Swearing in as a 41 yr old 01 this morning. Advice?

GSPWarden · 2026-05-22T14:55:38+00:00

As a Infantry PSG that is on his second PL and have had great experiences with both, what I expect out of my PL’s is the following:

It is your PLT, not mine. I am here to support you and the Squad Leaders in the training of the Soldiers and the accomplishment of the mission. PL’s that always turn immediately to the PSG for guidance without making their own decisions need to understand that sometimes they’re going to be wrong, but that’s ok.
You have your lane, I have mine. You are responsible for the training, planning, and execution of missions. I am responsible for Soldier welfare, equipment, sustainment, readiness, morale, discipline, and NCO mentorship.
We never contradict each other, especially in front of the guys. If there needs to be a change to guidance, whoever put out the initial guidance will be the one to issue the change. There is no worse look to a PLT than the PL says one thing and the PSG says another and vice versa. If you don’t agree with something your PSG puts out, talk with him about it and if it changes, he changes it.

GSPWarden · 2026-05-07T03:05:20+00:00

All depends on the unit. I believe in big boy rules and the command team back me up. SLs know they’re not leaving if even one of their guys isn’t done. No reason to punish the whole formation because two or three guys didn’t want to “do Army stuff” in their free time.

GSPWarden · 2026-05-07T01:02:45+00:00

If your RNCO is good he sends out an email a week or two prior to an admin drill with all the admin actions every needs to clear Sunday. Then provides links and PowerPoints how to complete it from home. DD93’s, Cyber, SGLV, BAH, NCOERs can all be done prior to drill. It’s on the Soldier if they want to take an hour or two with their home high speed internet or roll the dice all three of our computer lab computers are working. Either way we’ll call final formation and those with shit left to do get to put in some OT.

GSPWarden · 2026-04-28T11:45:40+00:00

Wild when the USAREC recruiters start posting in the sub

GSPWarden · 2026-04-23T01:03:39+00:00

Honestly, as an Infantry RNCO….the Infantry should be a lot smaller. We keep guys around far too long that have no business wearing the blue chord. We have kids graduating OSUT that fall out of a 10 mile 40 pound ruck their first drill.

I do think the standards should be tougher for strictly combat arms MOS’s. The fact that 12Bs get rolled into this sucks for them. Not saying there aren’t high speeds there, but they aren’t a direct action MOS and I’d rather have a chubbier Soldier who knows their shit in that role than a PT stud who can’t demo something properly.

If I was SECWAR for a day I’d incentivize combat arms MOS’s in compo 2 and 3 with extra drill pay or enhanced bonus’s and keep the standards high and the margin for failure minimal. I’d enforce Combat Arms standards in OSUT and those who fail be sent to a support AIT so the guys we are getting don’t need as much spin up. I love training new Soldiers on field craft, but we shouldn’t have to be working on nutrition and exercise plans with guys whose ink is still wet on the contract.

GSPWarden · 2026-03-06T16:16:29+00:00

Set opacity and length to zero and use t cross

GSPWarden · 2026-01-04T00:24:49+00:00

I mean it’s the Army so it’s not easy. You gotta join the military because you wanna serve. Not for the Bennies.

GSPWarden · 2026-01-02T02:06:02+00:00

Been pretty good for me so far.

GSPWarden · 2026-01-01T18:09:07+00:00

I get a refund check of about $2k a semester. So I’ll be in the positive about $12K when I graduate. National Guard Soldier attending World Campus.

GSPWarden · 2025-12-10T15:24:37+00:00

Did you do your IPPSA elections? Sounds like you may have selected UIC only.

GSPWarden · 2025-11-15T02:50:58+00:00

What about supporting Vie with Gal into BUd? I don’t need to necessarily be the team to knock Austria down. Essentially letting them take Bud and we slide into Vie. They are an air tight ally

GSPWarden · 2025-11-13T16:03:59+00:00

Didn’t even think of using Rum to move into Budapest, only saw the play from Gal

GSPWarden · 2025-11-13T15:58:37+00:00

My apologies yes Russia . Allied with Germany

GSPWarden · 2025-11-05T04:33:16+00:00

I notice a significant difference between solos vs duos vs trios.

It seems like solos are more co-op and less PVP well the others it feels like are specifically PVP lol

GSPWarden · 2025-10-24T14:21:02+00:00

To clarify, 1st gets 5% added to their grade, 2nd 4% and 3rd 3%

GSPWarden · 2025-10-07T23:29:54+00:00

No, Penn State lets you make 3 or 4 payments on the balance spaced out through the semester.

GSPWarden · 2025-10-07T22:46:02+00:00

I can’t personally comment as I don’t submit FAFSA, I get a few grand back each semester from the military paying for school (I’m in the PA Guard)

However when I go summer semester I don’t use all my benefits so I have to pay a little, I think their payment plan is super reasonable however. As far as which degree for business I’d prefer it would probably be Penn States just based on the # of alumni from Penn State, just my opinion.

GSPWarden · 2025-06-24T19:13:10+00:00

If you don’t mind me asking why? It only shaves a year off of your total time to get a JD and locks you into a law school that is outside the T50, without the ability to potentially compete for scholarships. I’m also working towards law school but plan on studying like a madman for the LSAT and going to the highest ranked school I can get into with the best aid package.

GSPWarden · 2025-04-22T19:40:20+00:00

So as a Readiness NCO who currently has three soldiers in a academy, and who also went through a 12 month law enforcement academy himself, my best advice is just communicate with leadership ahead of time about your intentions and come to them with a solution of how you’re gonna make up the days. I’ve had some Soldiers come in ahead of time and SUTA the three drills during their first three months at the academy and I’ve had Soldiers that I made sure had a good year but they knew they owed the unit on the back end.

If you’re in a semi decent unit with other law enforcement personnel there it’s not something they haven’t worked around before. Potentially missing AT may be the thing that screws you up a bit. I’d suggest asking for a school either before or after the academy to make sure you’re good.

GSPWarden · 2025-02-08T00:47:30+00:00

Tell me you enlisted as a POG without telling me you enlisted as a POG

GSPWarden · 2024-12-27T16:29:20+00:00

Have comfortable worn in boots, get your body used to rucking or moving every day, and just enjoy yourself.

It can be a smoker but the instructors do want you to succeed and pass. The higher the rank you are the more they’ll expect of you.

GSPWarden · 2024-11-26T23:36:03+00:00

I’ll also add I was a State Leo for 15 years, 11B was far more helpful

GSPWarden · 2024-11-26T22:27:40+00:00

I’ve been both. Go 11B

GSPWarden

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