NCO education prolonged and became solemnized during the decades of 1970s and 1980s. (History of the NCO (from FM 7-22.7)) Many variation in the NCO command structure resulted over the years but perhaps none were as significant as when the Army became an all-volunteer force in 1973. The objective was to create a modern Army upon the principles of personnel management, leadership, and motivation to create a modern Army upon

Students attending a NCOES course should not have to take an APFT or weigh-In upon arrival -- these are unit level tasks that need to be completed before reporting NCOES and physical fitness/weight control testing responsibilities Unit level leaders have an inherent responsibility to maintain and manage Soldiers physical fitness and weight control standards; therefore, we must hold these leaders accountable for the execution of these tasks. The purpose of the NCO as

Future of NCO Corps Future of Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Corps A critical link The past and present The future after 9/11 Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Corps has traditionally been important in the armed forces of the U.S. Provision of training and mentoring to the general rank soldiers and effective assistance to second lieutenants has been the traditional responsibility of NCOs. The NCOs are technicians and team leaders as well. The role has significance in the future

Education and training required i. NCO training is sometimes a specialized course, but many ascend to the rank by excelling in basic and specialist training as well as in field combat as non-officers. d. Skills demanded by the position i. Leadership ii. Tactical abilities iii. Combat valor IV. Variables of the Career a. Combat implications of non-commissioned officer role i. Non-commissioned officers differ from commissioned officers in that they are more often in combat situations b. Field

Recovery of the U.S. economy, accompanied by international aggression, eventually again sparked support for military spending. The Army, however, reportedly did not achieve large-scale modernization until France fell in 1940 (Odom 98). A 1935 Gallup poll reporting that Americans would support larger appropriations for military readiness was the first indication of shifting attitudes. Nevertheless, appropriations would not reflect slowly growing popular concern until 1938. (Odom 200) TABLE 2. Congressional Appropriations

(the Army Training and Leader Development Panel Report NCO, 2002) Stated as three factors that serve to ensure the competence of NCOs in the U.S. Army are the following three factors: (1) Situational Awareness - formulation of an awareness of key elements relevant to the situation -- 'who', 'what', 'when' and 'where'; (2) Formation of an understanding or 'meaning-making' in a specific context upon the basis of experiential knowledge, training, education and