What are the primary Battalion S1 Duties and Responsibilities? The answer to that question is the purpose of today’s post. Let me begin by telling you that the Battalion S1 is the Human Resources Officer or Personnel Officer within a battalion (normally 300 to 800 Soldiers). They typically manage and oversee all administrative issues within the battalion.
Battalion S1 Job Description
After doing some research online, here is a great example Battalion S1 Officer Job Description.
Personnel and Administration Officer (S1) for a training battalion in the U.S. Army reserve. Principal staff assistant to the battalion commander. Exercise staff supervisor in matters pertaining to strength management, personnel qualifications and evaluations, personnel assignment, clearance, recruiting, retention, and battalion administration. Responsible for the overall supervision of the battalion Personnel Administration Center (PAC) and its activities. Serves as commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment. Additional duties include; Battalion Safety Officer, Equal Opportunity Officer, Records Management Officer, and Retention Officer. ~ Army Writer
Battalion S1 Duties & Responsibilities
The Battalion S1 Officer has a very important job even though they don’t get much credit or glory. Some of the primary Battalion S1 Duties & Responsibilities include:
Oversee Evaluation Reports
The S1 ensures that OERs and NCOERs are completed on time, proofread for errors, and processed in SIDPERS.
Manage the Battalion Awards Program.
The S1 Officer ensures the battalion has an awards program in place, that Soldiers are getting recognized, that the awards are in compliance with the pertinent regulations, and that they are processed in a timely manner. This includes achievement awards, service awards, PCS, ETS, and retirement awards.
Advise the Battalion Commander on Personnel Issues
The S1 keeps the Battalion Commander informed about personnel issues, specifically “personal” issues such as family issues, parenting issues, or anything else that the Battalion Commander might need to get involved in. Most issues are handled at the company level, but often times the serious issues, such as a family member death, are brought to the BC’s attention.
Establish Policies & Procedures Concerning Personnel
The S1 Officer writes SOPs and policy letters about anything human resources related. This might include the unit’s award policy, evaluation report SOP, leave policy, etc.
Plan & Oversee Unit Social Events
The S1 ensures that all events, such as the Hail and Fairwell, Dining In, and Dining Out are done correctly, in accordance with the Commander’s Intent and Army Regulations.
Oversee the MWR, ADAPC, Equal Opportunity & Safety Programs Within the Unit
The Battalion S1 Officer ensures these programs are in place and they handle issues as they arise.
Work with the Brigade S1 As Needed
The S1 works closely with the Brigade S1 to ensure suspenses and open issues are dealt with in a timely manner.
Assist Soldiers with Personnel & Finance Issues
The S1 works closely with the Company Readiness NCO or Training NCO to handle any issues that can’t be resolved at the company level.
Monitor the Battalion Command Climate
The Battalion S1 ensures the Command Climate Survey is conducted to standard and on time and they brief the commander on the results.
Prepare PSS input to combat service support (CSS) Plans
During the MDMP they work with the S3 and S4 and write the Personnel Annex for the unit’s OPORD.
Oversee & Manage Personnel Records
The Battalion S1 ensures each company manages its records the right way and they manage some files at the battalion level.
Safety Officer
The Battalion S1 is normally the primary Battalion Safety Officer. They ensure the subordinate units have the proper safety policies in place.
Equal Opportunity Officer
The S1 ensures EO policies and procedures are established for the battalion and subordinate units. They also handle EO issues if they arise.
Personnel Assignments
The S1 plays a vital role in determining the duty assignments within the battalion. They track MOSQ, upcoming schools, requirements needed, etc.
Recruiting & Retention
The S1 Officer oversees the Recruiting & Retention with the battalion. They monitor the unit’s readiness to make sure duty positions are filled. They also track eligible re-enlistments and retirements, along with upcoming PCS and ETS cases.
Document Control
They manage all the forms, store files, order correspondence, etc.
Postal Operations & MWR Support
The Battalion S1 manages the postal operations and MWR Support for the battalion.
Supervise All NCOs & Soldiers within the S1 Section
The S1 normally has one NCOIC working directly for them, along with a few other NCOs and Soldiers.
