Senior Subordinate Officer

[hockeysgal]

OK, so I've been in for a year now and I've learned a few things (OK tons of stuff).  But I am still a little confused as to the role of a senior sub.  Can anyone clarify what his/her role would be in the mess with more junior officers?

 

[McG]

Planing the christmas snowball.  Providing the advice to new guys so that they don't earn themselves a week with the duty phone (ironic in that the senior subbie likely was the one that spent the most time with that phone during his first year).

 

[Michael OLeary]

The Senior Subaltern - http://regimentalrogue.com/srsub/seniorsub.htm

 

[hockeysgal]

Thanks Michael, great site and tons of info!  One question, a couple of the articles are quite dated do you know if most traditions are still upheld in messes?

 

[winchable]

Great site!

 

[Michael OLeary]

Thanks Michael, great site and tons of info!  One question, a couple of the articles are quite dated do you know if most traditions are still upheld in messes?

It varies widely, and I have yet to run across an up to date version of some of the older Guidance documents. As a baseline, they're not a bad place to start, setting aside the rituals that are obviously out of date, such as calling on the wives of the married officers.  They do establish a good structure by which a Senior Subaltern (or a senior subaltern in the absence of one so appointed) can approach the Adjutant, or even the DCO or CO, to find out what expectations might be required of the subalterns.  Any Regiment with published Regimental Standing Orders may also include a section on Mess Dinners and Dining In nights.

Good manners, whether based on the writings of a long-gone officer or Emily Post, will always suit the desired decorum of official events in the Officers' Mess.  It is better to be advised that a refined measure of conduct is unnecessary, rather than that a more relaxed approach is completely our of line, as your name starts stuttering on the duty list.

Keep in mind also, that many of these sets of guidelines were developed in a period when a young officer might remain a Lieutenant for some years, certainly long enough to have met with many such situations. In today's Army, it is also advisable for the young Captains to pay close attention to offered guidance from their more experienced fellows, and to tread lightly among the less forgiving of the field officers.

 

[Journeyman]

Oh, go on. Ignore the man behind the curtain! The beaten path is for the beaten man, and all that.

The occasional, lengthy spell as Duty Officer never hurt anyone.  Builds character. Humility. Cuts back on one's Mess Bill!

A Mess Dinner is the PERFECT time to tell the CO how he should be running the unit! Unit training may actually improve, but you'll certainly have further opportunity to hone those valuable subbie skills  ;D