Filling Big Shoes
So I have been thinking a lot about the position I have been told I will be filling here shortly.
I am slated to fill one of the Platoon Sergeant positions when we redeploy. This is a big step in the career ladder of NCOs in the Army, generally held by a SFC/E-7. All the positions that fall under that usually have only a handful of subordinates an NCO is responsible for, Team, Squad, or Section. Platoon Sergeant means I am responsible for upwards of 40 people, although probably less given our job. Its also one of the first positions that NCOs have that involve disparate MOS jobs. Positions junior to this usually handle focused teams of people with the same MOS, or at the most similar MOSes. A Platoon Sergeant has to manage very different jobs sometimes, whether he is familiar with them all or not.
Being a Platoon Sergeant means you are basically “the old man,” generally regarded as one of the most experienced people in the company. Platoon Leaders often look to you for decisions based on that experience. The 1SG is the next highest rank at the company in the NCO chain, so the PSG is basically it. A lot of important decisions fall to him, without a lot of room for “learning.” This is the job where you start to really mentor junior NCOs and enlisted soldiers (sometimes even officers). As much of the job is teaching as it is managing/leading.
While I am excited and looking forward to the challenge, I am worried a bit about doing the job right. There is a lot of weight on the PSG shoulders. A lot more than I ever considered before now. I have been told by several people I will be good at the job, mostly junior NCOs. While that is comforting, it doesn’t help those little butterflies. I want to do the job right, mentor soldiers in the right ways to do things, and be the leader that the position requires. I know I am not infallible, and my greatest fear is that I will make a mistake so destructive it might cost someone their life.
I am also reaching that stage where I won’t be doing the field level work as much. A lot of the job involves administration, teaching, and ensuring that everyone is able to do their job. My days of being in the dirt sticking the IVs, putting on tourniquets, and saving lives are numbered. I am moving into that phase in my career where I have to sit on the sideline and watch the younger people do the job I love so much. Its my turn to pass on those little tips, tricks, and things I have picked up over a long career to the newer guys so they can be that much better at their jobs. This bothers me a little as I love my job, and while I will still be doing patient care, it marks a shift I have not looked forward to.
I guess that its probably a good thing I am thinking about the job so much. It means that I am aware of the burden entrusted to me. I hope that I can fulfill that and earn the title Platoon Sergeant.
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