Enlisted pin-on question

[flyjetz]

I'm an officer, pilot-type, who for 17 years, never had the good fortune of directly supervising any enlisted troops. In my current job, I am the OIC of a particular function, and I have one NCOIC who works directly for me. He is a SSgt pinning on TSgt in the near future. The kid is a fast-burner, (already working on his Masters), and makes my job really easy. I feel like I should do more than just pat him on the back and say congrats for the promotion. So my question is two-fold. Is it appropriate to give him a gift of some sort, and what's an appropriate gift? Anyone else ever been in a similar situation? I have a few ideas, but wanted to hear some advice from the crowd.

[discus]

An appropriate gift is time off. Let him have a couple days of his choosing. It's also the only "legal" gift you can give him, but trust me, it will mean more than anything else you could ever come up with.

On the day he sews on, lunch on you, and you "tack" the stripe on by punching him in the arm the first time you see him wearing the new stripes.

Edit: Legalities

Edited March 19, 2013 by discus

[Spur38]

How about a reflector belt with his name embroidered on it!

Actually as his CO you should award him with a AFCOM and a couple of days off!

[Guest one]

My OIC would let the whole shop out early on a Friday. We would all go to a restaurant with a bar and he would buy all the food and alcohol for the guy getting promoted. He encouraged the guy getting promoted to rack up a nice tab for him and everyone had a good time.

Edited March 20, 2013 by one

[busdriver]

2 to what discus said, that's about all you can do. That said, praise in public so go ahead and sing his praises in front of his peers. Enlisted folks aren't aliens, they're people and all humans want to be praised when they do good work. That said, hold that lunch meeting at his favorite lunch place and foot the bill, invite some of your leadership so he sees that you're not afraid to pass that success off to him. I can't think of anything cooler than you telling your boss (in front of everyone) that your NCO was key in your success.

[BB Stacker]

An appropriate gift is time off. Let him have a couple days of his choosing. It's also the only "legal" gift you can give him, but trust me, it will mean more than anything else you could ever come up with.

This. Lunch/gathering with the shop/singing his praises are all well and good, but time off is more than worth its weight in gold.

[Fuzz]

Enlisted folks aren't aliens.

That sir is debatable I've been in the junior enlisted dorm rooms (room inspections before anyone takes that in the wrong direction)

Great thread by the way for a young Lt. will be a while before I'm supervising enlisted but its good info.

[MC5Wes]

You didnt mention what type of aircraft you fly. But is an incentive ride possible?

Airman nowadays get too much praise from leadership. And time off, food and booze I can get myself.

I can mark my life by the day I got my T-38 incentive ride at Holloman.

[discus]

You didnt mention what type of aircraft you fly. But is an incentive ride possible?

Airman nowadays get too much praise from leadership. And time off, food and booze I can get myself.

I can mark my life by the day I got my T-38 incentive ride at Holloman.

Also a great suggestion.

[HU&W]

An outstanding suggestion. IMHO something we don't do enough for our support Airmen to help them understand the mission.

[Fuzz]

Great idea but didn't sequestration kill incentive rides?

Edited March 20, 2013 by Scaredfuzz21

[JarheadBoom]

Great idea but didn't sequestration kill incentive rides?

Game the system and call it something else.

[boobs]

Game the system and call it something else.

I believe its called an orientation ride...

[Toro]

Great idea but didn't sequestration kill incentive rides?

ScaredFuzz-Yes

JarheadBoom-Great thought, but you still need to legitimately justify it to your OG and Wg/CC to get it approved.

[spaceman]

On the day he sews on, lunch on you, and you "tack" the stripe on by punching him in the arm the first time you see him wearing the new stripes.

My OIC would let the whole shop out early on a Friday. We would all go to a restaurant with a bar and he would buy all the food and alcohol for the guy getting promoted. He encouraged the guy getting promoted to rack up a nice tab for him and everyone had a good time.

That said, hold that lunch meeting at his favorite lunch place and foot the bill

Dang, as an enlisted dude in the Army the way our unit did it was we'd go to a bar and whoever got promoted had to spend whatever amount their next paycheck increased by on drinks for everyone else! Maybe our commander was just cheap.

[afnav]

Good idea with the praise in public, but don't go overboard. It could give your guy a target on his back for a little while by his peers. If you're honest and even-handed about it, it will do wonders for him.

Treat the enlisted people you work with with respect and fairness, and you will be amazed at how they will go out of their way to take care of the mission.

[Hodor]

This is a great thread.

[Gravedigger]

It's always good to give praise in front of family members whenever possible (ceremony, tour, social function etc). Having the family feeling pride and recognition for the person's hard work and long hours goes a really long way.

[Guest]

Dang, as an enlisted dude in the Army the way our unit did it was we'd go to a bar and whoever got promoted had to spend whatever amount their next paycheck increased by on drinks for everyone else! Maybe our commander was just cheap.

From what I've seen in the MDG, this is generally what the officers do when they get promoted--spend their first paycheck bonus on the flight at some party. Enlisted promotions are generally a Group luncheon slapped together by the Gp/CC Secretary and mandatory fun for a select few so it appears there's a decent crowd.

Nonner life is so boring.

[MKopack]

Back in '88 the Vice Wing Commander of the 56th spent about six months assigned to my jet. The morning I put SrA on as a nineteen year old (coloring in the stars on my sleeves with a blue Sharpie) the Colonel, who I wouldn't have thought knew me from anybody, said as he was stepping to the jet, "Chief, I see something new on your sleeves today. Congratulations." Have to admit, even though no one else was around, just the recognition felt pretty good.

The case of beer that he had sent over after he landed was a nice touch too.

[nsplayr]

From what I've seen in the MDG, this is generally what the officers do when they get promoted--spend their first paycheck bonus on the flight at some party.

Hell, we did this in my flying squadron when we had about 12 LTs put on Captain in the same week. You can through a pretty blow-out party with 11 people chipping in even a couple hundred bucks from their raise each. Good times were had by all.

[JarheadBoom]

JarheadBoom-Great thought, but you still need to legitimately justify it to your OG and Wg/CC to get it approved.

Well, duh...

[/sarcasm]

After being involved with a couple Spouse Flights, I'm familiar with the process.