WEBVTT 00:00.540 --> 00:01.540 Mhm . 00:07.640 --> 00:10.010 Hello and welcome to SmH talks a 00:10.010 --> 00:12.177 monthly series where Sergeant Major of 00:12.177 --> 00:14.399 the army , Michael Greenstone discusses 00:14.399 --> 00:16.510 important topics that directly impact 00:16.510 --> 00:18.677 the day to day business of the U . S . 00:18.677 --> 00:21.040 Army this month . Our topic is N . C . 00:21.040 --> 00:23.430 O . Authority throughout the U . S . 00:23.430 --> 00:25.270 Army's history . Officers have 00:25.270 --> 00:27.159 empowered N . C . O . S . To take 00:27.159 --> 00:29.381 action and enforce standards . But what 00:29.381 --> 00:31.714 does that mean in 2020 ? Sergeant Major , 00:31.714 --> 00:33.659 thank you so much for being here . 00:33.659 --> 00:35.714 Thank you for having me . I'm really 00:35.714 --> 00:37.659 excited about this series and this 00:37.659 --> 00:39.937 topic , it's really important for army . 00:39.937 --> 00:42.159 So thank you for having me here today . 00:42.159 --> 00:44.159 And S . M . A . How has N . C . O . 00:44.159 --> 00:46.326 Authority changed since you've been in 00:46.326 --> 00:48.326 the army ? Well , I don't think the 00:48.326 --> 00:51.010 policy , it doesn't feel like the 00:51.020 --> 00:53.720 policy has had a lot of changes since 00:53.720 --> 00:55.831 I've been in the army , although I've 00:55.831 --> 00:57.998 been in the army for a long time about 00:57.998 --> 01:00.290 33 years now . It just feels when you 01:00.290 --> 01:03.440 look at the policy it feels like all 01:03.440 --> 01:06.540 this policy really has changed but it 01:06.540 --> 01:09.420 really didn't . Someone was there . Uh 01:09.420 --> 01:11.531 and at some point it got a little bit 01:11.531 --> 01:14.200 harder to find . But that's why we're 01:14.200 --> 01:16.200 trying to bring some of that policy 01:16.200 --> 01:19.930 back forward . N . C . O . S were very 01:19.930 --> 01:21.763 aggressive when they came in the 01:21.763 --> 01:23.986 military there . They really took a lot 01:23.986 --> 01:26.208 of pride in it and we were just growing 01:26.208 --> 01:28.374 as an N . C . O . Corps . You know , I 01:28.374 --> 01:30.940 came in about 10 , 12 years after the 01:30.950 --> 01:33.830 the end of the Vietnam war . So we had 01:33.830 --> 01:35.870 this rebuilding of the N . C . O . 01:35.870 --> 01:38.037 Corps . It wasn't that the N C . O . S 01:38.037 --> 01:40.203 were bad in Vietnam , they're actually 01:40.203 --> 01:39.840 very good , but a lot of them were 01:39.840 --> 01:43.690 killed in combat . So 12 years later we 01:43.690 --> 01:45.912 had to rebuild that N . C . O corps and 01:45.912 --> 01:48.134 we took a lot of pride in how we looked 01:48.134 --> 01:50.030 at ourselves and our uniforms and 01:50.030 --> 01:52.000 everything that we did . And as we 01:52.010 --> 01:55.110 rebuilt the core for that In the early 01:55.110 --> 01:58.980 90s , we were adamant that we , no one 01:58.980 --> 02:02.770 was more professional and I and we were 02:02.770 --> 02:05.070 pretty aggressive and I think maybe at 02:05.070 --> 02:07.126 some point we may have been a little 02:07.126 --> 02:09.780 extra aggressive and then we kind of , 02:09.780 --> 02:12.020 I think the pendulum at some point kind 02:12.020 --> 02:15.730 of swing over this way and then we're , 02:15.730 --> 02:17.897 what we're trying to do now is kind of 02:17.897 --> 02:19.952 bring that pendulum back , not to be 02:19.952 --> 02:22.230 hazing and bullying , But we still need 02:22.230 --> 02:24.430 to be able to have the ability to take 02:24.430 --> 02:26.374 action . And I think that's what's 02:26.374 --> 02:28.541 happened over the last few years . And 02:28.541 --> 02:30.430 how does the recent update to a R 02:30.430 --> 02:33.600 600-20 ? What does that mean to N . C . 02:33.600 --> 02:35.711 O . S and the commanders is trying to 02:35.711 --> 02:37.711 get back to that middle point . You 02:37.711 --> 02:39.933 know , what does it mean ? You know for 02:39.933 --> 02:42.044 commanders is we really wanted to put 02:42.044 --> 02:44.156 in something that allows an N . C . O 02:44.156 --> 02:47.120 to take an action and what most people 02:47.120 --> 02:49.342 would read in there , they say , well , 02:49.342 --> 02:51.670 I can use some physical training for 02:51.680 --> 02:54.250 corrective action , but it's more 02:54.250 --> 02:56.650 important that we just allow R . N . C . 