Sgt. Maj. Philson Tavernier, second from right, current operations sergeant major, 4th Infantry Division, offers direction to a group of junior NCOs during the Nov. 18 Not In My Squad symposium held at the 4th Inf. Div. Headquarters conference room. (Photo by Master Sgt. Brent M. Williams)
By Master Sgt. Brent M. Williams
4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
“What are the three most common challenges that you face every day at the squad leader level?”
The 4th Infantry Division’s senior enlisted leader directed the junior NCOs gathered before him to write down the challenges and then bring it to the panel of sergeants major.
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Crosby, 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson, hosted a Not In My Squad Symposium Nov. 18, 2015, inviting squad leaders and team leaders to voice the daily problems, issues and concerns the junior NCOs experience in the execution of their duties and responsibilities.
“Tell us what skills, knowledge and attributes you think you need as a squad leader,” Crosby said. “How can we empower you as a sergeant and staff sergeant?”
The event provided a forum for junior leaders and NCOs to hold an open dialogue with brigade and battalion sergeants major and command sergeants major.
The group of senior enlisted leaders collectively offered more than 120 years’ of experience, education, skills and attributes in answering questions about NCO empowerment, leader development and training.
After a peer-to-peer sensing session, junior NCOs identified several issues regarding counseling, writing NCO evaluation reports and how to empower NCO leadership and break down barriers. Following the huddle, small group leaders took turns respectively bringing his team’s grievances before the panel of sergeants major.
“So everyone in here is a noncommissioned officer, right?” Crosby asked the group of more than 50 NCOs in attendance. “I would challenge you to go to your rater or leader and say, ‘Here I am — I need you to counsel me. I need to know the expectations of me as a noncommissioned officer in charge of this section or squad, so I know how to achieve excellence.’”
The senior enlisted leaders from the 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson units provided advice and counsel to the Soldiers for working with their chains of command and holding NCO professional development and training. The board of sergeants major encouraged the NCOs to use all available resources, to include each other, and develop the skills needed to best meet challenges at their level.
“Some of the issues that we are dealing with, we are causing ourselves as NCOs; with regard to discipline, we have to instill it ourselves,” said Staff Sgt. Latrisha A. Howard-Robinson, human resources NCO, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div. “We need to network with each other as far as learning how to write and things that we are not proficient in. “For instance … I work in the battalion (personnel shop), so if a sergeant needs help with writing evaluation reports or awards, (he) can come to me and I can help assist (him) with training.”
Howard-Robinson said the forum was beneficial because it involved senior leadership who assured the NCOs that they have dealt with many of the issues they are experiencing.
“It was a sensing session, but we got answers to the questions we had,” she said. “I think it is very helpful that we have this forum, and we should continue to do it.”
Junior leaders are empowered to lead, train and develop Soldiers at all levels, said Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas J. Parsley, Division Artillery, 4th Inf. Div. Senior enlisted leaders conduct professional leadership development to build upon NCOs’ leadership abilities, leading, developing and mentoring junior Soldiers.
“You have to earn their respect and confidence,” Parsley said. “Nowhere in the Creed (of the Noncommissioned Officer) does it state that we are entitled to that trust and respect.”
Communication is critical in motivating Soldiers, said Parsley, using platoon sergeants and first sergeants as examples.
“Motivation comes through talking about it,” he said.
Lack of discipline in senior leaders bleeds into junior Soldiers, Crosby said to the group of NCOs, stressing the importance of maintaining basic standards and discipline, such as addressing a noncommissioned officer.
If privates see their leaders not upholding the standard, they will think it is OK to act the same way, he said.
“You are empowered as a junior noncommissioned officer, but if you see a deficiency, you should correct it. If you walk by it, you have just depowered yourself,” Crosby said.
“I am going to bring the leader development,” he said. “You are the future leader, and we have to invest back into you.”
The forum offered a rare opportunity for NCOs to see that the issues and challenges they face are not isolated to just their experiences but have shared commonalities across the board, said Sgt. Maj. Charles Tennant, rear detachment command sergeant major, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div.
“I took notes of all the squad leaders that stood and voiced their concerns and their opinions, which is awesome,” Tennant said. “That is what I expect of a noncommissioned officer. They are the backbone, so without their voice, we are voiceless. We will have problems directing our noncommissioned officers to the fullest capacity that they are supposed to be at if they don’t say this is where we need help.”
The sergeants major took the issues and concerns back to their units to develop leader training and professional development for the Army’s future leaders.
The 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson command sergeant major will host a Not In My Squad forum for junior NCOs quarterly in an effort to develop junior leaders and break down communication barriers.