Mike Seese

Staff time is your tryout for Platoon Leader time.  Everyone will be watching you and evaluating you, to see how you might fit into various Platoons.  Leaders talk about "the bullpen" of new LTs much like a draft for a sports team.  Focus most on working hard, being a team player, and making life easier for those around you.

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• Understand your OIC’s priorities and achieve them

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• Don’t dwell on mistakes or embarrassing moments; there’ll likely be a few.  Learn from these and move on

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• Work hard in PT

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• “Can do” attitude but not a suck-up, be genuine

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• Be 100% aware of what you are saying, and who is around when you are saying it.  Sound travels very easily in office environments

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• Find ways to go to the range control office, TADDS office, and other organizations you’ll need to work with as a PL.  Build relationships there early in advance; always introduce yourself and where you’re from when you work with these other agencies and resources

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• Be careful with your free time; be aware of where/when you go out to bars and clubs.  Don’t drink excessively around people you work with.  Unit Balls and other functions will have many people drinking heavily, but you don’t want to be the new Staff LT that crosses the line by drinking too much and saying or doing something in poor taste 

  • Consider living away from post, pick the town or city that’s a little further from post.  The commute can be annoying but the separation can be very beneficial

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• Many Leaders will walk by your desk/cubicle in the BN HQ.  Show respect by standing up and engaging when speaking to people; it shows good initiative and discipline on your part.  Remember, a lot of people are watching you to decide if they want to work with you or not

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• Build relationships with people in other staff sections

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• Learn the people you work with (families, hobbies, etc.)

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• Listen more than you speak (also a universal lesson)

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• Pick the brains of the NCOs in your section, ask a lot of relevant questions

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• Find an opportunity to ask the Operations SGM or CSM about how he or she has seen LTs best succeed in the Battalion or in Platoon Leader positions

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• Pay close attention to Platoon Leader successes and failures in the BN/SQDN

  • Learn from wins and losses, training accidents, investigations, etc.  Learn from other experiences so your PL time is more successful

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• Help other staff LTs or offer to help when your load is light and theirs is heavy

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• Be careful with "office gossip".  It can be easy to get pulled into awkward conversations about other Leaders and Soldiers

  • Know when to disengage, or even to change the subject if you can​.  This will be awkward if/when more senior leaders are talking