Manchester Center Leader Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Dechenne said, “Component neutral manning allows for the most qualified NCO to take on a leadership role, regardless of component. I truly believe, that with time, USAREC will identify more and more AGR NCOs to fill leadership assignments.”
Component Neutral Manning Expands
Leadership Opportunities for Soldiers
By Lynsie Dickerson, USAREC, Public Affairs Office
March 12, 2015
AGR NCOs are eligible to hold leadership positions in USAREC, thanks to the implementation of component neutral manning, which allows AGR NCOs to fill positions originally reserved for regular Army, and vice versa.
“Our leaders now have prudent flexibility to select the ‘best athlete,’ regardless of component, to lead our recruiting units and provide some additional leadership opportunities to our deserving AGR Soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Allen Batschelet, USAREC commanding general.
He announced the policy in late September 2014. “It’s the idea that the best Soldier on the ground with the best leadership skills should be the Soldier that’s in charge, regardless of component,” said Don Alves, chief of the Enlisted Management Branch, USAREC G1. “In your organization, the best performer, the best leader, is the one that you place in charge. Regardless of component. Regardless of anything else. And it’s up to leadership on the ground to assess that.”
In cases where leaders propose to PCS an AGR Soldier to fill a leadership position, Batschelet said, the G1 will review the proposed move to ensure compliance with all necessary regulations and readiness priorities before approving the assignment.
“I think it’s great,” Alves said of component neutral manning. “The benefit will be giving our AGR Soldiers the opportunity to perform in leadership positions and not be restricted by doctrine, by structure, those types of things.
“The command will benefit immensely because we have a lot of great NCOs in our USAR AGR force,” he said. “A lot of them were prior service. A lot of them were prior leaders in operational Army units. So the command benefits, and Soldiers benefit, and it eliminates bureaucracy, so it becomes an efficient process, if it’s done correctly.”
Prior to component neutral manning, structure dictated who could fill certain leadership positions.
“We were tied strictly to a component,” Alves said. “If the center leader position was regular Army, that’s what that unit was sent. If the center leader position was an AGR Soldier, that’s what the organization was sent. Now the organization can use internal assets and determine who goes where and we have to figure out what component and change the structure for them.”
For example, many center leader positions are RA, 79 Romeo positions, and would previously have required an RA Soldier to fill it, Alves said. Now, the position’s component can be changed to allow AGR Soldiers to fill it as well.
“In a lot of organizations, a lot of businesses, if you’re the best of the best, then ultimately you end up being leader,” Alves said. “The CG’s given that flexibility to the field all the way down to center leader.”
Since September, 12 Soldiers—11 AGR and one RA—have taken part in component neutral manning, increasing the number of AGR center leader positions in the command from 34 to 45, Alves said. As time goes on, that number could change, he added.
“The field identified Soldiers in these battalions who were the best athlete and gave them leadership opportunities that weren’t available before the CG’s Strength 6 Sends,” Alves said.
Batschelet stressed that leaders are still required to operate within certain guidelines when coordinating a component neutral assignment.
“I want to emphasize that slotting the ‘best athlete’ does not give subordinate leaders an excuse to arbitrarily change personnel out at will or without cause,” Batschelet said. “Nor does it relieve subordinate leaders of the requirement to coach, train, mentor, and, if necessary, properly document the change of position.”
By Lynsie Dickerson, USAREC, Public Affairs Office
March 12, 2015
AGR NCOs are eligible to hold leadership positions in USAREC, thanks to the implementation of component neutral manning, which allows AGR NCOs to fill positions originally reserved for regular Army, and vice versa.
“Our leaders now have prudent flexibility to select the ‘best athlete,’ regardless of component, to lead our recruiting units and provide some additional leadership opportunities to our deserving AGR Soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Allen Batschelet, USAREC commanding general.
He announced the policy in late September 2014. “It’s the idea that the best Soldier on the ground with the best leadership skills should be the Soldier that’s in charge, regardless of component,” said Don Alves, chief of the Enlisted Management Branch, USAREC G1. “In your organization, the best performer, the best leader, is the one that you place in charge. Regardless of component. Regardless of anything else. And it’s up to leadership on the ground to assess that.”
In cases where leaders propose to PCS an AGR Soldier to fill a leadership position, Batschelet said, the G1 will review the proposed move to ensure compliance with all necessary regulations and readiness priorities before approving the assignment.
“I think it’s great,” Alves said of component neutral manning. “The benefit will be giving our AGR Soldiers the opportunity to perform in leadership positions and not be restricted by doctrine, by structure, those types of things.
“The command will benefit immensely because we have a lot of great NCOs in our USAR AGR force,” he said. “A lot of them were prior service. A lot of them were prior leaders in operational Army units. So the command benefits, and Soldiers benefit, and it eliminates bureaucracy, so it becomes an efficient process, if it’s done correctly.”
Prior to component neutral manning, structure dictated who could fill certain leadership positions.
“We were tied strictly to a component,” Alves said. “If the center leader position was regular Army, that’s what that unit was sent. If the center leader position was an AGR Soldier, that’s what the organization was sent. Now the organization can use internal assets and determine who goes where and we have to figure out what component and change the structure for them.”
For example, many center leader positions are RA, 79 Romeo positions, and would previously have required an RA Soldier to fill it, Alves said. Now, the position’s component can be changed to allow AGR Soldiers to fill it as well.
“In a lot of organizations, a lot of businesses, if you’re the best of the best, then ultimately you end up being leader,” Alves said. “The CG’s given that flexibility to the field all the way down to center leader.”
Since September, 12 Soldiers—11 AGR and one RA—have taken part in component neutral manning, increasing the number of AGR center leader positions in the command from 34 to 45, Alves said. As time goes on, that number could change, he added.
“The field identified Soldiers in these battalions who were the best athlete and gave them leadership opportunities that weren’t available before the CG’s Strength 6 Sends,” Alves said.
Batschelet stressed that leaders are still required to operate within certain guidelines when coordinating a component neutral assignment.
“I want to emphasize that slotting the ‘best athlete’ does not give subordinate leaders an excuse to arbitrarily change personnel out at will or without cause,” Batschelet said. “Nor does it relieve subordinate leaders of the requirement to coach, train, mentor, and, if necessary, properly document the change of position.”