I was a few weeks away from conducting my PCS move out of IBOLC when the 2-11 IN team notified us about the opportunity to serve as One-Station Unit Training (OSUT) Platoon Leaders. My initial reactions were the same as everyone else’s: negative. I came across an Army Times article articulating the reasoning behind integrating Platoon Leaders into OSUT. While my opinion of this assignment was not dramatically changed, the article did pique my interest and curiosity about the role of a Platoon Leader in the OSUT environment. After some consideration, I decided I couldn’t pass up this unique opportunity to shape a new duty position in the Army.
Initial Reactions
One of the most frustrating aspects of becoming a Platoon Leader at OSUT was trying to discern rumor from fact. From the start, Human Resources Command notified our IBOLC class that some of us would be “voluntold” to come to the 198th IN BDE. Fellow Lieutenants barraged us daily with a new set of rumors. Some of the most common rumors were also the most concerning. Basic Training is a mess. Or, all you will do every day is sit in an office as a glorified Assistant S-3 and do paperwork. How about, you will not get nearly as much tactical experience or deployments as your peers. These rumors are embellished, biased, or just plain untrue.
Throughout the Army, there seems to be a perception that OSUT units are generally a mess. People believe they should be avoided by all means necessary. I’ve found the Drill Sergeants I work alongside every day are distinguished soldiers and professionals. They show care, dignity, and respect to our Trainees. Everyone on Sand Hill understands the importance of building the world’s best Infantry and takes that charge with the utmost seriousness and diligence.
Daily Operations
I found the rumors of being stuck in the office all day weren’t particularly concerning. I was still hesitant about my new position because I wanted to get in front of a formation to lead soldiers, and knew I could not do that from behind a desk. At first, my role as a leader was to establish a presence with my Platoon. Standing guidance for OSUT PLs is to lead from the front in every event. The intent is to provide the Trainees exposure to PLs to mirror the line and better prepare them for their first duty station. If they were at a range all day in the sun, so was I. When they were bivouacking in the field overnight, I was in the center of the patrol base. If my Platoon was performing corrective action for failing a task, I joined in every repetition.
Although I do spend a fair amount of time fulfilling administrative tasks in the office, I know from my peers on the line that I do not spend more time behind my desk than they do. Many Lieutenants coming out of BOLC fail to understand that a large part of being an Officer is administration, planning, and coordination. My time here has helped me gain familiarity and competence in many tasks that Platoon Leaders come to the line not knowing.
Outside of the expected time spent completing routine administrative tasks, I spend more time in the field than most of my FORSCOM peers, executing individual and small-unit collective tasks. Nine total weeks out of the 22-week cycle consist of live-fire training: qualification ranges, Team live fire exercises, and live urban operations. In a calendar year, I will spend a total of 18 weeks executing live-fire ranges and another 10 weeks conducting Infantry training in the field. It is extremely rare to find that amount of dedicated field time on the line; the numbers speak for themselves.
Although I will not deploy with my current unit, this position has still afforded the opportunity to ensure I maintain operational readiness. At OSUT, we execute individual tasks and small unit collective tasks 6 days a week for 22 weeks. The advantage of executing tasks at the Team and Squad level is that I can identify what right and wrong looks like when it comes to my squad leaders and team leaders. Most lieutenants go to the line without that perspective. In some cases, OSUT training has supplemented gaps in my officer training, such as throwing live hand grenades or utilizing the M320 Grenade Launcher.
Development
The relationship between the drill sergeants and platoon leaders is one of mentorship, teaching, and learning. The NCOs here come from a diverse background of experiences and duty stations. They understand that the OSUT platoon leader role is partially a role meant to prepare lieutenants for service in line units. They take this opportunity to develop me on a regular basis so that I don’t repeat mistakes their platoon leaders did, setting me up for success.
When I began my work here as a PL, I stepped into my role with the attitude that I was a resource. I wanted to ensure I helped—not hindered—the organization. I took over numerous tasks that kept drill sergeants from coaching, teaching, and mentoring Trainees. After learning as much about the organization as I could, I took over tasks in planning, personnel actions, and coordination for training. By taking more resourcing and planning off their plates, Drill Sergeants were able to maximize time training soldiers.
Maintaining this balance with my NCOs has been the most rewarding experience at OSUT. Learning from my senior and junior drill sergeants mirrors the learning dynamic between a platoon leaders and their NCOs. The lessons my NCOs have imparted on me here will pay dividends on the line. When I arrive to my unit, I will be more knowledgeable, confident, and competent in tactics. The cadre here have consistently proven to be the most hardworking, dependable, and knowledgeable teachers one could find in a profession.
During my initial counseling, both my battalion commander and my company commander told me it was acceptable to fail forward. They emphasized the importance of learning from my mistakes. FORSCOM units can be understandably less forgiving because the risks and stakes are higher on the line. OSUT built its excellence on the foundation of learning from past mistakes. Here I have the opportunity to learn from my failures and ensure I get tasks correct on the line.
My command climate helped me build confidence as a new leader. It allowed me to take on heavier workloads outside my daily duties. I’ve been assigned more important tasks, such as building an enhanced Team live fire range. I’ve gained confidence in assuming and mitigating risk. This was instilled in me through continuous cycles of execution, assessment, and implementation of lessons learned. It encouraged constant improvement. I gained the operational flexibility to push boundaries to better gauge my own limits and the limits of my formation. Because of this, when I get to the line I will be a bolder. My experiences here will help make me a more aggressive leader than my peers.
Closing Remarks
Although rumors still persist, I believe being an OSUT PL is an unbelievably beneficial opportunity. Our close proximity to the Infantry School and MCOE provides leaders with the opportunity to attend schools and programs. These are opportunities to augment our skills as soldiers and leaders. I have the opportunity to return to Ranger School and earn my Expert Infantrymans Badge. I even have rare opportunities to attend additional schools like Airborne or Air Assault School. From a career perspective, my position has put me in contact with fellow branch-detailed Officers who offer great networking opportunities.
Most Officers within my battalion, including my company commander and battalion commander, proactively develop me for success in future careers. Refer to Figure 1 for the 198th Infantry Brigade OSUT PL Preparation Model. For a Second Lieutenant relatively brand new to the Army, this community has proven to be a bank of knowledge. It makes a pivotal difference in my career. Despite the rumors, I’ve found that being an OSUT Platoon Leader is one of the best decisions I’ve made.
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