History of the NCO Corps Outline

History of the NCO Corps Outline I. Introduction A. Greeting to CSM Schwind, senior and junior NCOs B. This is an UNCLASSIFIED information briefing C. This is to give you a view of how the NCO corps started and its history between 1945 and present D. I will be mainly covering the areas of discipline, training, duty and heroes E. References I used; The Story of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, Guardians of the Republic, FM 7-22.7 The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide and the internet F. My research consisted of purchasing books on line, checking out books from the library and research on line II. Body A. Background 1. Definition of war and why it happens 2. Romans first use of NCOs 3. The adoption of the NCO corps into the Continental Army 4. The recruiting of Baron Friedrich von Steuben and his training at Valley Forge B. Discipline 1. Turmoil in the Army 1945-1948 a. Drop of strength b. Introduction of the “New Army” c. 1948 passing of the Doolittle Board of 1945-46 d. Congress replaced the Articles of War with the UCMJ 2. North Korea invasion of South Korea 3. North Vietnam invasion of South Vietnam a. Drug and racial problems 4. Post Vietnam to present a. rewriting of AR 600-20 and FM-22-600-20 C. Training 1. Primary mission of the NCO is to train his soldiers. Training soldiers is never done 2. 1947 Army established the NCOES system 3. Three levels of training D. Duty 1. Seasoned WWII NCOs step up and take charge during Korean War 2. Technical skills bring new ranks (1955-1985) 3. No front lines during the Vietnam. Terrain and thick over head cover force the use of small sized units 4. Over the past twenty years NCOs have perform duties around the world E. Heroes 1. SFC Paul R. Smith. Awarded the Medial of Honor during OIF I with 3rd ID III. Closure A. Questions B. Closing comments History of the NCO Corps NCOs in the American Army (1945-Present) Background: War and conflict have shaped human civilization. Webster’s American Dictionary defines war as “armed conflict between nations or fractions within a nation”. The purpose for war is to enable a ruler or group to gain profit, land, power, or to protect the interest of its own country. Without war or conflict, we would not need a military. Throughout history, no ruler or country ever dominated or controlled the known world of its time as the Roman Empire did for three centuries. The introduction of the first NCO Corps dates back to the building of Roman Empire. Soldiers were broke down into groups of ten men with an assigned NCO per group. The NCOs responsibility was to provide discipline, follow orders, and maintain organization for his group on and off the battlefield. Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) have proven to be a vital part of the United States Army. The first paragraph from the Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer states, “I realize that I am a member of a time-honored corps, which is known as the Backbone of the Army”. In the past 231 years, the NCO corps ability to adapt, grow, and validate the Army Values is how the NCO Corps became the time-honored, backbone of the Army. At the start of the American Revolution, a skirmish between colonist and British troops at Lexington and Concord created the need to establish a combined fighting force. June 1775 the Continental Congress assumed responsibility for ten rifle companies from New England and New York colonies. These ten companies were the beginning of the Continental Army, and later became the United States Army. The adoption of the NCO Corps came with the origination of the Continental Army. The first three years of the Continental Army proved a trying time for General Washington. The lack of set standards for the care, discipline, and training for Soldiers created a weak and unorganized Army. While in Paris in 1777, Benjamin Franklin recruited a Prussian Captain by the name of Baron Friedrich von Steuben. Franklin knew that General Washington would not accept a mere Captain, so in a letter to General Washington Franklin endorsed von Steuben as a LT General. In February 1778, Congress accepted von Steuben and assigned him the position of Inspector General at Valley Forge under the command of General Washington. General von Steuben’s prior experience with the Prussian Army proved to be an asset toward the building of the NCO Corps. Under von Steuben’s instructions, one-hundred hand picked men assembled at Valley Forge to create von Steuben’s “model company”. This company was broken down into small groups and received instruction on discipline, manual of arms, firing drills, and close order drills with the ability to train other Soldiers. His harsh and strict method of instruction instilled a discipline that the Army lacked. Upon completion of their training, they were assigned into each brigade to teach the soldiers everything they learned while at Valley Forge under General von Steuben. This method of training along with standards and discipline proved to be instrumental for the Continental Army’s ability to defeat the British. General von Steuben later wrote the first manuals of military training and procedures, Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States (most commonly known as the “blue book”). Some of these regulations for drill and ceremony are still around today. Discipline: Discipline is the foundation to the building of a strong and organized military. After WWII to the Korean War, the Army had a lot of turmoil. Between 1945 to mid-1948, the Army’s strength dropped from 4,230,000 to 575,000 Soldiers. The military draft expired in1947 at the introduction of the “New Army”. Trying to draw in volunteer recruits, the Army relaxed its training standards; subsequently emphasized more on athletics, education, and learning a trade. In 1948, the passing of the Doolittle Board of 1945-46 authorized reducing the authority of company officers and NCOs and in 1950; Congress replaced the stern Articles of War with the more liberal Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The Communist invasion of South Korea during 1950 caught the Army off guard and unprepared for war. Evidence of the “New Army” and the “Doolittle Board” haunted the Army because it created an organization weak of discipline and poorly trained Soldiers’ soft in body and mind from easy living habits. Having poor equipment and lack of discipline led to Soldiers abandoning their weapons and wounded fellow Soldiers during the heat of battle. During the mid 60s and early 70s, investigations showed that drug abuse and racial problems plagued the war zone of Vietnam. These problems were not so much with the front line infantry units because they policed up their own, but with rear units of battalion size and larger. NCOs along with company grade officers believed that the judicial system collapsed because of the Doolittle reforms and was unresponsive to their needs to separate any undesirable Soldiers. This lead to threats and beatings to go unreported for fear that they may be next. With the post Vietnam War, came the end of the draft and the start of an all-volunteer Army emerging. For some senior NCOs the adjustment from wartime to a peacetime environment proved to be challenging. The rewriting of AR 600-20 the Army Command Policy dated 20 December 1976 and FM-22-600-20 expanded and formalized the channel between officers and noncommissioned officers, and established command policies and directives. These two new documents gave an improved authority and clearer perspective for the NCO as a leader. Today’s NCOs demand discipline from their Soldiers; there are too many lives at stake with today’s contemporary operating environment. NCOs must train and retrain their Soldiers to the standards until it becomes habit. Today’s senior NCOs must also ensure that the junior NCOs under them understand the need for not only accountability of their Soldiers; but also, for the serviceability and accountability of their equipment. Training: The primary mission of NCOs of the past and present is to train Soldiers to military standards. The training may be on new weapons or weapon systems, Soldier skills, Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) skills, primary marksmanship instruction (PMI), and even drivers training. No matter the training a Soldiers training is never done. The training the NCO provides to his Soldiers is the most current information possible; therefore, it is essential that NCOs keep themselves as up to date as possible. NCOs need training to stay proficient and abreast of any changes. In 1947, the Army established the Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES); the first school being the Second Constabulary Brigade NCO School in Munich Germany. Eight years later, the Army published standards for the NCO academies. After the Vietnam War, the Army began to transform the NCOES program into what we have today. These schools are required for promotion, and present the tools and techniques needed for NCOs to be successful at the next NCO rank. Today’s NCOs need to make sure that they are training at three levels all the time; one training the Soldiers below them, two training to maintain the skill level they are presently at, and three training up for the next higher level. Senior NCOs are essential in providing mentorship and training to junior NCOs. Duty: After WWII and the downsizing of the Army, there remained a few war seasoned NCOs. During the onset of the Korean War, these NCOs in the absence of commanding officers took the initiative to lead Soldiers in combat.

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