2018 — The NCO Guide

Neighborhood Watch in Baghdad

October 8, 2018October 4, 2018 Brett Waterhouse

Leader Lessons On 7 April 2003, I was the Platoon Sergeant of a tank platoon that had just fought its way into the heart of downtown Baghdad, Iraq, as part of what was called the second “Thunder Run.” At this point in my life, I was a Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) who viewed the thought of talking to the citizens... Read More

The Essentials I found for selecting a College

October 3, 2018October 4, 2018 Phil Johndrow

Guest Blogger CSM (Ret.) Phil Johndrow When I first joined the Army in 1979, there was no need for additional education and I had no desire to pursue college. But then I began to see things change around me. Military technology advanced, and requirements for our leaders increased. If I wanted to make an impact as a leader, I needed... Read More

Flexing your soft skills

April 2, 2018April 2, 2018 Dan Elder

Knowing your job and performing it to the best of your ability is important. It’s vital to ensuring you remain employed and a valuable member of a team. But these days knowing your job will only get you so far. You need more than that. In a workforce, and a military, that is constantly changing and adapting to new technology... Read More

The History of the Sergeant Major

March 12, 2018March 10, 2018 Dan Elder

This is from my monograph History of the Sergeant Major first published Jan 2, 1998, highlighted on the NCO History site. The history of the sergeant major extends back to the earliest days of the Army of the United States, but the role that we currently associate with the sergeant major of today is relatively young. Only through continued refinement of... Read More

Do We Really Need a Parade?

March 10, 2018 Dan Elder

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced he would like to see a large military parade, similar to one he watched in France on Bastille Day. It’s something he’d previously expressed his desire for, but in January, he directed his top generals to organize the grand event he’s been imagining. While his exact motivations are unclear, other than he likes... Read More

Don’t be just a leader, be a transformational leader

February 26, 2018 Dan Elder

There are two basic kinds of leaders out there—the ones you want to do work for, and the ones you don’t. That may be overgeneralized, but most supervisory experiences fall into one of those two categories. Sometimes your first line, your direct supervisor or even your commander brings out the best in you and makes you want to generate the... Read More

What’s it like having an approved Defense Budget?

February 17, 2018February 17, 2018 Dan Elder

Finally! It looks like a coming boom for defense buyers and defense contractors, it looks like we have a defense budget approved. This month has brought both a solution to the long-lasting defense spending freeze with the Administration’s proposed budget for the 2019 fiscal year. Hearing all these headlines and news bites in passing can be confusing to know what’s... Read More

Becoming a more mindful leader

February 16, 2018February 16, 2018 Dan Elder

Mindful leadership—it’s a phrase that when first heard I wanted to pass off as some buzzword nonsense. But in more than a few mediums, I begin to see and hear people in different corners and perspectives chime in, as I learned more I began to realize that mindfulness is actually quite important when it comes to leadership. I ask myself, would... Read More

Inconsistency of writing non-commissioned officer versus noncommissioned officer

February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 Dan Elder

Non-Commissioned Officer vs. Noncommissioned Officer To hyphenate, or not to hyphenate—that is the question at hand today. So there it is, you’re a noncommissioned officer, and now you have to write out your new job title. How do you write it? Is it noncommissioned officer or non-commissioned officer? Some might argue that it simply depends on who you ask. Other,... Read More

Thank You For Your Service: Respecting Those In Uniform, And The Entire Organization They Represent

January 24, 2018January 24, 2018 Dan Elder

DOD LGBT Pride Month event celebration cake. The celebration was held on the Pentagon Courtyard, June 8, 2016. The event is an opportunity for the entire DOD community to come together and celebrate the great diversity of the American people in a festive, affirming atmosphere. President Barack Obama signed a proclamation, May 31, 2016, designating June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual... Read More

Increased pay is vital to recruiting and troop retention

January 15, 2018January 16, 2018 Dan Elder

Increased pay is vital to recruiting and troop retention Employee retention is hard for any company. When even Forbes 500 companies spend time brainstorming ways to keep their best and brightest, it’s no surprise that the military could stand to do the same sort of soul-searching. Retaining military service members has its own brand of unique challenges, but, when... Read More

Does Holiday Exodus impact soldier training?

January 8, 2018 Dan Elder

Does Holiday Exodus impact soldier training? Another year has come and gone, sending us all back to schools, jobs, and obligations we’ve put off to be with family—or maybe binge watch our favorite TV show. Do you remember what you were doing that final day in the office of 2017? I know I don’t—except for maybe willing the time to... Read More

Excessive Training Pulls Service Members Away From Core Military Tasks Before Deployment

January 3, 2018January 3, 2018 Dan Elder

Excessive Training Pulls Service Members Away From Core Military Tasks Before Deployment We’ve all been there—you find yourself sitting through yet another IT safety powerpoint training. Soldiers aren’t interested, you aren’t interested and yet requirements for this sort of mindless training continue to eat up space on an increasingly crowded training calendar. You wonder if there is a better way... Read More