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Town Hall Will Answer NCO Professional Development Questions

By Jonathan (Jay) Koester - NCO Journal

February 12, 2016

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CSM David Davenport Answers Questions for NCOs

After participating in an enlisted leader panel discussion at an Association of the United States Army conference last fall, Command Sgt. Maj. David Davenport, command sergeant major of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), realized that more needed to be done to communicate the changes being made to NCO professional development.

During the panel, there was so much interest and questions raised about the changes to the NCO Professional Development System (NCOPDS) that Davenport wanted to make sure Soldiers could have their voices heard and questions answered.

To that end, Davenport and other subject matter experts are hosting an online Town Hall about NCO development from 5 to 7 p.m. EST on March 3 at www.tradoc.army.mil/watch.

“This is a great event for Soldiers,” Davenport said. “Their voice has been an important part of our efforts to completely change the way we develop our NCOs. The new NCOPDS is not just an evolution of the Noncommissioned Officer Education System: We are talking about revolutionary changes, and Soldiers need to know what’s going on.”

Soldiers’ input has been an important part of the changes made, and their voice will continue to be heard, Davenport said. Anthony O’Bryant, command information chief at TRADOC Public Affairs, said NCOs’ thoughts have been heard through surveys and events such as the two NCO Solariums last year with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

“That’s what motivated us to put on this town hall,” O’Bryant said. “It’s another opportunity for NCOs to provide their voice, and so they can hear from the experts who are working these issues. Because a lot of the things that were said in the surveys or in forums like the Solariums, those are the kinds of things that have worked their way into the NCO 2020 strategy. They have influenced what the Army is doing.

“The goal is to keep it simple,” O’Bryant said. “To watch or participate, go to www.tradoc.army.mil/watch at 5 p.m. EST on March 3. You can watch the live video, and there will be a chat board on the site for you to join in the conversation.”

The town hall will begin with a 15-minute overview from Command Sgt. Maj. Davenport on the State of NCO Development in the Army. After his remarks, Davenport and other experts from the Institute of Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development will answer as many questions as possible until 7 p.m. EST.

“Social media is going to be a big part of this event,” O’Bryant said. “Soldiers can actually send us a question before the event by using the hashtag #talk2TRADOC on Facebook or Twitter – even using video. In fact, we will play a couple of videos of Soldiers asking questions. This is a great chance to represent your unit.

TRADOC will also have leaders and INCOPD experts monitoring the hashtag #talk2TRADOC and answering questions on social media during the event in addition to the chat board and Davenport answering questions on video.

Davenport said he is hoping senior leaders will use the town hall as an opportunity to assemble NCOs and learn about NCO professional development.

“I encourage sergeants major and other leaders across the Army to use this event to inform Soldiers, answer questions and continue to listen to their ideas,” Davenport said. “The event is free, and gives leaders an opportunity to organize troop calls at their locations to watch and participate in the discussion as a group, where the first sergeant or sergeant major can offer mentorship.”

CSM David Davenport Answers Questions for NCOs

Participate

What: State of NCO Development Town Hall

When: 5 to 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 3

Where: www.tradoc.army.mil/watch

Social media: Find U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command on Facebook at facebook.com/USArmyTradoc and Twitter @TRADOC. Ask questions or make comments using #talk2TRADOC