Five years. Five years is the average amount of time you spend from the moment you arrive on campus, enrolled in ROTC or at USMA, to the time you become a Platoon Leader (PL). You invested five years of work, effort, and striving toward that one goal. You’ve heard it is “the best job you’ll ever have.” And when the old timers say, “I would go back in a heartbeat if I could,” you return a half-embarrassed chuckle and a rueful smile. Then it is gone. Suddenly, you wake up and your platoon is no longer “yours.” You’re no longer a “PL” or “The Sir/Ma’am.” Now they call you “XO.” What now?
The Platoon Will Go On
Now there is another leader there, another extremely talented and motivated officer that’s going to have similar experiences. Your time as a PL will always be special and – in the minds of your Soldiers and NCOs – you will always be one of their PLs…but just one. At the end of the day, the platoon was never “your Platoon.” You were PART of the platoon, you contributed to the platoon, you led the platoon, but – in the end – the platoon belonged to the NCOs and Soldiers. That’s what makes it easy for the Army to slot a new Lieutenant into your position and continue moving forward with the platoon. Where does that leave you?
What’s Next
It leaves you as suddenly one of those guys going “Crap, they were right! That really was one of the best jobs I’ll ever have and now it’s over. Now what?” If you’re selected to be an Executive Officer (XO), you may find yourself looking around so fast that it’s a miracle your neck doesn’t snap. The Army puts in a prodigious amount of effort to make you a successful platoon leader. Unfortunately, you don’t get five years this time to prepare for this job.
When you switch into your position as XO the transition with your predecessor may be different. For one, your predecessor is probably going to be fairly burned out and looking forward to whatever is next in his/her career. In many cases you will set out on a three to four day crash course on everything you need to know. And all the while, he/she will be preparing to PCS or transition into a new job.
That crash course is going to feel like drinking from a firehose. As you quickly scribble down notes on systems, DA Forms, and requirements that you’ve never heard of before, you’re going to be left with more question marks than answers. You’re going to sit down that first night of your RIP and look at your notes and think where the hell do I even start. Start with the big three (maintenance, property, and resourcing) and immediately start building relationships.
It’s a People Business
The Army is first and foremost a people business. How you engage, coexist, lead, leverage, and learn from people will determine your success. Your time as a platoon leader showcased your strengths and exploited your weakness when it came to interacting with people, your platoon, and your sister platoons. Being XO will truly put your ability to work with people to the test. Your emotional intelligence is now more important than even when you were a platoon leader.
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” You are no longer at the front of the formation, but you are pulling some pretty important levers.
As an XO, if you don’t figure out how to work with others and leverage your positive relationships with those outside your immediate sphere of influence, you will fail. The Motor Sergeant and the maintenance team as a whole, are the first people with whom your should start a dialogue. In an era where sustained readiness is paramount, where operational readiness rates are briefed sometimes daily to brigade and higher levels, you need to understand the capabilities and work rates of your maintenance support teams. You should walk multiple miles, daily, between the motor pool and your office to ask questions, obtain clarification, and try to better understand the process of how to get your vehicles fixed and ready to fight.
Supply
Your supply sergeant is going to be a constant companion. I wish I could tell you that you are going to have the most capable supply sergeant, equal in rank and capability to that of the MTOE. That is not always the case. (Side Note: Don’t let rank deter you – the second best supply sergeant I ever had was a Specialist.) You’re probably going to interact with your supply sergeant more than any other person in your company. They are going to be much more than the method in which to order eyepro or notebooks. Your supply sergeant is going to be your go-to for ensuring your company has a proper property book and Command Supply Discipline Program.
It is going to be a recurring battle to understand the property book and ensure that everything is correct. It is a monthly, and sometimes daily, process. If you are in position when a change of command comes, you can expect to spend countless hours with your supply sergeant to ensure the paperwork, pre-inventories, inventories, and everything else is in proper order. It won’t be, and your supply sergeant will be the one that helps you struggle through the bureaucratic process of trying to make things right. You are not going to understand the process completely, even after a year. Humble yourself and never stop asking questions, even if you’ve asked the same question a dozen times.
