The Part-Time Army First Sergeant Initial Counseling & Command Team Toolkit

Build a Stronger Commander–First Sergeant Team from Day One

Dear Part-Time Company Commander:

The relationship between a Company Commander and First Sergeant can make or break a company.

When the command team communicates, trusts each other, understands their roles, and works toward the same priorities, everything becomes easier. Training improves. Standards become clearer. NCOs receive better leadership. Soldier issues get addressed earlier. The entire company benefits.

But that relationship doesn’t happen automatically. That’s why I created the Part-Time Army First Sergeant Initial Counseling & Command Team Toolkit.

This comprehensive toolkit is designed specifically for Army National Guard and Army Reserve Company Commanders. It gives you practical examples, worksheets, checklists, and planning tools you can use to prepare for the initial counseling, conduct a meaningful conversation, establish expectations, define responsibilities, and build a stronger command team during the first 90 days.

More Than an Initial Counseling Example

You can find basic counseling examples online. This is different. I didn’t want to create another generic counseling statement that gets signed, placed in a folder, and forgotten about. I wanted to create a system a Commander and First Sergeant could actually use.

The toolkit takes you through the entire process:

Prepare → Counsel → Define Roles → Communicate → Set Goals → Execute → Follow Up

You’ll establish expectations, discuss how you’ll work together, determine who owns different responsibilities, establish your communication battle rhythm, set meaningful goals, and develop priorities for the First Sergeant’s first 90 days.

What’s Included

The toolkit contains a complete collection of editable resources, including:

First Sergeant Pre-Counseling Information & Preparation Worksheet
First Sergeant Initial Counseling Checklist
Army First Sergeant Initial Counseling
Company Commander’s Initial Counseling & Expectations Memo
Questions to Ask Your First Sergeant During the Initial Counseling
Commander-First Sergeant Roles & Responsibilities Worksheet
Commander-First Sergeant Battle Rhythm Worksheet
First Sergeant Performance Goals & Expectations Worksheet
First Sergeant 30-60-90 Day Plan
Recommended Reading for Army First Sergeants
How to Use This Packet Guide
Bonus Video: How to Conduct an Initial Counseling
Plus instructions, follow-up tools, and additional resources

The documents are designed to work together, but you don’t have to use everything. Pick the tools that fit your company and customize them to your leadership style.

Establish Clear Expectations

One of the biggest mistakes a new command team can make is assuming the other person already knows what they expect. Don’t assume. Talk about it.

The toolkit helps you discuss professionalism, communication, standards, discipline, Soldier leadership, NCO development, training, readiness, initiative, accountability, and the Commander-First Sergeant relationship.

It also encourages the First Sergeant to explain what they expect from the Commander. Initial counseling should be a two-way conversation.

Define Your Roles Without Building Walls

Who handles Soldier issues?
Who owns NCO development?
Who follows up on readiness?
Who handles training preparation?
When should the Commander become involved?
What decisions can the First Sergeant make independently?

The included Commander-First Sergeant Roles & Responsibilities Worksheet helps you discuss these issues before they become problems.

The goal is simple:

Stay in your lanes without building walls between your lanes.

Communicate Better Between Drill Weekends

Communication is especially challenging in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve. You might only see your counterpart a few days each month, but company requirements don’t stop between drill weekends.

The Commander-First Sergeant Battle Rhythm Worksheet helps you establish how often you’ll communicate, what requires immediate notification, what can wait, what you’ll discuss before drill, and how you’ll conduct your post-drill AAR.

The objective isn’t constant communication. It’s effective communication with fewer surprises.

Give Your First Sergeant a 90-Day Game Plan

New First Sergeants often inherit dozens of problems and immediately feel pressure to fix everything. That’s usually a mistake.

The included First Sergeant 30-60-90 Day Plan uses a simple approach:

Days 1–30: Learn & Assess

Days 31–60: Prioritize & Improve

Days 61–90: Execute & Develop

The plan helps the First Sergeant learn the company, assess the NCO support channel, evaluate training and readiness, identify priorities, develop subordinate leaders, and establish systems that continue working after the first 90 days.

Built for the USAR & ARNG

This toolkit was created with the Army National Guard and Army Reserve environment in mind.

Part-time Soldiers balance military service with civilian careers, Families, school, businesses, and countless other responsibilities. Command teams need to communicate effectively, plan ahead, protect training time, and make the most of the limited time they have together.

Those realities are built throughout the toolkit.

Editable and Customizable

This isn’t something you should blindly copy and sign. The toolkit includes editable Word documents, allowing you to change the wording, add unit-specific expectations, remove sections that don’t apply, insert your own priorities, and make the documents fit your command.

Use my examples as your starting point. Then make them yours.

Bonus Video Training

You’ll also receive my 22+ minute video on conducting an initial counseling.

Use the video along with the written resources to help prepare for the counseling and think through how you want to conduct the actual conversation.

Who Is This For?

This toolkit is ideal for new and incoming Company Commanders, new First Sergeants, Army National Guard and Army Reserve command teams, commanders preparing to counsel a new 1SG, and leaders who want to improve an existing Commander-First Sergeant relationship.

Whether you’re taking command next month or already sitting in the seat, these tools can help you establish clearer expectations and become a more effective command team.

Start the Relationship the Right Way

Your initial counseling with your First Sergeant isn’t just another administrative requirement. It’s an opportunity. It’s your chance to talk about expectations, responsibilities, communication, Soldiers, NCOs, standards, training, readiness, and what you both want the company to become. Use that conversation to build something.

Disagree privately. Lead publicly. Put the mission and Soldiers first.

Get your copy of the Part-Time Army First Sergeant Initial Counseling & Command Team Toolkit today and start building the command team your Soldiers deserve.