Tips for Success as the Battalion S1 Officer
Here are a few tips for success that I can recommend if you want to succeed as a Battalion S1 Officer.
First and foremost, you must put your ego aside. In other words, you won’t get a lot of recognition or glory in this job, even though it is important. Heck, you might even get teased by a few of your peers for being the S1. However, you have a critical role in handling the paperwork that effects promotions, job assignments, recognition, retirements, punishments, and more. Take pride in what you do and pay attention to the details, but don’t worry about being the hero.
Next, you must be trustworthy. Not only do you have access to everyone’s sensitive information, but your boss (the Battalion XO) and the Battalion Commander must be able to trust you with sensitive information.
I would also suggest that you come up with some type of organization system. By nature, I’m not the most organized person in the world. However, if I was chosen to be the S1, I would come up with a simple filing system, a to-do list, and a tracking sheet so that I could stay on top of all of the paperwork.
Finally, you need to familiarize yourself with the pertinent rules and regulations that apply to your job. Do some research online and print out the HR related regulations and read them. Familiarize yourself with the policies so you know what the rules of the game are.
Qualities to Succeed as the Battalion S1 Officer
Here are a few qualities that will help you succeed in this job.
- Attention to detail
- Thoughtful and considerate
- Genuine care for other Soldiers
- Good organization skills
- Trust
- Knowledge in human resources
- Good Work Ethic
Being a leader in the Adjutant General’s Corps requires certain qualities. A leader exhibits self-discipline, initiative, confidence, and intelligence. They are physically fit and can perform under physical and mental pressures. Leaders make decisions quickly, always focusing on completing the mission successfully, and show respect for their subordinates and other military officers. Leaders lead from the front and adjust to environments that are always changing. They must possess good interpersonal and communications (verbal and written) skills, think creatively, and apply critical reasoning skills. ~ Army Portal
Final Thoughts
Many people believe that the Battalion S1 job isn’t all that important. I disagree. While it might not be as prestigious as the S3 position, a good S1 Officer can have a huge impact in the readiness, welfare and morale within a battalion. A good S1 Officer will help keep the Battalion Commander organized on personnel issues and records, so they can focus on their operational mission.
If you’ve served as a Battalion S1 before, I would love to hear from you. Please tell us about any Battalion S1 Duties and Responsibilities that we missed. Or, tell us about your experience in the job. What did you like about the job? What did you dislike? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts.
Other Posts You Might Enjoy:
- Battalion S4 Duties
- Battalion S3 Duties
- Battalion Commander Duties
- The Battalion S6 Officer
- The Battalion XO Duties
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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As an S1 for many years, I feel that I have to put a comment in here and this is something that I have fought to educate many Soldiers and especially Officers and other staff members on over the years. Postal operations is an AG core function, it is not a function of the S1. Now what I mean by that is this, AG Soldiers operate APO’s, the actual Army Post Office, the unit mail function is a function of the HHC. Just because someone is a 42 does not mean that they are Postal, that is an identifier with a different school that is not taught at regular AIT or OBC, or any of the higher schools. The AS1, if you have one, may be the postal officer, but actually anyone can be the unit postal officer, you just have to have the local postal training on what needs to be done in your Unit Mail Room. After receiving that class you will be given a 285 Card saying you are certified to work in and/or run the mail room. So please understand that the S1 does not run your unit mail room, again that is a function of the HHC and can be performed by any MOS. Now actually running an Army Post Officer does require special training and an identifier and a clearance. Those 2 functions are extremely different, you can be a ground pounder and run the unit mail room, but you cannot work in the post office unless you are a 42 with the proper identifier.
I am the AS1 of my BN and because of this site, I have been better able to help the S1 as well as help my fellow soldiers.
We love hearing comments like this… Thank you Sgt.
I came into the BN S1 position without much history into my position. The previous S1 was only in the seat for about 4 months, and he wasn’t 42B qualified. Same goes for the one before him, and he was at flight school for most of the time. The S1 before that wasn’t around very much either. So there had been about 1.5-2 years without a qualified BN S1…until I came. I came from a Strength Manager position, but I had never been an S1 before. Before I stepped into the role, the S1 shop was missing suspenses, constantly getting packets that were RWOA due to errors or missing documents and didn’t even have an SOP.
