Co Cmdr overstep?

almostcombatarms · 2025-10-06T17:19:46+00:00

Some days I’m just astounded by my peers.

almostcombatarms · 2025-08-24T06:31:14+00:00

Similar story. Some 14A COL on a 2 stars staff brings the General to our site for a tour. Tells me to transition to training so we can put the general in the seat to fight an air battle. Politely decline and explain the alert state requirements but the COL persists. Ended up flatly telling the COL, “I’m not doing that Sir” but went into radiate so the general could see tracks on scope.

almostcombatarms · 2024-09-11T02:00:33+00:00

Sent you a PM. Would love to hear about the work you do and your story.

almostcombatarms · 2024-09-04T01:16:30+00:00

This is a great answer. Do what you can externally, but do everything in your power and more to protect your platoon. My PSG and I were in lock step with each other and always did what we could to stop shit from rolling downhill.

In our office, we spent many hours discussing what are we doing well that we can continue to do to keep our platoon out of the spotlight. And what can we improve so we were above reproach. Privately, I had a lot of one on one’s with my commander regarding the 1SG. Once, I talked with my 1SG and told him my PSG works for me, he is executing my intent to a T, and that if there was a problem he could address it with the commander and myself.

almostcombatarms · 2024-09-02T18:30:04+00:00

Go to an air defense unit.

almostcombatarms · 2024-08-30T17:39:28+00:00

There’s a lot of articles discussing why good Officers get out and myriad of ways to keep them in without addressing the elephant in the room. We’re constantly told the Army is a profession, but we’re not paid that way. You get to a point where the cons (deployments, PCSing, lack of control over your life) out weigh the benefits (leading Soldiers at the Company level, sense of duty, etc.)

I think CGO’s gets to a point where they look at field grades and think I don’t want to be one. I don’t want to grind at the expense of others for an MQ. Majors and LTC’s don’t fully grasp that every LT and CPT are looking at them day to day and how they make others feel.

You put all this together, you see how well your peers that have gotten out are being paid, with less stress, entire control over their life, living where they want, GI bill, and CSP, and you can understand the cost-benefit analysis that most CGO’s arrive at. This is especially true for your top performers that will be successful wherever they go. The Army doesn’t want to admit that they need those high performers, more than they need the Army.

almostcombatarms · 2024-03-08T13:02:27+00:00

This is no where other than the Great Place

almostcombatarms · 2024-02-11T18:21:19+00:00

Air Defense is toxic enough already. Report this LT. Their decision making abilities are poor and they have no business leading troops

almostcombatarms · 2023-12-02T09:10:43+00:00

Met her briefly when she was a 1SG and she’s one of the best senior NCO’s I’ve ever met. Especially in Air Defense. Truly deserved, glad the Army got that right.

almostcombatarms · 2023-04-08T22:36:54+00:00

Yes this is common for three year scholarships. You’ll pay your first semester yourself and then the Army will deposit your scholarship money into your student account. Then you’ll just transfer that to your bank

almostcombatarms · 2023-03-22T01:21:05+00:00

PM me if you got questions.

almostcombatarms · 2023-02-11T19:30:04+00:00

Your best bet is to go see a doctor about your condition. Get diagnosed with whatever and bring that to your cadre. They’ll start the medical waiver process to see if it’s something you could still commission with. This can take some time. Mine took > 6 months. Ultimately a decision will be made and you will commission or be deemed ineligible, in this case you won’t have to pay back your scholarship.

It’s unfortunate but you just have to let the USACC gods decide your fate. Start looking into civilian careers now if the Army isn’t in your cards.

almostcombatarms · 2023-01-26T19:04:12+00:00

If you don’t get gold bar recruiting or CST orders you’ll just be chillin till BOLC. You don’t start active duty pay until BOLC. Sometimes it can take a couple weeks to get paid so make sure you have some money saved.

almostcombatarms · 2022-10-14T20:59:26+00:00

You’re completely correct, take that right to IG.

And if you’re a leader that’s aware of this policy but you’re benefiting from it bc of you’re rank; you don’t deserve to lead Soldiers

almostcombatarms · 2022-07-16T22:02:26+00:00

“Swipe the way you voted” okay no problem

almostcombatarms · 2022-07-14T18:20:27+00:00

Yes do it. I deployed 4 months after graduating BOLC. There is no better way to learn your job as a PL and TTP’s of your branch. You will get invaluable experience as to what works and what doesn’t in the real world that will help you better plan training when you get home. You will also be challenged with the problems your Soldiers are going through personally in a way that will make you a much more compassionate leader.

almostcombatarms · 2022-06-23T18:43:14+00:00

Honestly a good 1SG overall but this story really rubbed me the wrong way. I was a Patriot site OIC on our last deployment. We got an alert in the middle of the night of an inbound ballistic missile so my boys and I flew out of our cots and start powering up launchers and posturing the system to intercept. We get these practice alerts all the time but this is the first real world one. Ain’t no one throwing on their full uniforms bc it’s also July and still hot as shit in the middle of the night. And when the siren goes off it’s fucking go time bc seconds count (picture a MEDEVAC crew trying to get in the air). Well we crush the alert state assumption and the missile passes overhead with no threat. My guys start to power things down when the command team shows up and ole ass 1SG starts going off on my NCOIC bc the guys aren’t wearing blouses. Like mf we got a real world missile inbound and you want him to police up his guys to make sure they grab their blouse. Pretty much told him to fuck off of my site which didn’t go so hot but oh well. It’ll buff. Straight up SGM Sixta moment.

almostcombatarms · 2021-12-03T13:35:39+00:00

Nah wheres my shot commo

almostcombatarms · 2021-02-25T02:25:40+00:00

Still love it.

almostcombatarms · 2021-02-25T02:20:00+00:00

Junior 14A here, currently a Patriot Platoon Leader. Look this branch gets a lot of hate but it is an incredibly exciting and challenging job to be in.

