I was inquiring about the status of KC Harris’ membership, (cassandra.a.harris8.mil@mail.mil), and to see if there any issues with her acceptance. please let me know.

And some stuff for the administrative side of the job.

Example logistics inspection checklists. Your unit’s will be different but similar. Just flip-through and if any of the terminology or references are foreign to you, the RIP is the time to ask either the outgoing or the Bn XO.

Some tools for the budget fight attached here.

Best advice I EVER got as a BN S4, – “Jeff, it’s not your money. Yes, be a responsible steward, but it’s not YOUR money. Forecast, project, advise, but let the commanders make the decisions. Don’t protect the money like it comes from your personal paycheck… don’t worry about ‘fiscal constraint’…[Read more]

Brother! Welcome to the club of combat logisticians.

“Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics…”

I recommend “Moving Mountains” by GEN Gus Pagonis. It will get you totally amped for the job. I have a hard drive dedicated to old S4 stuff, including deployment loadout stuff. Let me see what I can dust off for you over the…[Read more]

Having never been a S4, I can’t answer your questions directly, but have some suggestions that came out of my own lessons learned from S1-land. I hope these help you have a more effective RIP. Even if you have the ideal RIP with your predecessor, keep in mind that there won’t be time to do everything. Put together some questions to ask them (or…[Read more]

Mike,

Welcome to the Team!

Tom

@brock.j.young – Preach the good word!! Definitively agree with your bit on promotion timelines for ARNG. Agree totally about you being your own best manager, too. @george.l.gurrola – agree with all you posted, too. Very similar to my thoughts that I’ve posted here.

@cale – My response to your post is a serious of ‘gates’ that I’d recommend…[Read more]

Have you seen this post? Could be used as a proactive tool in the future. https://juniorofficer.army.mil/career-timeline-tool/

Great news, @scott1f5.

My two cents for you or the next person who has pay issues like this: Keep an eye on your LES and, if its not fixed by the time you get to your new unit, tell post when you in-process and tell your BN S1 (file pay inquiry). They can actually sit in the finance office and get details on where the pay is in the process and…[Read more]

@snusom,
Unfortunately, leader development always takes a back seat when “metric based” requirements take up most of a drill weekend. This is ESPECIALLY the case in the Reserve Components. It’s not an excuse, just a point of discussion.
 
However that tends to be my opinion. Should an SFC be held accountable no matter what? Yes, however there are…[Read more]

@Cale,
Excellent post! Coming into my position as the BN S1, I learned a lot about officer and career management. Not many Guard LTs (or their chains of command) realize that they are eligible for promotion at 18 month’s time in grade (and have completed BOLC). Fewer know that a waiver MUST be submitted to NGB for approval if the officer isn’t…[Read more]