One of the best pieces advice I can give to a new S1 is that one of the first things you should do, besides giving initial counselings to your staff, is to go over, in depth, with the most recent OIP for the Battalion and the subordinate companies. The OIP is your grade card. After you identify weaknesses, there, schedule a Staff Assisted Visit (SAV) with the companies, and begin to not only correct the deficiencies on the last OIP, but also make sure that they are able to pass with Commendable in each section. Then when you’re next OIP comes up, your staff will get a Commendable. Boom! OER bullet.
Thanks Jeremy… We appreciate your great input.
Sir,
Thanks for this information!! I’m getting back into the reserves as the S-1; switching from Finance Corps. I’ll make sure I read your info and brush up on tips and regulations as I prepare for my first drill.
You are welcome and good luck with your career.
I am the new BN S1 in the Army Reserves, and after my first drill I see there are several issues that keep plaguing the S1 position. My question is, what is the best way have new Lieutenants in the Reserves to get many tasks accomplished since we only see our soldiers one weekend a month? My unit is ranked 23/23 which, is horrible. I want to make a difference and just would like any assistance in trying to make my unit shine and not be ranked at the bottom of the list.
Javier, I suggest you read as much as you can. This website has a plethora of tips to bring your unit up. Just read and do, and I am sure you can raise your rank.
Hello. I was interesting about S-1 duties and responsibilities in US Army and glad to find it. I am chief of S-1 section in Air defence division in Republic of Georgia. As I see, we all S-1s have almost the same duties :) Wish you success in your future career. Thank you for posting this helpful job discription, I have to pass English test tomorrow and they will ask about my job. So, I have enough terms now to discribe it :)
I am a retired Army AGR S-1 NCO. I retired as soon as I made 20 years. Being a S-1 in a reserve unit is a real challenge. You only see your Soldiers one weekend a month. Four of those months are spent getting promotion packets ready for Soldiers. OERs, NCOERs and birth month reviews are year around. Then you have to deal with payroll, travel vouchers, Line of Duty Investigations, AWOLs, bonuses, educational benefits, awards, Unit Status Reports, retirements and the constant suspense reports. Unlike every other section, the S-1 job is never done and you are never caught up. Being the S-1 is like being a mother. It’s the most thankless job you’ll ever love. Don’t get me wrong, I loved doing the job, but it was time to move on after 20.
You’re right, the S1 job can be a thankless job, but it is vitally important. I appreciate your service. There is nothing wrong with doing 20 and then being done!
It is great to see so many coming here to get information on the Battalion S1 duties. I also love seeing the many questions, as I know that is exactly why Chuck made this website.
Please tell others about this site, because there are many leaders that could benefit from the information that is posted here.
Thank you Chuck for all you are doing in helping current and future military leaders do their jobs efficiently.
Thanks, Greg. Yes, this is why I created my website to begin with.
This has been one of the best resources I have found online in regards to finding information on this position. I will be commissioning this May as an AG reserves officer and am currently the company S1 at my ROTC program. Thank you for posting this and taking the time to answer questions.
Glad I could help. Good luck in your future career!
This was so good in helping me to understand what exactly S1 does, since we’ve been saddled with a particularly frustrating group there at our current station. Ours loses paperwork all of the time and soldiers have regularly had to turn in forms 3 or 4 times before they are filed correctly. However, no matter how much it seems that S1 (ours in particular) is incompetent, there is really so much more going on than we can perceive and they deserve our respect, regardless.
The S1 is really the Human Resources department leader. They have an important job. Some S1s do a great job and others don’t. It’s one of those jobs that it really helps to be organized.
Hi, I’m a officer for a Expeditionary Sustainment Command and I notice that many actions such as PERSTAT, personel tracking and USR is tasked to the HHC. Should the G1 be handling these tasks for the unit? Also, what are the different roles of the HHC HR and the G1 staff? Thanks
Harold,
I’m not sure myself. Maybe someone else can chime in here and provide their expertise.
