NCO Journal April 2018 Articles
The official magazine of noncommissioned officer professional development
Focus on mission essential training
By Sgt. 1st Class Juan C. Ayon
1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance), 12th Combat Aviation Brigade
The Army should remove unnecessary, non-critical tasks and focus on mission essential training, which ensures NCOs have ample time to properly train the next generation of Soldiers.
Article published on: April 30, 2018
Book Review: The Three Meter Zone
By Crystal Bradshaw
NCO Journal
Command Sgt. Maj. J. Dave Pendry's book, The Three Meter Zone is aimed at providing noncommissioned officers and Soldiers leadership lessons that expand their professional development.
Article published on: April 27, 2018
Increase awareness of electronic warfare capabilities
By Staff Sgt. Jorge L. Diaz
1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command
The Army should increase awareness of 29E electronic warfare specialist capabilities across the Army so they can contribute more to the fight.
Article published on: April 25, 2018
How Might NCO courses improve output?
By Sgt. Maj. Scot D. Cates & Sgt. Maj. Raymond P. Quitugua Jr.
NCO Leadership Center of Excellence & United States Army Sergeants Major Academy
As the Army continues to revise curriculums in NCO professional development courses, leaders should consider addressing pre-assessments, educational distance traveled, and levels of knowledge to improve output from these leadership courses.
Article published on: April 23, 2018
Modernizing Soldier lethality
By Kimball Johnson
NCO Journal
Army scientists aim to increase Soldier lethality to meet modernization goals. However, NCOs remain the basis for the success these new technologies introduce to the battlefield since they have the technical mastery to field it and direct others in its use.
Article published on: April 20, 2018
Leader development through professional growth counseling
By Sgt. 1st Class Stephen J. Love
Headquarters, First Army
Effective leaders work to leave an organization better than they found it. Many NCOs work to develop their Soldiers for future leadership opportunities but struggle with where to start.
Article published on: April 18, 2018
Signal support training vital to effective communications on the battlefield
By Sgt. 1st Class Otis C. McCraw Jr.
174th Infantry Brigade
An NCO shares what he sees as needed improvements to training and equipment in his military occupational specialty.
Article published on: April 16, 2018
TRADOC CSM and NCOs discuss a constantly changing environment
By Staff Sgt. Mark A. Moore II
NCO Journal
TRADOC Command Sgt. Maj. David S. Davenport Sr., met with approximately 20 active duty and reserve component NCOs on March 15 to discuss talent management and NCOPDS as part of the NCO 2020 Strategy.
Article published on: April 13, 2018
Resources for Soldier health
By Kimball Johnson
NCO Journal
NCOs should help fellow Soldiers understand and take advantage of the Army resources that support physical and mental health for themselves and their families.
Article published on: April 11, 2018
Hip-pocket training, guided discussions: time-tested NCO tools
By Dayton Ward
NCO Journal
Formal institutional and unit programs as well as "hip-pocket" training and guided discussions are valuable tools for ongoing training needs in subjects applicable to all Soldiers regardless of MOS.
Article published on: April 9, 2018
From reader to leader
By Kimball Johnson
NCO Journal
Since NCOs are required to develop their professional writing skills as they progress through the ranks, it is important to learn how reading improves not only writing skills but also leadership skills.
Article published on: April 6, 2018
The Army Doesn't Effectively Mentor Noncommissioned Officers. It Needs to Start.
By Sgt. 1st Class Eddie B. Jackson
Instructor, Department of Military Instruction, U.S. Military Academy
Although not intrinsic to the three pillars of leader development, mentorship is a vital component. Better mentorship for NCOs is an important step toward addressing the Army’s development shortfalls.
Article published on: April 4, 2018
Training for urban signal environments
By Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas M. Hanley
18th Medical Command (Deployment Support), Fort Shafter, Hawaii
Continuing in our series, NCOs sound off, noncommissioned officers in the field respond to the question of what training or equipment the Army should focus on to better prepare their military occupational specialty for the future.
Article published on: April 2, 2018