What's the ratio of 180A Det Cdrs?

[Green Light]

I got appointed at the end of the 1st generation of SF Warrants. Many things weren't figured out yet and Bn Cdrs didn't want their teams taken downrange with a warrant in charge. It began to change around Dec of 89 when our C team leader realized that he was going to have warrants leading troops in combat for the first time. I was one of them.

What's it like now?

[Blitzzz (RIP)]

For Desert Shield/Storm my team Ldr was a Warrant, and a blessing. A lot easier to get along with than the Cpt they tried to stick us with. Long story but worked out well.

[1stindoor]

When I left group last year, our batallion was probably 60-70% Cpts and the rest were warrents. It's not as big an issue as it was many years ago.

[SkiBumCFO]

Green Light - I remember the first batch of warrants showing up at Devens in the mid 80s and nobody really knew what to do with them and they weren't sure themeselves. I am glad that they seemed to have figured out the value over time though i do miss having those young clueless LTs running around

[1stindoor]

I used to have a company commander that was one of the last of the clueless Lt's. He had a lot of good war stories. When I was a young buck I used to ask my Team Sgt to tell me again what it was like before officers....much to the chagrin of our team leader.

When I got to group in '90 we had a really good batch of warrents. Back then it was all about length of time on a team, language skills, O & I, etc. Then we had a stretch during the mid 90's when it seemed you would have WO1s showing up with 2-3 years of team time under their belt. Everything was waiverable for awhile.

[Utah Bob]

Originally Posted by SkiBumCFO

Green Light - I remember the first batch of warrants showing up at Devens in the mid 80s and nobody really knew what to do with them and they weren't sure themeselves. I am glad that they seemed to have figured out the value over time though i do miss having those young clueless LTs running around

And sometimes I miss being a young clueless Lt.

[Mitch]

I was the main dude on our team at Devens in 85 for 6 months. I never gave it any thought - it just took them a while to find a new O3 when ours was suddenly moved on up to Group HQ. I always felt, at the time, that I was just a caretaker commander. assuminmg that if anything came up that was really high priority, they would fill the slot, but nothing ever did.

But that was 85/86 - none of us in the WO posiiton really understood the expectations I don't believe - the most we ever discusssed was to become "split" team commanders from time to time. The guys on the team did not understand either. I was the first Warrant they ever had so they did not know what to expect from me at all. It was a mutual learning experiance then.

Heck - can you believe that was 25 years ago - sounds like the kinks have been worked out by now though.

I do remember one major disapointment that our team had of me back then, right after I first got there. I politely said no when they tried to pawn off the G-43 Generator on me. Being an ex commo man - I was not about to pick that thing back up again if I could help it. Traditionally given to the most unappreaciated position on the team - the LT-XO. I was not about to mark myself with that tag on day one. I didn't mind sharing it from time to time, but I was not going to make it my personal property.

[MtnGoat]

I haven't seen one in over 6 or 7 years in my Group. I say overall it would be how that Company and Batt CDR had as a SFODA CDR. DId he have a Good 180A, then I say they will like 180A leading an ODA. Just as a CPT coming to his first ODA trusting his NCOs. Did his College mentor teach him that NCO all suck and untrust worthy, was his LT years plagued with weak Jr and Sr NCO within his Paltoon? Then this adds to it all.

Overall 180A's have become the Staff Backbone on a ODA. We don't do much for Split team ops, so that sucks.

[kuyarog]

I was in the second 180A class and spent most of my time as detachment commander.