02:56.650 --> 02:59.800 O . S . To take a visible action . So 02:59.800 --> 03:03.160 it's okay to do a small minor 03:03.540 --> 03:07.160 push ups for a corrective training so 03:07.160 --> 03:09.160 that R . N . C . O . S . Learn on a 03:09.160 --> 03:11.160 daily basis . It's okay for them to 03:11.160 --> 03:13.160 take an action . And that's what it 03:13.160 --> 03:15.160 means for the commanders is empower 03:15.160 --> 03:17.104 your N . C . O . S . And give them 03:17.104 --> 03:19.160 those authorities that they can take 03:19.160 --> 03:21.104 some action and they don't have to 03:21.104 --> 03:23.271 always go to the commander , the first 03:23.271 --> 03:25.216 sergeant to do something . Can you 03:25.216 --> 03:27.327 elaborate a little bit Sergeant Major 03:27.327 --> 03:29.382 on the difference between hazing and 03:29.382 --> 03:32.740 corrective training most of the time as 03:32.740 --> 03:34.850 I look back in my career , I clearly 03:34.850 --> 03:36.970 remember when I was hazed it was 03:36.970 --> 03:39.500 usually pretty obvious to me and 03:39.500 --> 03:42.380 normally to everybody around . Um So 03:42.380 --> 03:44.990 corrective training is is built to 03:45.000 --> 03:48.850 actually correct the training or to 03:48.850 --> 03:51.017 do a minor attention getter and that's 03:51.017 --> 03:53.183 why the push ups are important . Let's 03:53.183 --> 03:55.406 get your attention . But if I'm leaving 03:55.406 --> 03:57.572 you down there for two hours or I tell 03:57.572 --> 03:59.739 you to grab a pole , hang on it upside 03:59.739 --> 04:01.906 down for about an hour or 30 minutes . 04:02.140 --> 04:04.307 That's probably going over the point . 04:04.307 --> 04:06.473 You know , you're doing some amazing , 04:06.473 --> 04:08.584 I just want to get your attention and 04:08.584 --> 04:10.696 then so that you understand and we're 04:10.696 --> 04:12.820 gonna correct the action and that's 04:12.820 --> 04:15.098 what's the difference . Sergeant Major . 04:15.098 --> 04:17.264 I've heard you talk about an example , 04:17.264 --> 04:19.598 you use traveling across the US about N . 04:19.598 --> 04:21.764 C . O . Authority . Can you share that 04:21.764 --> 04:24.400 with our viewers ? Okay . Sure but 04:24.400 --> 04:26.511 let's role play . Let's see let's see 04:26.511 --> 04:28.567 if you get it right okay you ready ? 04:28.567 --> 04:31.860 Okay good . So your squad leader um and 04:31.860 --> 04:34.082 you can ask questions and I'm a soldier 04:34.082 --> 04:35.916 and I come running up and I'm 10 04:35.916 --> 04:38.480 seconds late . What do you do at first ? 04:38.480 --> 04:40.560 I'd give you a verbal counseling but 04:40.570 --> 04:42.681 you can talk to me you gotta say what 04:42.681 --> 04:44.903 are you gonna do ? What are you doing ? 04:44.903 --> 04:47.014 What are you 10 most ? Why are you 10 04:47.014 --> 04:49.190 seconds late ? How did you oversleep ? 04:49.200 --> 04:51.610 My alarm didn't go off . What ? You 04:51.610 --> 04:53.721 don't have a backup alarm ? Yeah that 04:53.721 --> 04:56.510 didn't go off either . Your roommate 04:56.640 --> 04:58.751 didn't didn't wake you up ? No that's 04:58.751 --> 05:01.880 why I'm late So we're gonna have to fix 05:01.880 --> 05:04.970 this . So from now on I need you here 05:04.980 --> 05:08.040 at least 15 minutes prior to formation . 05:08.050 --> 05:11.290 You can't be late again . So let's 05:11.290 --> 05:13.390 change one variable about this 05:13.390 --> 05:17.110 situation . One variable . Okay you're 05:17.110 --> 05:19.570 the drill sergeant And I'm the private 05:19.580 --> 05:21.413 and I come running up and I'm 10 05:21.413 --> 05:23.469 seconds flight . What would you do ? 05:23.540 --> 05:25.900 Start pushing you tell me to do push 05:25.900 --> 05:29.350 ups ? Yeah why is that different ? Um 05:29.360 --> 05:31.304 And that's the the analogy and the 05:31.304 --> 05:34.880 story that I use is that it shouldn't 05:34.880 --> 05:37.080 be different . It should be one 05:37.080 --> 05:39.080 standard . That's what we teach our 05:39.080 --> 05:41.191 soldiers when they come in the army . 