Resourcing
The Land and Ammo job might be the most unappealing job in an infantry battalion. Know that, and recognize that they are trying to resource countless training events for the entire battalion. They work first and foremost for the S3, but will do their best to get the land and ammo that your commander wants. Sometimes they get overwhelmed, so build that relationship quickly. Always meet them in person to talk specifics and then roll up the conversation in a follow-up email. Ask them to pull up reports in front of you, print off confirmations from the land (RFMSS) and ammo (TAMIS) systems. Remember you are in a people business and you will always get more done with face-to-face interactions than the email void.
Management by Walking Around
You’re going to have times where you are sitting in your office, “nugging” away on something that only you can do. But, if you find yourself sitting in your office for extending periods of time, get up and walk out. Even if you only walk through the company building, take the time to poke your head in the different offices and just talk. You’ll discover more than you would ever think possible by just walking through a random platoon door and asking whoever’s in there how things are going and what they need. You’ll be surprised what you learn and where your influence can better the company or prevent friction.
Failure Is Ok
Be ok with failure. Be thoughtful and strategic with where you fail. It’s been said that being an XO is like juggling more balls than you can manage – the trick is determining which balls are glass and which are rubber; the rubber ones will bounce back. It will be impossible in this job to complete every task and to meet every deadline. It just simply wont happen.
XOs answer to many different commodity and staff shops, each with their own #1 priority. Those one or two things are going to be the most important things in the world, professionally, to them. When they send a request, tasking, etc. to you – it may not be #1 on your priority list. Hell, it may not crack your top ten.
Do your best to complete them all and protect your company/command. But, have a constant dialogue with your commander to understand his or hear priorities. XOs answer to many (BN XO, BN CDR, S3, etc.), but ultimately work for one – their commander. Be upfront and honest with your commander. Describe where you believe the company can take risks, inform, queue up decisions, and execute ruthlessly. More often than not, your commander will agree with and support your courses of actions.
One Thing Doesn’t Change
You are told before you become an officer to trust your NCO’s. This is no different as an XO. The platoon sergeants are going to be your go-to when trying to accomplish tasks. You will interact with them daily. You’ll come to value these relationships immensely. While the First Sergeant is the commander’s counterpart, odds are you will work with him/her as much or more. Value this relationship as you did your relationship with your platoon sergeant and foster it. Most First Sergeants will do anything in their power to help you, whether it is their “job” or not.
The Fighting XO
It is too easy to focus so heavily on maintenance, resourcing, and the other minutia that you find yourself at the line of departure for a tactical fight with no clue of the plan. Never forget you are second in command. You’ll be running around, with your supply sergeant, trying to ensure continuance of the never-ending flow of ammo and food. Stay linked into the operational planning. Know the mission, know the end-state, understand the phases and the commander’s decision points. The PLs will look to you as a sounding board for their plans and ideas – stay connected.
If you think you won’t command in the field as an XO, you are likely wrong. Communications will inevitably go down, the enemy may isolate the commander, or the commander could be killed (real world or notionally). Battle track everything and do not hesitate when the time comes to step in and fight the fight. Whether it is for a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days – be ready and maintain tempo.
Manager by Trade – Leader at Heart
The Company Executive Officer job is an administrative and logistical one at its core, with brief moments of tactical fighting. It’s a position that relies on self-preparation and on-the-job learning. You may barely tread water at times, but keep your head cool and your feet moving; be the duck on the pond. Remember, you are always a leader and Soldiers are still watching.
Successful XOs learn how to work with a wide swath of people, often outside their direct control. Being an XO comes with a steep learning curve. More days than not, you’re going to leave feeling like you have a mountain of work you failed to accomplish. You’re going to feel frustrated and angry in this job – don’t give in to those feelings. Grab a beer with your fellow XOs and do a little bit of complaining and a lot laughing. Focus on doing the best you can to provide your platoons and commander the tools to win the next conflict. If you do this, then you are accomplishing your objective and will be alright.
Good Luck XO!
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