NCO

Duties and Responsibilities of the Army's Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) over time 1775- present

Abstract

The history of the American Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) began in 1775 with the birth of the U.S. Army. The U.S. NCO did not copy the British. He, like the U.S. Army itself, blended traditions of the French, British and Prussian armies into a uniquely American institution. As the years progressed, the American political system, disdain for the aristocracy, social attitudes, and the vast westward expanses further removed the U.S. NCO from his European counterparts and created a truly American NCO.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Army's Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) over time 1775- present

During the early years of the American Revolution, little standardization of NCO duties or responsibilities existed. In 1778, during the long, hard winter at Valley Forge, Inspector General Friedrich von Steuben standardized NCO duties and responsibilities in his Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States. (Rush 2006)

In 1821 the first reference to Noncommissioned Officer chevrons was made by the War Department. A General Order directed that sergeants major and quartermaster sergeants wear a worsted chevron on each arm above the elbow; sergeants and senior musicians, one on each arm below the elbow; and corporals, one on the right arm above the elbow. (Fisher 2001)

In 1825, the first attempt was made to establish a systematic method for Noncommissioned Officer selection. The appointment of regimental and company NCOs remained the prerogative of the regimental commander. (Brown 2001)

In 1832, Congress added to the ranks of Noncommissioned Officers, creating the ordnance sergeant. In 1840, an effort was made to give the NCO Corps greater prestige by adopting a distinctive sword. (Brown 2001) The model 1840 NCO sword remains the sword of the NCO Corps and is still used on special ceremonial occasions.

During the Civil War, Noncommissioned Officers led the lines of skirmishers, which preceded a regiment. Noncommissioned Officers also carried the national and regimental colors of their units. This deadly task was crucial to maintaining regimental alignment and aiding commanders in locating units on the battlefield.

The Indian Wars between 1861 and 1885 usually consisted of numerous scattered skirmishes over wide areas. In 1885, the first retirement system was established for enlisted men. The duties of the Noncommissioned Officer were further defined during the early 20th Century. (Fisher 2001)During the Korean War, the massive expansion of the active Army combined with the decision not to keep draftees and mobilized reserve component soldiers on active duty for the duration created serious personnel turbulence

The Army recognized from the start of the war that a partial mobilization would fail to meet the demand for NCOs. Basic Training Centers conducted eight-week leadership training programs for promising recruits, and branch schools ran similar programs. However, not enough draftees volunteered for the programs (Rush 2006)indeed, by 1953, draftees were being involuntarily ordered to leadership courses — and most graduates lacked experience as leaders since they went directly overseas after the course. This program, however, did not begin until the summer of ...