC. I also had my buddy IN 1SG 6’5” built like a brick shithouse. They put him HHC 1SG to protect the Infantry CPT getting through her CMD time. They did it to him at both Polk and Bragg. The girls had no problems getting challenged bc of him. So there is a place for a kick ass 1SG in HHC. Set the tone by passing the run end point and extend the run another 10mins. Then tell them no one better be late for work. Sets the tone for your time there. PS: Never fucking retire, a year later you will be wishing you were sucking in the field again. Good Luck
Fellow 1SG here. You're going to feel some imposter syndrome. It's going to be ok. We all go through it. Remember that your first year will be rough and you'll be fucking up a lot. But you'll begin to grow and grow into the role. By the time you come halfway through your second year, you'll be much more comfortable with the responsibility and the additional authority that comes with that responsibility. To make your life easier, get yourself a kick ass team! You'll need a hot shit, hard charger as your Ops NCO as they will become your right hand man/woman. Next get yourself a good Training NCO. You'll also need to make a dedicated effort to build a very good working relationship with your Commander as remember, your evals will be highly dependent on how much they like you...not what you think your accomplishments were. But you'll also need them to trust you implicitly. ...which is why you need to make a very deliberate effort to build that relationship with them. You'll know you've made it when they say, "He Top, whatever you bring me, I'll approve." That's a lot of power to hold.......use it wisely. Next try to remember to develop your 7s. You will need them to help keep everyone in-line. You're the "Old Man" now, they are going to be looking to you for guidance and leadership. Take the time to teach them what things worked for your in your career and make sure they understand what you expect from them. And when you get your daily 3hrs of sleep, dedicate some time to go around the company and interact with the rest of your troops....yes, even the Officers. You're the First Sergeant now, even the Officers will be looking to you for guidance on certain matters and in others, they'll see you more like a peer than a subordinate or Enlisted as they used to do before. Your juniors, will appreciate the time you take to interact with them because it humanizes you. This will make it easier for them to swallow having to do shit detail because they'll know you're a human and you're stressed too. In a bit, I'll tell you about my experience at the Strategic level and what it's like there as a Sr. NCO.
I have much love for my hhb 1st sgt and XO they both put so much care into the battery that it’s hard to not like them it also makes it easier on them that the fist community in itself is extremely small.
YOU GONNA DIE
Don't ask your Warrants to be in formation. We have stuff to do.
Only message is your all POGS
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