Who should counsel an E-5 in a squad with more than one NCO?

Procedure dic­tates the coun­sel­ing should be com­pleted by the person’s super­vi­sor–the person who has the ability to direct the Soldier’s daily duties and respon­si­bil­i­ties.  If you in someway supervise this Soldier or are responsible for supervising his work then it would be appropriate for you to conduct the counseling.  Otherwise it would be the Squad Leader’s discretion to handle it however he deems appropriate. There is no spe­cific coun­sel­ing reg­u­la­tion that cov­ers this issue. You can check out AR 600–20 which reviews how senior­ity is deter­mined: Time in Grade, Date of Rank, Age, etc.