The Shaping of the NCO Corps: From the Draft to the Modern Volunteer Army

Abstract

How many times have you heard it said that evolution and revolution are the only two catalysts of change that exist in the world? Nowhere is the statement more true than when speaking about the changes wrought in the Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Corps during the 20th century. Lessons learned from each conflict fought, beginning with World War I, led to shifts in doctrine and training; this is the revolutionary catalyst. The development of technologically advanced weapons, political priorities, such as draft policies and legislation, and public sentiment drove the evolutionary changes. Since the Revolutionary War, NCOs have had the tasks of maintaining standards, training their teams, and leading soldiers. These primary duties remain the same, but NCOs have had to adapt as progression necessitated changes.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 04, 2004
Accession Number
AD1129019

Entities

People

  • Rachel Fails

Organizations

  • United States Army Sergeants Major Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Budgets
  • Congress
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Governments
  • Law
  • Leadership Training
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military History
  • Military Tactics
  • Military Training
  • New York
  • Noncommissioned Officers
  • Personnel Management
  • Second World War
  • Standards
  • Training
  • War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.