Meeting the Needs of Today’s NCOs
By Master Sgt. Antony M.C. Joseph
NCO Journal
January 2012
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When The NCO Journal debuted 21 years ago, there was no Internet, NCO Net was a futuristic dream and the NCO Education System was far different than it is today. But the NCO Corps was becoming more educated, more sophisticated and was gaining more responsibility, and NCOs needed an official forum to foster their professional development.
Thus, this magazine was born. During the past two decades, the pages of The NCO Journal have featured stories on topics facing NCOs, ways to be better leaders, new ways to train and motivate Soldiers, and how to excel in the Army profession. And as technology and the needs of the NCO Corps have changed, the content and design of its professional journal have as well.
That’s why this month we inaugurate a new NCO Journal, one that is designed to be more relevant, more useful and more sought after by NCOs — from corporals to command sergeants major. What we’ve tried to accomplish is more than just giv-ing the pages of the magazine a facelift. Indeed, we’ve looked at how every page can be a better resource for you, our readers.
First, we’ve overhauled our “front-of-the-book” section, now called “In Front.” This consolidates news and information from around the Army and from our own reporters that help NCOs excel in the fundamentals of Army leadership: “Be, Know, Do.” You’ll see some shorter stories with links to longer versions online.
You’ll also see some new columns like “Ask NCO Net,” the best exchanges from NCOs’ official online forum, and “Toolkit,” tips and tricks that oftentimes can’t be found in a field manual or Army regulation.
Our “back-of-the-book” section, now called “In Ac-tion,” showcases NCOs at their best “leading, training, maintaining and caring” — the hallmark duties that Sgt. Maj. of the Army Glen E. Morrell once defined. Here, you’ll find more new columns like “By Example,” a profile of the unsung NCO heroes among us, and “This Month in NCO History,” which better connects us to our NCO heritage and our “time-honored corps.”
We’ve also refocused our efforts within our feature stories to make our articles more valuable to the time-constrained NCO and will delve more into the topics and issues affecting NCOs today. Your Journal is already unique among the armed services. But our efforts are for naught if we do not tell the stories that help you develop as a professional and as a leader.
We hope you enjoy your updated NCO Journal and hope even more that it earns your respect and confidence as the foremost publication for the development of professionals, noncommissioned officers, leaders!
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