[Eddie]

Originally Posted by jester

Eddie;

Can I ask, this;

Aren't you doing a disservice to your men by not letting them learn to be leaders and do for themselves what they need to?

Absolutely not. I was typing up my reply to your other post and answered just this question. Read the part about PCCs and PCIs and how they differ.

So then they can operate on their own?

Addressed this as well. To further it though because I'm pretty sure you're not going to like the part where I said in combat I make the decisions, I'm talking about big stuff.

"I need a squad there. SSG Z, take your squad there, establish a blocking position."

"SSG T, establish a base of fire here. SSG D, get your squad on me, I'll take you to the position I want you to assault from." Or with two of my squad leaders, I could have said, "take your squad to <that spot there> and assault from East-to-West/Left-to-Right/In-to-Out/etc."

After all you will not be there all the time, there will come a time and a day when they will have to act for themselves.

Yep, but who is responsible for when they fail?

And if they haven't done it they will surely suffer. Kinda like the whole "give a man a fish you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life." Or as the shrinks say the term is "enabling." And this goes not just for a packing list, but for operations and training. Remember one of the traditional hallmarks of the US that helped us win in the Pacific especialy was our versatility and adaptability whereas the Japanese always kept to the plan. And then we also have the evil empire and many of the countries in Europe where the NCOs or senior NCOs and officers are the only ones who lead, command or know how to operate key equipment, thus you take out the leader and that system or part of the plan is KAPUT!

NCOs in the US military are some of the most "enabled" NCOs in the world. Absolutely no military in the world uses them the way that we do. The level of trust and confidence that we entrust them with and the authority we give them is profound.

But can you honestly tell me that every one deserves that trust?

I know in my unit, most of us craved leadership and responsibility to prove outselves and thus we always did what it took to excell and thus 90% of us could handle damn near any billet and position in the platoon except for maybe the Corpsman and in many cases we would end up doing just that for weeks and months sometimes.

And obviously you can't by your "most of us" comment. How do we treat that other 10%? Wear blinders and hope?