The Noncommissioned Officer Corps on Training, Cohesion, and Combat (1998)

2016 Reprint, with Minor Changes IMCEN Books Available Electronically, as of September 2001 (Before the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on New York and the Pentagon, September 11, 2001) The Chiefs of Staff, United States Army: On Leadership and The Profession of Arms (2000). Thoughts on many aspects of the Army from the Chiefs of Staff from 1979–1999: General Edward C. Meyer, 1979–1983; General John A. Wickham, 1983–1987; General Carl E. Vuono, 1987–1991; General Gordon R. Sullivan, 1991–1995; and General Dennis J. Reimer, 1995–1999. Subjects include leadership, training, combat, the Army, junior officers, noncommissioned officers, and more. Material is primarily from each CSA’s Collected Works, a compilation of the Chief of Staff’s written and spoken words including major addresses to military and civilian audiences, articles, letters, Congressional testimony, and edited White Papers. [This book also includes the 1995 IMCEN books General John A. Wickham, Jr.: On Leadership and The Profession of Arms, and General Edward C. Meyer: Quotations for Today’s Army.] Useful to all members of the Total Army for professional development, understanding the Army, and for inspiration. 120 pages. The Sergeants Major of the Army: On Leadership and The Profession of Arms (1996, 1998). Thoughts from the first ten Sergeants Major of the Army from 1966–1996. Subjects include leadership, training, combat, the Army, junior officers, noncommissioned officers, and more. Useful to all officers and NCOs for professional development, understanding the Army, and for inspiration. Note: This book was also printed in 1996 by the AUSA Institute of Land Warfare. 46 pages. The Officer/NCO Relationship: Words of Wisdom and Tips for Success (1997). Thoughts and advice from senior officers and NCOs on key Army officer/NCO relationships. Includes chapters on the platoon leader/platoon sergeant, company commander/first sergeant, battalion commander/battalion CSM, and overall officer/NCO relationships. Scope includes several centuries of military experience. Useful for officers and NCOs at all levels. 1st edition 50 pages; 2nd edition 48 pages. The Noncommissioned Officer Corps on Leadership, the Army, and America; and The Noncommissioned Officer Corps on Training, Cohesion, and Combat (1998). Two books of NCO wisdom and experience from the days of the Romans to 1997. Useful for all NCOs, officers, and soldiers. Also useful to young officers for their professional development, to better understand the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, and to benefit from NCO experience. 72 and 77 pages. Command, Leadership, and Effective Staff Support: A Handbook Including Practical Ways for the Staff to Increase Support to Battalion and Company Commanders (1995, 1996). Focuses on leadership and the effective staff support of leaders and units. Material is based on the writings of senior officers, senior NCOs, practical experience, and an analysis of the Army’s leadership and staff manuals from WWII to the 1990’s. The leadership chapters apply to leaders at all levels. The chapters for the staff focus primarily on how the battalion and brigade staff can better support the chain of command from the battalion commander through squad leaders. 224 pages. The US Army Noncommissioned Officer Corps: A Selected Bibliography (1998). A bibliography of significant NCO-related materials. 34 pages. Electronic copies of the above books are available in two ways: [Note: Info current as of September 2001] 1. E-mail the IMCEN XO, currently LTC Dean Mattson, at [email protected], or call (703) 697-1365; DSN 227-1365. Address: Information Management Support Center, 6602 ARMY Pentagon, Washington, DC 20310-6602. 2. Download from the Center for Army Lessons Learned’s Website at http://call.army.mil, click on CALL Products, then click on Special Products. 2016 versions online at cissm.umd.edu/ (as of 2017) Preface and Acknowledgments This is a book of quotations by and about noncommissioned officers, and spans centuries of the Army’s experience in peace and war. It includes all members of the Total Army: the Active Army, the Reserve Components (Reserves and National Guard), the Army Family, the Civilian Corps, Veterans, and the Retired Corps, and has three purposes: 1. To share some of the knowledge and practical experience of members of the Army’s Noncommissioned Officer Corps. NCO knowledge and experience is invaluable, for the challenges of military service can only be met through leadership, training, and teamwork, and NCOs provide more than three-quarters of the Army’s leadership. 