Exhausted as E6 at new duty

I've been an E-6 for four years, but this assignment has left me questioning what I need to do to become valuable and successful at this level.

I arrived at my new duty station in October and was assigned as Schools NCOIC while dealing with medical issues and preparing for surgery. Between October and March, I tried to manage the position while navigating appointments, profiles, and surgery preparations. In March, I had surgery.

While recovering, I was moved to a new position without being informed. I had to contact the CSM myself to find out where I was being assigned. When I arrived, I immediately ran into issues. I was told not to make changes and to let an E-5 lead because she was doing such a good job. I pushed back because I had been sent there by the CSM and understood that I was supposed to be in charge. After phone calls were made, I was told to continue as the person in charge.

The relationship with the E-5 never improved. Then I had another emergency surgery and was gone again. During that time, a civilian pulled me aside and warned me about the E-5, saying she spread rumors and was already talking negatively about me. The civilian also claimed she was involved with one of the E-7s.

When I returned, I was confronted with allegations based on something I supposedly said to a Soldier, even though I never made the statement. At that point, I felt like I was being set up to fail.

The biggest issue was that nobody seemed to know where I belonged. I reported to one company, worked for another, and neither First Sergeant appeared willing to take ownership of me. Every time I tried to get guidance or support, I felt like I was being pushed away. One First Sergeant said she was too busy and later said she had no authority over me. The other essentially said the same thing.

I attempted to resolve issues with the E-7s directly and professionally before elevating anything. Despite that, I continued to feel unwanted and was constantly reminded how great the E-5 was doing.

When I finally met with the CSM, he apologized for the lack of communication regarding my reassignment and acknowledged that the First Sergeants had not been informed. However, the conversation also shifted toward what I should have done differently. I was criticized for not communicating about my surgery, even though I clearly remember having multiple conversations about it beforehand.

Looking back, I feel like I spent more time trying to figure out where I belonged than actually learning and succeeding in my job. The entire experience has left me wondering whether I failed to meet expectations as an E-6 or whether I was placed in a situation with unclear leadership, poor communication, and conflicting guidance from the start