LEADER DEVELOPMENT FOR AMERICA'S ARMY

.. Identify their long–term and short–term goals.
.. Remain current on changes in equipment and procedures associated with their area of expertise.
.. Participate in off–duty civilian education courses.
.. See the advice and counsel of their commander and career assignment manager.
Leader Development is one of the most critical challenges facing today’s Warrant Officer Corps. To meet this
challenge, we must maximize every opportunity to develop confident and competent warrant officer leaders able to
assume more responsibility as Army officers, trainers, leaders, and technicians.
Chapter 7
NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER LEADER DEVELOPMENT
The development of both Active and Reserve Component (RC) noncommissioned officers is the cumulative result of
their military schooling, operational assignments, and self–development. Appendix B contains the key elements of
NCO leader development in the three pillars.
On 8 October 1988, the Commanding General, TRADOC, chartered the NCO Leader Development Task Force to
develop a strategy and action plan for improving the Army’s NCO leader development system to ensure the continued
professional growth of the NCO corps. The resulting Noncommissioned Officers Leader Development Action Plan
(NCOLDAP) contained 18 recommendations. Two key recommendations were (1) the development of skills, knowledge,
and attitudes — from now on called skills, knowledge, and behavior (SKBs) — which define the NCO
“Be–Know–Do” competencies for each grade level, and (2) linking of the Noncommissioned Officer Education System
(NCOES) to promotions. Beginning in October 1993, completion of NCOES courses is a prerequisite for promotion;
i.e., Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) for SGT, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course (BNCOC) for
SSG, Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course (ANCOC) for SFC, and Sergeants Major Course (SMC) for SGM.
The NCOLDAP will be revised to reflect changes in the world environment, national strategy, and role and missions of
the Army. The revised LDAP will ensure noncommissioned officers are developed to meet the Army’s future needs
within resource constraints.
Institutional Training and Education
Institutional training and education for NCOs are accomplished through the Noncommissioned Officer Education
System (NCOES) and functional courses that provide specialized training (figure 12). NCOES provides four levels of
schooling: primary, basic, advanced, and senior.
Active Army noncommissioned officers will attend a TRADOC resident school as a rule. RC NCOs can attend resident
schools, USARF schools, or state, regional, or USAR academies. NCOES attendance requirements are the same for
Active ad RC NCOs; however, the timing, length, and attendance requirements may vary.
DA PAM 350–58 • 13 October 1994
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