JLBC TEAM BUILDING AT THE SQUAD LEVEL

JLBC TEAM BUILDING AT THE SQUAD LEVEL

Case Study: Knowing Your Soldiers

SSG Christiansen knew his squad. He knew what they liked to do on the weekends during their off time. Every Friday, he did what he wanted to call “oak tree” counseling with each of his Soldiers. He would talk to each of them, ask how they were doing, and ask them their plans for the weekend. He noticed one Friday that one of his Soldiers looked a little off, a little different from usual. When he asked this Soldier what his plans for the weekend were, the Soldier replied,

“I’m going to stay in my room and play video games. I probably won’t go out for the next few months.” SSG Christiansen’s antennae were up.

“What’s going on? Are you feeling sick or depressed? Is something going on that you want to talk about?” SSG Christiansen asked.

The Soldier opened up and explained that he had been the victim of a financial scam and lost more than $20,000.

After identifying the issue and with assistance from others in the chain of command, SSG Christiansen formulated a plan to help this Soldier resolve this issue and get back to financial stability.

Question 1. Do you know your squad members well enough to notice when they are a “little off”?