In the United States Army, there are two categories of rank structure, the enlisted corps and the commissioned corps. The enlisted corps within itself contains leaders, who are referred to as Noncommissioned Officers, or NCOs. These individuals, whose ranks range from Sergeant to Sergeant Major, are responsible implementing the guidance and command policies provided by the Commissioned Officers and commanders in their units. NCOs are also responsible for the welfare and training of junior personnel. The US Army provides regulations and manuals with step by step guidance for the most trivial of tasks, but it fails to spell out specific and concrete information on how to be an NCO. There are publications, such as “The Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer” and regulations on leadership, but they lack specificity and objective instruction for how to accomplish the aforementioned responsibilities of an NCO. The knowledge and skills of an NCO are instead acquired through training and experience, the products of which are NCOs of varying quality. A good NCO is one who knows and fulfills the written laws and regulations of Army doctrine, has the character of a good soldier and leader, and is able to strike a balance between written law and doing what is right even if the two seem to contradict one another. Since the Army puts everything down on paper, from how to perform maintenance on an M4 weapon (“Rifle…”, 2003, para. 1.4) to how to write a letter to your commander (“Preparing…”, 2001, p. 30), a good NCO must know and follow the rules and instructions that apply to him or her on a regular basis. For example, a good NCO must be able to correct a soldier’s uniform to the exact standard. In order to order a soldier to tuck in his or he... ... middle of paper ... ...utions. However, good NCOs do exist and without their efforts and dedication, the United States Army would not be the most powerful fighting force that it is today. References United States (2001). Preparing and Managing Correspondence: Field Manual 25-50, Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army. United States (2003). Rifle Marksmanship M16A1, M16A2/A3, M16A4 and M4 Carbine: Field Manual 3-22.9, Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army. United States (2006). Soldier as a System: TRADOC Pamphlet 525-97, Fort Monroe, VA: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army – Training and Doctrine Command. United States (1988). The Army: Field Manual 100-1, Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army. United States (2005). Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia: Army regulation 670-1, Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army.
Stewart R. W. (2005). American Military History (Vol. 1). The United States Army and the
Weigley, Russel F. History of the United States Army. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1st Edition, 1984.
While many of these changes include the advancements in technology and ingenuity, nothing can replace the rich history, proud culture, and bright future of the NCO Corps. Though several additional factors doubtlessly play roles in the strength and continuity of the corps, I do not believe any have contributed to the extent of the solid rank structure, efficient training network, and passionate NCO Creed. These elements have worked together in continuously strengthening and molding the NCO Corps, and they will remain building blocks that will project the Army into the
Brown, Jerold E. Historical Dictionary Of The U.S. Army. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2001. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
O'Shea, Brandon J. "ARMY.MIL, The Official Homepage of the United States Army." "OPERATION POWER PACK. N.p., 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
United States Military Officers from all services are trained in military tactics, standards, and values. One of the most important lesson they are taught is the health and welfare of their troops. Commanding Officers (COs) hold the lives of thousands of service men and women in their hands, and their decisions directly affect the safety and well-being of subordinates. The moral dilemma to risk the lives of many to save a few, or its opposite, to save the lives of many by sacrificing the lives of a few, is one of the toughest situations for a CO to be in, and one of the toughest decisions to make. The CO has to look at the big picture and the long-term effects of his decisions, and in this scenario the
As a young Lance Corporal, my first impression of the NCO’s around the Recon Company was varied. As I got to know the others in my platoon, one started to stand out in my daily interactions, SSGT Moeller. He had just gotten off crutches, after a parachute accident broke his tibia and fibula, sitting on the catwalk icing his ankle. When I asked why he was icing his ankle he told me he had just finished an 8-mile run. Now, this was from an injury that should have caused months of painful rehab before running would have been possible, but here he was, sacrificing personal comforts, trying to get back to mission fitness. His reasoning being, he was scheduled to be the Assistant Team Leader (ATL) on the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit(MEU) and didn’t want to miss his chance for Afghanistan. It was at this moment that I got my
...e military has different chains of command, and each branch is called something different. I will have to implement the NASW Code of Ethics by understanding that my superior can have superior as well, and in times I will have to recognize and follow their ranking system. In the end however I do have a code to follow, and I have to adapt to following the ethics, and respecting their rules as well.
All soldiers, especially leaders, are highly recommended to keep a certain set of values that radiate throughout the entire U.S. Army. They are challenged to keep them near and dear to their hearts and to define and live them every day. A leader is one who takes these challenges serious and abides by
As becoming an officer in the military, there are abounding roles and positions that will be expected of all officers to perform. Military officers are to be a member of an armed force and to hold a position of authority. There will be roles to be performed that do not have a right or wrong answer, but an officer will take action to perform his or her role and take responsibility of their action.
The most important concept to me from the Leadership and Followership module was the use of a deliberate development plan. A deliberate development plan is a way of assessing an Airman’s developmental needs and creating a detailed path to attain those goals. According to the AFI 36-2618 The Enlisted Force Structure Non Commissioned Officers (NCO’s) must “Lead and develop subordinates and exercise effective followership in mission accomplishment”. In order to execute this charge one must be able to identify a subordinate’s strengths and weaknesses, create a plan to improve upon weaknesses, and be able to monitor progress. It is important to set both goals for development and potential future roles.
Army Regulation 600-20, Paragraph 2-18b (3), Army Command Policy, states "NCOs are assistants to commanders in administering minor nonpunitive corrective actions." Note nonpunitive measures are not the same as nonjudicial punishment, which only may be directed by commanding officers.
The commander is arguably the most experienced leader in the organization. His value of leader development will influence the rest of the Soldier’s value of leader development accordingly. The commander is responsible for ensuring the unit has a leader development program and that it is nested with everyday training. His vision for the unit’s leader development program will shape how the S3 incorporates the development program into the unit’s training plan. The commander must establish a climate that values leader development by being open to constructive criticism and recommendations from subordinates. LTC Fullerton quickly implemented this technique in the first week of his command and demonstrated it during his first meeting with MAJ Kane. Fullerton asked Kane for his view on things and how to improve the battalion. The commander must invest time in getting to know his subordinates and their needs as well. A one size fits all leader development program might get the leaders as an aggregate to a certain point, but after that the commander will need to identify subordinate strengths and weaknesses in order to continue to develop those leaders for the future. A great example of this from the L204 case study was LTC Fullerton moving the BN S4 LT Cunningham to become the Company XO for CPT Benizi. As explained above the commander’s role in leader development really seeps into every aspect of the organization. He is responsible for setting the climate, ensuring the S3 is incorporating into the training calendar, developing relationships t...
level of Precedence and standards in the formation. The roles of the non-commissioned officer is
First, there is respect, just because you have the rank and status of an officer doesn’t mean those below you in your command are going to respect you. A lot of people are going into the army as officers thinking everyone owes them something and that they have to do what they say. All I can say to that is, you’re in for a rude awakening. As officers we should respect those below us and talk to them as a leader should not a boss especially our NCOS and PSG. I believe that they are the best asset a young officer has at his disposal due to their knowledge and