Chuck
A question for S1 in general: is the removal of all permissions for CO and BN HR Specialists an Army wide thing, or just in my organization? Because currently the only folks able to upload anything to iPERMS or fix ERBs is one 1LT at BN and GP S-1 personnel. And consequently NOTHING gets uploaded or updated, absolutely nothing that is entered at the CO or BN letter IS entered, not for the last 18 months anyway.If this is Army wide then what moron thought that this could possibly be a good idea? If not do any of you have any idea what my recourse is? I had my records review done by them recently and they know what documents are missing and what is wrong with my ERB, I've given them all of the documentation 3-4 times, and still nothing. I have had the fortune to work with numerous highly competent HR Specialists in the past, so this blatant incompetence that I'm currently saddled with is extremely frustrating.
Chris,
I have not heard of this happening up until now. It doesn’t sound like a very good idea to me. Maybe someone else can chime in here and answer your question. I honestly don’t know what the new policy is.
Thanks for the posting. I have been AG branch all my career, but I am looking at switching to Logistics. I have not made my decision yet, but this information will certainly assist in making an informed decision.
The HR to Logistics should transition pretty well for you, if you decide to make the switch.
Whatever you decide, all the best to you CPT!
I am currently deployed as the S1 for a Signal Battalion, and much like Christine, it is a very fast paced job with very little down time. It can be overwhelming at times, because of the numerous day to day operations that most (if any) understand when it comes to HR. The biggest reward in this job is the satisfaction that I get when I finally get to laid my head on my pillow at night, knowing that I did what I was supposed to do for the Troops in the BN. I was unsure when I first took this position over two years ago, but the experience that I have gained, no one will ever be able to take that away from me or my staff. I am proud to say, what my position is, what we as a team have accomplished, when it didn't seem possible!
Good for you Aaron. It sounds like the job has been a good match for you! Thanks for your service.
I’m an S1 in a Forward Support Battalion and I am also a Human Resources professional by trade. HR is a tough and demanding job. There are lots of behind the scenes things that most soldiers never even know happens. The paperwork is endless and you seldom get any respect. Despite that, I still love what I do. I think any officer would benefit from serving as an S1. The things you learn will really help you out as you move up through the ranks.
Very true, Christine. The S1 Shop doesn’t get much respect and it’s considered an easy job, but speaking from personal experience I can tell you that it’s actually a pretty tough job. You are right, the paperwork is endless and there are lots of behind the scenes stuff that most Officers and NCOs know nothing about.
I have a few questions, first. Human Resources Officer or Personnel Officer works with to 300 – 500 person battalion? What are the main social events these officers must oversee in the Army? I’ve been involved in telecommunications career for the last 14 years, so I naturally want to know in this job, what kind of network is used to transmit critical personnel information, typically? Cellular, Internet, PSTN or a combination? I am sure with such personal and critical information, the networks have to be secure.
The HR (S1) and Personnel Officer are the same person. The Army calls it the S1 Officer, which is a personnel officer, which is really a Human Resources Officer. They oversee the social events such as the Dining In, Dining Out, Hail and Farewell, retirements and anything else you can think of. They use SIDPERS and IPERMS to transmit information to higher.
I do not want to imagine the chaos that would ensue without the Battalion S1 Officer being on point. Accurate management of personnel files alone could mean the difference at to whether or not a unit is ready for a mission. With the addition of an S1 Officer being responsible for coordinating EPW and law enforcement-related activities, the Battalion S1 Officer sounds like one of the most critical components of a battle-ready unit.
It is an important job, even though most people don’t think very highly of it.
I’m an S1 NCO is the Army Reserves. I work at the Brigade S1 Shop. I am very fortunate to have a great staff and OIC. The S1 Office normally doesn’t get much credit, but we are always busy. Whether it’s a pay issue, promotion issue, retirement issue, or any other administrative issue, we are expected to fix it promptly. Most people don’t understand how important the S1 Shop is until they have an issue of their own that needs to be fixed.
So true, Tara. Thanks for your service.
Thanks for adding this information. I didn’t realize Battalion S1 responsibilities were so comprehensive. It just goes to show how important strategic planning and solid leadership is, especially when dealing with military-related strategies.
You’re welcome, Michelle.