# Year of the NCO



## EverSoLost (Jan 12, 2009)

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/army_nco_year_011109w/



> Army sets goals for Year of the NCO
> 
> Objectives recognize enlisted leaders’ contributions
> By Jim Tice - Staff writer
> ...



Much of this sounds very productive IMO.  I'm still wondering though how much of it will muddy the waters further.  As well I'm still having trouble grasping why the NCOES requirements were changed.

For example it seemed perfectly exceptable to require E4's to attend PLDC before Promoted to SGT.

BNCOC to 6

ANCOC to 7 etc.

I guess I'm more of a fan of the old choose, train, promote vice the choose promote train.  (It just seems like a more logical evolution)

Although I'd guess it was implemented due to the Op Tempo for Deployments.

I'm curious of the Sr. Guys input on the subject?

P.S.

I think the rank on the beret thing is weird too.  :)


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## Tyrant (Jan 12, 2009)

> authorizing the wear of NCO rank insignia on the beret;


Uh WTF? I hope this doesn't happen.


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## moobob (Jan 12, 2009)

Tenn-RGR said:


> Uh WTF? I hope this doesn't happen.



Uhh yeah that sounds horribly gay. I do think they should bring back the wear of the warrant insignia though, and officer branches.


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## AWP (Jan 12, 2009)

Awesome. The "officerization" of the NCO corps continues. Stay Army Strong.....


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## 0699 (Jan 12, 2009)

I think I must be confused because I'm an outsider (and if I am I hope someone will straighten me out), but I don't see the benefit of any of this.  It looks like a bunch of feel-good measures.  Like "changing the name of the Sergeants Major Academy to better reflect its focus on the entire NCO Corps" or "upgrading the NCO Museum"; how will these things make the Army more effective?

Am I missing something? :confused:


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## JJ sloan (Jan 12, 2009)

I have so wanted to be able to wear my rank on my beret... now the dream may become a reality.  Could it be?

GAY.

If I wanted to be an officer I would take a commission!


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## EverSoLost (Jan 12, 2009)

I have to imagine someone, somewhere has an idea of why all these odd uniform/policy changes are occurring as of late; and why they're happening so rapidly.  It all just seems so obscure to me.

Either that or they hired a Management Consultant...


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## Viper1 (Jan 13, 2009)

> establishing master fitness and mental health courses as part of the structured self-development system.



Didn't the Army have a Master Fitness Program before??

I will not comment on other changes as I am not, and have never been, an NCO.


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## AWP (Jan 13, 2009)

Looks like NATO is leading the way on this one:
http://www.nato.int/shape/ynco/

1989 was also the Year of the NCO in the Army.

Here's the website. The Initiatives page is lacking in detail but I like how they will assign two SGM's to the House and Senate.

http://www4.army.mil/yearofthenco/home.php

I predict a lot of unhappiness with this one. Funny, I think (and I may be off here) that letting NCOs do their job would be a great start. You can watch the erosion of the NCO corps and know that just letting them do what they are designed to do would be a huge first step.


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## Tyrant (Jan 13, 2009)

0699 said:


> I think I must be confused because I'm an outsider (and if I am I hope someone will straighten me out), but I don't see the benefit of any of this.  It looks like a bunch of feel-good measures.  Like "changing the name of the Sergeants Major Academy to better reflect its focus on the entire NCO Corps" or "upgrading the NCO Museum"; how will these things make the Army more effective?
> 
> Am I missing something? :confused:


You are absolutely correct. I wish the Army would quit trying to "find it's way". The path has already been blazed by SOF, all the rest of the Army needs to do is follow it.


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## 7point62 (Jan 13, 2009)

Tenn-RGR said:


> Uh WTF? I hope this doesn't happen.




Not sure why as a Marine it bothered the shit outta me when the Army started handing out berets to everybody.


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## Ranger Psych (Jan 13, 2009)

how hard is it

lt's do paperwork and draw fire with shiny rank
nco's issue fire commands
joe's follow fire commands and kill what's firing on the shiny shit

take 2 steps forward, repeat


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## car (Jan 13, 2009)

EverSoLost said:


> Although I'd guess it was implemented due to the Op Tempo for Deployments.



That's the main reason. Most of the changes to the NCOES aren't much more than "packaging," although they're supposed to be including more 1SG stuff into ALC (ANCOC). I've got a PPT brief from Sep '07 if anyone's interested.



EverSoLost said:


> P.S.
> 
> I think the rank on the beret thing is weird too.  :)



This is a "first heard" for me. "Weird" doesn't even begin to cover it......


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## Tyrant (Jan 13, 2009)

Rant posted...


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## Titus Pullo (Jan 14, 2009)

EverSoLost said:


> http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/army_nco_year_011109w/
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Do they no longer require the completion of PLDC (or whatever it is called now) for promotion to SGT, BNCOC for SSG and so forth?

As for rank on the beret, does it truly matter? I mean what do they truly hope it will accomplish by adding a piece of rank to the headgear?


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## RustyShackleford (Jan 14, 2009)

How about this: bring back SP5, SP6 and SP7 ranks.


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