2. To recognize the contributions of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps to the Army and the Nation, for as Tom Clancy wrote, noncommissioned officers are “the guys who make the Army work.” 3. To encourage more writing by and about the Army’s Noncommissioned Officer Corps. NCO wisdom is both practical and profound, and forms a body of knowledge essential to the accomplishment of the Army’s mission. Grateful acknowledgment is made for the support provided by the staff of the Pentagon Library, Center of Military History, U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Historical Office, U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Learning Resources Center, U.S. Army Museum of the Noncommissioned Officer, and the Office of the Chief, Public Affairs (Command Information), in particular Debbie Reed, Dr. Robert Wright, Linda Gaunt, Marijean Murray, L. R. Arms, Bill Morris, and especially Dr. Robert Bouilly. I am very grateful to the following individuals for their help in special areas: Susan Borcherding, Gerhard Borcherding, Dr. Gregory Dennis, COL Randall Inouye, John E. Morris, and especially Dr. Ernest Fisher, author of Guardians of the Republic: A History of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps of the U.S. Army. I would particularly like to thank the following individuals for sustained support and help: Michelle A. Davis, LTC Dean Mattson, Michael Selves, CSM Jimmie Spencer, Dr. Andrea M. Williams, Kenneth B. Williams, Dr. Margaret Scheffelin, and Clifford Yamamoto. A special thanks to the Sergeants Major of the Army, and to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, past present, and future. The Editor © M. Merrick Yamamoto, 1996, 1997, 2016. Reproduction in whole or part is granted for any purpose of the US Government. Table of Contents Foreword Preface and Acknowledgments Training 1 Training 1 The Effectiveness of Training 2 Training for Combat 2 Planning Training 3 Hip-Pocket Training 5 Realistic Training 5 Training Standards 7 Evaluating Training 8 The Basics and Building on the Basics 8 Squad Level Training 9 Soldier Skills 10 Drilling and Marching 10 Drill Sergeants 10 A Drill Sergeant’s Idea of a Good Joke 10 Discipline 11 Fitness 12 Weapons 12 Rifles 12 Marksmanship 12 Master Gunner 13 The Bayonet 13 Preventing Fratricide 13 Ammo/Ordnance 14 Weapons Maintenance 14 Maintenance 14 The Importance of Maps 15 Patrolling 15 Intelligence and Security 17 Guard Duty 18 Field Training 19 Field Training 19 Tips for the Field 19 Carrying Too Much Weight 19 Preventing Chafing 19 Preventing Sunstroke 19 To Make a Fire without Matches 19 Taking Care of Your Feet 19 Making a Lifepreserver 19 Clothing, Keeping Warm, and Cleanliness 19 Quarters in the Field 20 Rations 20 Sleep Discipline 20 Table of Contents (Continued) Self-Help for Maintaining Roads 21 Risk Assessment 21 Training Safety 22 Teamwork, Cohesion, and Esprit 23 Teamwork 23 Developing Teamwork 23 Team Leadership 23 Cohesion 24 Cohesion in Combat 24 Lasting Cohesion 25 The Winning Spirit 25 Including Everyone in the Team 26 Pride 26 Morale 27 Morale and Mail 27 Rations 27 Unit Newspapers 28 Motivation 29 Music 29 Esprit de Corps 29 Building Esprit Through Symbols 30 Chevrons 30 The Halberd 30 Swords 31 The Ebenezer Stone 31 Building Esprit Through Tradition 31 Tradition 31 Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer 31 Building Esprit Through NCO History 32 Roman NCOs 32 Centurions 32 Centurions in the Bible 32 The Development of the American NCO Corps 33 The History of the “Backbone of the Army” 34 Color Sergeants and The Colors 34 The Colors of the Sergeant-Major 34 The Sergeant Major Rank 34 The Sergeant Major of the Army 35 The NCO Museum 36 Famous NCOs 36 Was Shakespeare an NCO? 36 Teamwork and the Total Army 37 Reserve Components (Reserves and National Guard) 37 Families and the Army 37 Family Support Groups 38 Family Separations 39 Community Support 40 Civilians 40 Veterans and Retirees 40 Table of Contents (Continued) Combat 41 Combat 41 Combat Power 42 Combat Leadership 43 Decision-making in Combat 44 Initiative in Combat 44 Determination in Combat 44 Keeping Cool 45 Surprise 46 Keeping Dispersed 46 Safety in Combat 46 Desert Warfare 47 Survival, Escape, and Evasion 47 Support in Combat 48 Maintenance in Combat 49 Rations in Combat 49 Medical Support in Combat 49 NCOs in Combat 50 NCOs Commanding in Combat 52 Musicians in Combat 53 Hope 53 Reliance on God in Combat 53 Professional Development 54 Professional Development 54 Knowing Your Stuff 54 Imparting and Building on Knowledge 54 Writing 55 Instructing and Teaching 55 Mistakes and Learning from Mistakes 56 Learning and Studying 56 Education 56 Why You Should Read 57 Career Goals 58 Promotion 59 Promotion and Perseverance 59 Preparing for Promotion Boards 60 NCOPD/NCODP (NCO Professional Development/NCO Development Program) 60 NCOES (Noncommissioned Officer Education System) 61 The Development of NCOES- The Discussion of the Need for Standardized NCO Education and Training 62 The Development of NCOES- The Establishment of the NCO Academies 62 The Implementation of NCOES 63 The Sergeants Major Academy 63 The Effectiveness of NCOES 63 Conclusion and The Future 63 List of Sources 64 Index of Personal Names 75 Training Training Noncommissioned officers are...at the heart of the Army training system. -GEN Donn A. Starry, “Sergeants’ We must train in peacetime because there is not time in Business.” Military Review, May 1978, p.

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