Soldiers train, build teams, conduct counseling for First Team Training

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class P. Behringer | Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Dixon, a Denton, Texas, native and human resource specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company “Hammer,” 1st Brigade Combat Team “Ironhorse,” 1st Cavalry Division, teaches a class to human resource specialists across the Ironhorse Brigade during First Team Training, Aug. 21, at Fort Hood, Texas. Throughout the day, Soldiers participated in a variety of training activities with afternoon hours set aside for face-to-face time for leaders to counsel Soldiers. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Paige Behringer, 1BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div.)  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

08.21.2014

Story by Spc. P. Behringer 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

FORT HOOD, Texas – In the midst of preparing for another round of multinational training exercises overseas, Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team “Ironhorse,” 1st Cavalry Division, took a Thursday to focus on professional development during “First Team Training,” a 1st Cavalry Division initiative to reinforce and reserve time for the Army’s traditional “sergeant’s time training.”

Throughout the morning of Aug. 21, Ironhorse leaders trained Soldiers on a variety of subjects - from basic Soldier tasks like marksmanship to more specific job-related duties such as determining a stream’s velocity before crossing a gap.

“We have our junior leaders - this also includes junior officers - training Soldiers down to the small-unit level with the intent of building their skill sets, but more importantly, building a little bit of camaraderie as well as a more confident, resilient Soldier,” said Capt. Michael Falls, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company “Hammer” of the Ironhorse Brigade.

The afternoon hours were set aside for counseling sessions, ensuring individual Soldiers had the opportunity for face-to-face time with leaders.

“We have this presupposition that counseling is always negative, but it also ensures that those junior leaders have the available time to recognize and reinforce those good things our Soldiers are doing on a day-to-day basis,” Falls said.

Counseling Soldiers is a means to assist and teach them what they need to improve while helping them understand their responsibilities and duties as Soldiers, said Sgt. 1st Class Casey Brown, a fire support specialist assigned to Hammer Company.
“If (you) don’t give someone a guideline and tell them specifically what it is they need to do, then they can’t improve,” Brown said. “If you tell them (when) they’re doing a good job, you’ve established trust (and) communication, and you’ve established a standard to which you expect your Soldier to adhere.”

Brown said the benefit of counseling is the two-way conversation created between leader and subordinate, which can also help create better leaders.

Between training and counseling, Falls said he believes the camaraderie between leaders and Soldiers improves by setting this time aside each Thursday.

• Date Taken: 08.21.2014
• Date Posted: 08.25.2014 16:19
• Story ID: 140325
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US
• Hometown: BOSCOBEL, WI, US
• Hometown: DENTON, TX, US
• Hometown: FORT WORTH, TX, US
• Hometown: MIDLOTHIAN, TX, US
• Hometown: TEMPLE, TX, US