These days things are very distributed - you might have a platoon out to a COP for a few days on QRF, or partnered up with ISF doing 24-72 hour of continuous operations. Companies occupy some pretty large AOs - same with BNs/TFs and BCTs. Some companies have been tagged as permanent augmentees to TTs, some just flat made into TTs. The 1SG and CSM are the eyes of experience - as such they provide many things including balance to a command team. Where a CDR may only do one tour with the unit, the 1SG may well have been within the BN or BCT for the last tour - he knows the unit and the personalities in ways the officer might never know. Since the battlespace is so big and the tasks on the CMD team so many, the CDR and his senior SNCO might be tag teaming to keep up and check on things.

While you can get info via FM, email and BFT, sometimes the only way to really communicate and understand something is to go look - plus it gets you back to the reality of what is going on. Its another one of those things that have to be balanced - the trick is to be available without being a burden - as you said, you are getting paid to do your job, not those of your subordinates.

Best Regards, Rob