05:41.191 --> 05:43.524 That's what we expect our N . C . O . S . 05:43.524 --> 05:45.747 To do . We and we actually say you know 05:45.747 --> 05:47.858 the drill sergeants that's that's the 05:47.858 --> 05:49.858 perfect example of what N . C . O . 05:49.858 --> 05:52.640 Should be . So that's the analogy that 05:52.640 --> 05:54.862 I've asked for years now and I said why 05:54.870 --> 05:57.092 why is it so different ? Why do we have 05:57.092 --> 05:58.981 different , why does it feel like 05:58.981 --> 06:01.092 there's a different authority for the 06:01.092 --> 06:03.314 drill sergeants and it is for the other 06:03.314 --> 06:05.314 N . C . O . S . And that's what I'm 06:05.314 --> 06:07.537 trying to get after . I'm trying to see 06:07.537 --> 06:09.900 that N . C . O . S . Can take charge . 06:09.910 --> 06:12.040 They can be role models and it's okay 06:12.040 --> 06:15.230 to take a visible action because if we 06:15.230 --> 06:17.770 don't take some visible action and we 06:17.770 --> 06:19.937 don't teach our N . C . O . S . On how 06:19.937 --> 06:22.420 to do this on a daily basis . How can 06:22.420 --> 06:25.690 we expect our N . C . O . S to get it 06:25.690 --> 06:27.870 right when it's really hard when it's 06:27.870 --> 06:31.360 really bad . And the the second part of 06:31.360 --> 06:34.090 that scenario usually goes if you're on 06:34.090 --> 06:37.830 the CQ desk and a soldier comes 06:37.830 --> 06:41.360 in there's a male and a female and both 06:41.360 --> 06:43.471 of them are drunk and they're walking 06:43.471 --> 06:45.610 back to the room , are you going to 06:45.610 --> 06:48.730 feel comfortable taking action in that 06:48.730 --> 06:51.940 scenario ? You should be we want you to 06:51.940 --> 06:54.580 stop him but we haven't given you any 06:54.580 --> 06:57.990 chance to practice that because you 06:57.990 --> 07:00.050 know we didn't have the authority or 07:00.050 --> 07:01.939 you didn't feel like you have the 07:01.939 --> 07:03.994 authority . You may actually have to 07:03.994 --> 07:06.180 physically take some action in that 07:06.180 --> 07:09.180 second scenario . So I think we have to 07:09.180 --> 07:12.300 give you the small ways to learn how to 07:12.300 --> 07:14.650 do that on a daily basis . And 07:14.650 --> 07:17.210 something as simple as saying Do 10 07:17.210 --> 07:19.490 pushups get you in the habit . It's 07:19.500 --> 07:21.900 about taking an action so that when you 07:21.900 --> 07:23.800 get to the harder ones the more 07:23.800 --> 07:26.670 difficult situation you've practiced it 07:26.680 --> 07:28.730 over and over on the simple things 07:28.740 --> 07:30.851 you're comfortable with it . And then 07:30.851 --> 07:33.073 when something really we really need to 07:33.073 --> 07:35.840 physically jump in and stop that . What 07:35.840 --> 07:37.840 could be a sexual assault or sexual 07:37.840 --> 07:40.007 harassment you're comfortable doing it 07:40.007 --> 07:42.007 and we taught you how to do it . So 07:42.007 --> 07:44.260 taking those visible actions as you put 07:44.260 --> 07:46.440 it is about building that experience 07:46.440 --> 07:48.662 and building that confidence to be able 07:48.662 --> 07:50.607 to step in when you need to remain 07:50.607 --> 07:53.450 absolutely . And what I haven't said in 07:53.450 --> 07:55.850 that other scenario is hopefully 07:55.850 --> 07:58.100 there's a platoon sergeant behind you 07:58.100 --> 08:01.110 backing you up and making sure that you 08:01.110 --> 08:03.680 don't go to hazing or bullying . We're 08:03.680 --> 08:06.050 saying okay you did the right thing and 08:06.050 --> 08:08.272 then if you didn't they'll pull you off 08:08.272 --> 08:10.328 and coach you into those things . So 08:10.328 --> 08:12.328 there's so much more to that little 08:12.328 --> 08:14.650 simple scenario but that's there's a 08:14.650 --> 08:16.872 lot more to it and that's what I really 08:16.872 --> 08:18.928 need the N . C . O . S . To do is to 08:18.928 --> 08:20.928 take some action . Well speaking of 08:20.928 --> 08:23.039 having a platoon sergeant having your 08:23.039 --> 08:25.094 back um How can chain of command and 08:25.094 --> 08:27.150 the N . C . O . Support channel help 08:27.150 --> 08:29.261 boost those Junior N . C . O . S . Um 08:29.261 --> 08:32.610 