National Guard SF Group Improvements

In the past few months our Company and Group CSMs have asked the NCO's throughout the Group for ideas and suggestions to improve our Retention, Recuiting and overall unit climate.

Some NCOs gave a long list of suggestions in no particular order that included the following:

1. Better Pay for NG
2. More Schools and Training Ops
3. Bonus, Incentives
4. Command support and presence especailly for solders in the pipeline
5. Promotions
6. Better NQP program
7. Funding for Recuiting events
8. Revamping Unit History
9. Organization, Family Days for "Esprit de Corps"
10. Oppertunity Deployments
11. Relationship with Active Components

I would like to ask the forum, in particular from NCOs in the NG SF Group for any input in NG SF improvements. How is your unit dealing with retention, moral issues, recuiting, ect.

Thanks in advance for help

T-Rex

[CommoGeek]

Here are my thoughts as a former untabbed support puke, some of which had me fired when I was an O:

1) Synchronize BN and Group drills. Try running a COMMEX with only one company and BN SIGDET.
2) Cascading (I believe this is gone) sucks! Give the Guard the same equipment as the AD side.
3) Extra pay won’t happen. We lobbied for years for full jump pay and never got it. Pro-rated jump pay is total BS.
4) MOSQ: DO NOT send your soldiers (this is for the untabbed folks) to USAR schools. They will know very little and a unit can’t afford to lose them for a year or more. Get the slots to the AD schools.
5) Throw hunters the hell off of post. CP Blanding in FL had many maneuver areas shut down for hunting season. WTF?
6) More training dollars for schools. Not everyone needs to have a triple tab to make Group function. Support soldiers need schools and not just the high speed badge producing kind.
7) One that will never happen but should: remove 19th and 20th from the Guard and give them to the USAR. The Guard squanders training dollars and time doing State missions that have little to do with SF missions. I could write a book on how FL shafts 3/20.
8) A better rapport with the AD units. We can learn from each other if only given the chance.
9) More range time, more field time, less time doing mandatory EEO briefings. Get out of the drill hall.

[18C4V]

My two cents.

1) Better pay system. Include SDAP so it's automatic instead of manually inputing them every month. If everything is pro-rated, then pro rate BAH, BAS for drill weekend.
2) Full FLLP pay instead of pro rating it.
3) Full BAH regardless of how many days your orders are.
4) A similiar program to CRSB to keep NG SF guys past 20 yrs.
5) More DTA affiliation with 1st SFG or change our's to 10th (our bn is in Co)
6) More slots for advanced skills
7) Change the MTOE in our state so that every NCO position is an E-7.
8) Have SIPIR down at the company level.
9) Easier method to obtain off post training (Gryphon, Ron Hall, TEES, etc)
10) Open up eArmyU for NG and USAR people.

For NQP
1) Command presence from line companies or battaltions for SFQC graduations .
2) Easier system to imput NQP in pipleline (our state is pretty lousy for orders)
3) Include DLA and TLE for PCS soldiers for SFQC (currently not getting it) OR have dependants not authorized and get BAH for HOR.
4) Allow SFAS grads to get schools while waiting for SFQC (ie SL JM, AA, usually one or two week courses to include SFAUC)
5) Decentralize the Group Surgeon to Bn Surgeon for "Stamped physicals" for SFAS/SFQC.

As for recruiting and retention. We have two NCO's doing ADSW tours just for that.

Our training detachment is huge, but it's hard to get State to issue orders for SFAS and the Q. Right now we are getting more guys off AD or other NG SF units then getting guys from the Q.

Many Thanks for the input!

18C4V,

If you don't mind, I have a information paper that you might want to look at. It is written in draft form. It is a comprehensive paper though NCO channels for the group commander on suggestions from NCO's on how to improve the group. I would welcome your comments and by all means you may extract what you think would apply to 19th SFGA. I can send it via AKO.

[18C4V]

Send it to either email address.

Originally Posted by 18C4V

Send it to either email address.

I sent you the information paper draft to your AKO and many thanks for the Red Star Presentation. It is a good start!

[dirt_diver]

Going along the improvement lines, do NG SF soldiers fall under the active duty or NG time table for promotions such as a 2LT-1LT on active duty's time requirement is 18 months while NG 2LT-1LT is 24 months? I know USSOCOM has some pull but I'm not sure how that all works out with the conventional side of the house.

[The Reaper]

I don't think there are any LTs in SF.

TR

[dirt_diver]

Roger, I'm talking more about support guys as well as those future SF officers in training for SFAS in 19th and 20th Groups.

[Surgicalcric]

Dirtdiver:

Promotions are based on the NG requirements (generally longer TIG/TIS) for an M-day soldier.

What does you question have to do with the intent of the original thread?

Crip

[dirt_diver]

The intent was to determine if the NG groups modeled the active duty ones or if NGB controlled the personnel aspect. The positive side to a longer time in each rank is that soldiers really know their jobs, but the downside is that with multiple deployments, NG soldiers may be putting in almost as much time as their active counterparts, but not advancing at the same rate.

[Surgicalcric]

Advancement issues for officers (in NG SF) usually do not stem from the TIS/TIG requirements, but slots available for advancement.

Staff officers only have so many slots that can be filled at X rank before they have to seek employment elsewhere, out of SF, if they want to be promoted further. This ends up with officers turning down promotions and homesteading.

Hope this answers your question...

Crip

[18C4V]

Originally Posted by Surgicalcric

Advancement issues for officers (in NG SF) usually do not stem from the TIS/TIG requirements, but slots available for advancement.

Staff officers only have so many slots that can be filled at X rank before they have to seek employment elsewhere, out of SF, if they want to be promoted further. This ends up with officers turning down promotions and homesteading.

Hope this answers your question...

Crip

It also depends on how many slots are available. States that have a larger NG SF presence will have more slots than the single NG SF Company.

[Surgicalcric]

Originally Posted by 18C4V

It also depends on how many slots are available. States that have a larger NG SF presence will have more slots than the single NG SF Company.

I forgot to mention that lil tidbit. Suppose I thought it would have been understood...

Crip

[Juan]

It would be great if Uncle Sam would reimburse part or all of travel expenses to and from drill. Half the guys on my team fly to drill (is that unusual?), and that means we either barely break even or sometimes actually lose money to attend drill.