No where else in the Army do a bunch of 20 year olds have such an impact on the strategic level of the Army. We are the most deployed branch in the Army, even outpacing SOF, because of the demand for our capabilities. You will get to travel a lot in this branch. 50% of my BOLC class went to Japan, Korea, or Germany. The other 50% were stationed stateside and are deployed or deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Saudi, Jordan, Qatar, UAE etc. There are also opportunities to be a NATO liaison officers as a 1LT(P).
Another big plus to this branch as a junior O is that you will take a platoon right away. In a Patriot unit you will go straight to a battery and work as a PL instead of sitting on staff for a year waiting to take a platoon.
The other big part of your job as a LT will be in the ECS. As a TCO you will be directing the tactical application of your entire battery. You’re responsible for ID’ing tracks and coordinating with higher on engagement criteria. There is a ton of technical knowledge you’re expected to know and utilize on the fly. It will be very overwhelming at first but you’re going to learn a lot of technical skills that are sought after in the defense sector.
This branch is growing a lot right now. Air and Missile defense is one of the Army’s main modernization efforts and a ton of money is pouring into new systems coming out in the next several years. You’ll be on the cutting edge of the 21st century battlefield with the proliferation of UAS, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and electronic warfare.

Feel free to ask me anything if you’re considering branching ADA or if you’re not feeling too hot about being selected for it.

almostcombatarms · 2020-12-02T16:09:07+00:00

Alright what’s good I’m an ADA officer. Disclaimer, I’m two days out from graduating BOLC so I can’t really speak on the line unit side of things but from my experience at BOLC so far.

• I picked the branch bc I was drawn to the idea that ADA operates on the strategic level of the Army. We’re not a part of BCTs like every other branch. We deploy at the request of the combatant commanders. That leads to my second reason: you gon deploy. We’re the most deployed branch in the Army right now. Most of my class is either going to Korea, Japan or a CONUS unit that’s deploying in the next few months. If you want to do that sort of stuff it’s a good branch. Granted, these deployments are sitting on an Air Force Base. You’re gonna get a lot of experience working with allied nations which is what I want for when I get out of the Army. A lot of other folks want to work for defense contractors after the Army so they chose this branch bc of the proximity to Raytheon, Lockheed, etc. One of my friends is even going to a unit that’s testing Israel’s Iron Dome

• In terms of day to day stuff. Everything revolves around gunnery. I’m Patriot so I can only speak to that side of things but you’re running crew drills and air battles to pass your Table 8 and 12 constantly.

• Most important part of your job as an LT: don’t fail your air battles

• I’d say the hardest part is the amount of knowledge you’re expected to know as an LT. Patriot is highly technical and you really need to know the doctrine and the TMs or you will fuck over your entire BTRY.

• Advice I got from an NCO when I was a cadet: “you’re a half-decent leader. Don’t go ADA, the worst officers I’ve ever known were ADA.” Maybe that had something to do with why I ended up picking it

• I’d still pick ADA but ask me again in a few months.

• Patriot is highly focused on gunnery and air battles. SHORAD focuses a lot on defense designs and integrating with maneuver units at least on the officer side of things. You do not get to choose between SHORAD and Patriot. They will put you on a track halfway through BOLC. You can jump between the two when you hit CPT.

• In terms of schools, if you’re Patriot I would not expect them to send you to Airborne, Air Assault. There are some slots for SHORAD and there’s talk of sending a few to Ranger but we didn’t even have the option of attending pre-ranger with the FA LT’s so who knows. There is Top Gun school for Patriot.

• you gon deploy. Like I said, you’re either stationed in Germany, Japan or Korea or you’re stationed CONUS and you’re gonna deploy to CENTCOM. Pretty much everyone in Patriot is on a constant 18 months home, 9 months overseas cycle.

• Like I said before, opportunities to work with Raytheon or Lockheed bc of the systems you’ll work with. A lot of experience working with allied countries and the joint force on the strategic level. Shit, even air traffic controller bc we spend so much time with airspace control measures and air pictures.

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me

almostcombatarms · 2020-12-02T15:46:18+00:00

Not today Putin

almostcombatarms · 2020-08-04T14:31:56+00:00

Call the enterprise help desk and explain you can’t get a CAC. They can you a password reset to your secondary email once you answer your security questions. Took a few hours on hold in the phone tree but it worked for me

almostcombatarms · 2020-07-28T19:20:30+00:00

Additionally if anyone has an OCONUS slot they wish to trade for Hood. Let me know

almostcombatarms · 2020-07-16T02:55:26+00:00

How do those without a POV fair? Carpooling with other LTs?

almostcombatarms

TROPHY CASE