Have Changes in Technology, Tactics and Society Caused the NCO to Change?
Abstract
The Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) has evolved tremendously over the last two hundred years, none as much as the Squad Leader. The three most important factors that have led to the ever-increasing empowerment of the Non-Commissioned Officer are: Technology, tactics, and our society which has forced the evolution of the Squad Leader along a very steep learning curve. As we jump forward through history from the revolutionary war to present day, the Squad Leaders duties and responsibilities have increased a hundred times over. Today the Squad Leader is solely responsible for the individual training and some collective training of his squad. Due to the advancement of technology and tactics as well as society its self the NCO has been forced to evolve at a rapid rate. As technology advances it has shaped the way we apply tactics, that coupled with a modern society has placed a tremendous demand on NCOs. Our NCOs must be educated and able to think in the absence of officer supervision unlike the NCOs of yesterday. With our current Non-Commissioned Officer Education System coupled with our personnel management system we are able to produce a confident, competent, tactically sound and intelligent Squad Leader who is more capable of leading Soldiers then the NCOs of the past.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2008
- Accession Number
- AD1132692
Entities
People
- Todd M. Tracy
Organizations
- United States Army Sergeants Major Academy