He goes on to insist that "professional military education alone is not sufficient" to develop a real NCO leader. The ability to make decisions in a split second, the ability to make the best use of technologies, and the ability to train others, to be able to evaluate the men around you -- these are the components of leadership that Maxwell emphasizes. I like the fact that Maxwell emphasizes versatility, creativity and good coordination skills for the NCO, because today's Army is isn't just about giving orders and expecting everything and every soldier to follow without question. It's about leadership, and yes a civilian education is important, and military training is pivotal to success; but, Maxwell concludes, the NCO must also be able to "apply new, innovative techniques to lead and influence soldiers." That includes encouraging those in the NCO's unit to use the Internet, to engage in distance education, to become technology-savvy and to see a bigger view of the world than just training and combat. One of the most poignant moments in the third reading (Reading A) to be discussed in this paper was the strategic move in the Civil War to use the "Little Round Top" to foil a Confederate attack. The whole point of presenting that famous battle in the Civil War was to point to the need to be creative, to be able to respond to a situation even though there was no training in advance on this move and as COL Chamberlain noted, "there was nothing in the tactics book about how to get his unit from current disposition into a firm line of advance." This is leadership as it can best be explained. No civilian or military school could...

I feel that this story is a terrific lesson for all who strive to become NCOs -- when there are no textbook diagrams, creative steps must be employed, so the leader has to be ready to innovate on a moment's notice.
Conclusion

Today's NCO must learn from history and from contemporary society, and his duties in this rapidly changing world must go beyond education and chain of command. The modern NCO needs to be ready to employ creativity, must be flexible and must realize that his troops, while they are hungry for leadership, are also in constant need of upgrading their sense of values. It is all too easy to simply pull the trigger and snuff out a life. The background that is needed for today's soldier must include -- beyond commitment, training in weaponry and loyalty -- ethical standards, and a strong role model (leader) is far more relevant to a combat situation than a Master's Degree in military strategy.

Works Cited

Crozier, David. (2009). Leadership / Ethics / The Larger Moral Issues. Fort Bliss, Texas

Reading M. 1 Leadership

Leadership Assessment and Development. Reading A: FM 6-22.

Maxwell, Frederick J. (2009). Preparing the NCO Corps for the 21st century. American Civil-Military Relations Reading C161RE.