NCO Journal August 2015 Articles
The official magazine of noncommissioned officer professional development
Drill Sergeant Competition Promises Action, Training, Not Much Sleep
By Jonathan (Jay) Koester - NCO Journal
It’s not that Staff Sgt. Jonathan Miller, the 2014 U.S. Army Drill Sergeant of the Year, doesn’t want to help the 14 competitors in the 2015 Drill Sergeant and AIT Platoon Sergeant of the Year competition. It’s just that it can take a while to explain what the competition — scheduled for Sept. 7-10 at Fort Jackson, S.C. — entails.
Article published on: August 27, 2015
Air Defense Command Makes Sure NCOs are Prepared in Pacific
By Jonathan (Jay) Koester - NCO Journal
As the Army continues its rebalance to the Pacific after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the role of air defense in the area shifts as well. Leaders of the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command are making sure NCOs are prepared for the mission by giving them training, trust and, most importantly, the authority to take charge.
Article published on: August 25, 2015
This Month in NCO History: Aug. 17, 1944 — Taking the Knoll near La Londe, France
Pablo Villa
When the 3rd Infantry Division reached the shores of France on Aug. 15, 1944, the Rock of the Marne had already seen several examples of gallantry from its Soldiers that were worthy of the nation’s highest honor. It took only two days to witness another.
Article published on: August 20, 2015
Deadline for New Cyber Military Occupational Specialty Applications Looms
By Laura Levering - Army News Service
The Army is looking for Soldiers who want to sign on as part of the cyber branch. An Army Military Personnel, or MILPER, message published in June notified Soldiers of the opportunity to reclassify into the 17C military occupational specialty, which is called cyber operations specialist. Soldiers have until Aug. 31 to submit their packet for the first school date. Those who miss it will have to wait until the next course announcement.
Article published on: August 19, 2015
NCOs Learn to Survive and Conquer in New Desert Warrior Course
By Meghan Portillo - NCO Journal
Their boots sank into the beach-like sand and sweat dripped down their necks as they rucked under the sweltering sun. With throbbing heads and parched throats, “I’m black on water,” was the phrase nobody wanted to hear.
Article published on: August 18, 2015
Searching for the Secret to Promotion
By Master Sgt. Jamie K. Price - Department of the Army Secretariat
When it comes to military advancement, the questions abound — why wasn’t I selected for promotion? What must I do to be competitive? Is it whom you know that will get you promoted? Why is my cutoff score so high? What makes them better than me?
Article published on: August 13, 2015
4th Cab Reception Company NCOs Move Fast to Make Assets of Incoming Soldiers
By Pablo Villa - NCO Journal
Spc. Kenneth Schunke barks orders as he saunters through a padded room filled with rows of barefoot Soldiers at Fort Carson, Colo. “Work it, work it!” Schunke shouts as the Soldiers pair off and go through grappling and defensive drills. The temperature slowly rises inside the small, unassuming brick building giving the air a stifling thickness and rendering the setting fit for elite-level martial arts training. But these Soldiers aren’t in a top-flight fighting gym. They are in-processing.
Article published on: August 11, 2015
Cadre Ensures U.S. Army’s Oldest NCO Academy is Relevant as Ever
By Clifford Kyle Jones - NCO Journal
The U.S. Army’s oldest — and largest — NCO Academy isn’t in the U.S. at all. Its history is only one of the things that make the 7th Army NCO Academy in Grafenwoehr, Germany, special: Each of the academy’s Warrior Leader Courses — which can accommodate as many as 324 students — are almost guaranteed to include some soldiers from outside the United States Army.
Article published on: August 4, 2015
Many NCO Education Milestones Were First Reached at 7th Army NCOA
NCO Journal
Much of what would formally become the Noncommissioned Officer Education System, or NCOES, had its origins at the 7th Army NCO Academy. The academy, which was always located in Germany but at several other sites before landing at its current home in Grafenwoehr, started as a school for the Constabulary, the police-like military force that maintained order in Germany and Austria from 1946 to 1952, just after World War II. In late 1949, the commander of the Constabulary, Maj. Gen. Isaac D. White, realized his NCOs needed a special course of instruction. He assigned the task to Brig. Gen. Bruce C. Clarke, who commanded the 2nd Constabulary Brigade and was an enthusiastic supporter of the project.
Article published on: August 4, 2015