into enforcing standards . I think it 08:32.610 --> 08:34.832 starts with leader development and I'll 08:34.832 --> 08:36.943 give you two scenarios that I've used 08:36.943 --> 08:39.054 throughout my career . I thought this 08:39.054 --> 08:41.277 was well done and this is the first one 08:41.277 --> 08:43.670 wasn't just N . C . O . S . The brigade 08:43.670 --> 08:45.781 commander and I when I was a brigades 08:45.781 --> 08:47.892 are major . We we got all the leaders 08:47.892 --> 08:49.614 in a room and said here's your 08:49.614 --> 08:51.837 authorities and we went down and here's 08:51.837 --> 08:53.948 what you could do for corrective . We 08:53.948 --> 08:55.948 here's what we expect you to do for 08:55.948 --> 08:58.059 corrective training . Here's what you 08:58.059 --> 09:00.114 should do when this and it it wasn't 09:00.114 --> 09:02.226 about the exact thing you would do in 09:02.226 --> 09:04.337 this situation because sometimes they 09:04.337 --> 09:06.226 would say oh that's undue command 09:06.226 --> 09:08.610 influence but just giving some examples 09:08.620 --> 09:11.370 of what to do because a lot of times we 09:11.370 --> 09:13.481 tell people you can't do this and you 09:13.481 --> 09:15.481 can't do that but we actually don't 09:15.481 --> 09:18.130 explain to them what can you do . And 09:18.130 --> 09:20.370 that's what we did as a brigade command 09:20.370 --> 09:22.537 team . We said here's your authorities 09:22.537 --> 09:24.648 for corrective training . Here's what 09:24.648 --> 09:26.703 you you know here's an action that's 09:26.703 --> 09:28.870 probably gonna be punishable under the 09:28.870 --> 09:31.037 uniform code of military justice . And 09:31.037 --> 09:32.703 we have these open and honest 09:32.703 --> 09:34.926 discussions . We didn't talk a specific 09:34.926 --> 09:36.981 scenario but we we sit down and said 09:36.981 --> 09:39.092 here's what we think you know it's an 09:39.092 --> 09:41.148 appropriate action at a certain time 09:41.148 --> 09:43.314 and that gave him the tools on what to 09:43.314 --> 09:46.460 do . And then the second thing uh that 09:46.460 --> 09:49.480 I did was as it brigades are major . I 09:49.480 --> 09:51.880 took about three days and just said 09:51.880 --> 09:54.102 here's the classes that I think we need 09:54.102 --> 09:56.020 to go over and here's corrective 09:56.020 --> 09:58.130 training . Here's what i how I 09:58.130 --> 10:00.900 interpret the the army command policy A . 10:00.900 --> 10:03.600 R . 620 . Here's how I think you should 10:03.600 --> 10:06.130 do until you are so taking the time for 10:06.130 --> 10:08.360 du leader development and personal 10:08.360 --> 10:11.620 involvement into your N . C . O . S . 10:11.630 --> 10:14.360 Authority . This is not somebody else's 10:14.370 --> 10:16.820 N . C . Authority is our responsibility 10:16.820 --> 10:20.070 to teach it to our junior N . C . O . S . 10:20.070 --> 10:22.292 And what right looks like and give them 10:22.292 --> 10:24.514 some left and right limits so that they 10:24.514 --> 10:26.630 understand where they can operate and 10:26.630 --> 10:29.470 not just say oh you can't do all this 10:29.480 --> 10:31.591 give them some tools on what they can 10:31.591 --> 10:33.813 do and that's what it really that's why 10:33.813 --> 10:36.036 it's it's important for our N . C . O . 10:36.036 --> 10:38.400 S . First Sergeants battalion see SMS 10:38.400 --> 10:40.622 and platoon sergeants to do that leader 10:40.622 --> 10:42.733 development . So we teach our N . C . 10:42.733 --> 10:44.733 Is what they can do instead of just 10:44.733 --> 10:46.900 saying here's all the things you can't 10:46.900 --> 10:49.178 do . Thank you for being here . S Emma . 10:49.178 --> 10:49.090 It's been my pleasure . Thank you and 10:49.090 --> 10:51.034 thank you to those watching online 10:51.034 --> 10:52.940 right now next month's topic of 10:52.940 --> 10:55.060 discussion will be financial literacy 10:55.060 --> 10:56.949 and readiness and if you have any 10:56.949 --> 10:59.070 questions for the Sema or ideas for 10:59.070 --> 11:01.170 future episodes please leave them in 11:01.170 --> 11:04.080 the comments section or use hashtag smh 11:04.080 --> 11:06.010 talks on twitter and instagram , 11:08.940 --> 11:09.370 mm hmm .