Author: Dan Elder

Dan is a leadership coach, management consultant, and change agent who has mentored hundreds of leaders at all levels. A retired Command Sergeant Major with more than 26-years serving soldiers and their families, he has deployments to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq. Dan's culminating assignment was as the senior enlisted advisor of a major Army Command (USAMC) and as the Army's senior enlisted sustainer. He served on the Sergeant Major of the Army's Board of Directors and is author, editor or advisor to a number of soldier-related books and articles. Working as an independent consultant and small-business owner in Killeen TX, Dan continues to serve soldiers as a Blogger, Podcaster and Speaker. He was selected as the first enlisted Senior Fellow for the Association of the United States Army and was inducted to the US Army Sergeants Major Academy Wall of Fame, and the US Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame

A Conversation with CSM (Ret.) Joe Gainey, Podcast #8

March 14, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

Joe Gainey Interview For this week’s podcast I had a conversation with Command Sergeant Major William (Joe) Gainey, a career Calvaryman and Scout, Joe was CJTF-7 and MNC-I CSM, and was selected as the first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. CSM (Ret.) Joe Gainey entered basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky on June... Read More

NCO Creed SNAFU

March 11, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

Creed SNAFU As one of the co-authors of the History of the NCO Creed, I occasionally get pinged about the inexplicable recent transposition of the words tactical and technical in various writings of the Creed, so I thought I would try to clear the air for those who still may be confused. The NCO Creed was not a standardized Creed... Read More

Interview with the USASMA CSM

March 11, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

This is one in our series of interviews with noncommissioned officers from the field, as well as those in key or strategic positions who are influencing the Army and the Noncommissioned Officer Corps. This interview is with Command Sergeant Major Rory L. Malloy, who serves as the 21st Commandant of the US Army Sergeants Major Academy, the second enlisted soldier... Read More

How to Counsel: The NCO Guide Podcast #7

March 5, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

How to Counsel This week in Episode # of the NCO Guide CSM (Ret) Dan Elder and CSM (Ret) Archie Davis talk about the importance of communication, and provide advice and tips on how to counsel. Please add comments here in the comments section, or call our Hotline at (254) 853-4410, or use the Twitter hashtag #NCOGuide and tell us... Read More

RFI: How to Counsel?

March 2, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

RFI: How to Counsel? One of the most basic fundamentals of leadership is Communication, next week the NCO Guide hosts delve in to the finer points of organizational behavior and the fundamentals of communication. We then look at good techniques for counselors and how to counsel, and discuss ideas to help noncommissioned officers improve their craft. We want your feedback... Read More

Standards and Discipline, Episode #6

February 24, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

Standards and Discipline This week on the NCO Guide CSM (Ret) Dan Elder and CSM (Ret) Archie Davis talk about Standards and Discipline in NCO Guide podcast #6. We look at and define Standards, review doctrine, and ask ourselves and YOU about standards and discipline? Please add comments here in the comments section, or call our Hotline at (254) 853-4410,... Read More

Podcast #5 The NCO Vision, is it Relevant?

February 14, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

NCO Vision This week on the NCO Guide CSM (Ret) Dan Elder and CSM (Ret) Archie Davis ask the question in NCO Guide podcast #5 “Is the NCO Vision Relevant?” We look at the history, the doctrine and ask ourselves and YOU what is a Vision, and is the NCO Vision still applicable as it was when it was created? Special... Read More

We Already had an Army Logo

February 10, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

Army Logo Already Existed The United States Army Institute of Heraldry is probably pretty pissed right now. Created in 1919 to approve and coordinate the coats of arms and insignia of U.S. Army organizations, for almost 100 years they have been the standards bearer for heraldic and other military symbols for not only the US Army, but other elements of the federal... Read More

What’s wrong with the Change of Responsibility Ceremony?

February 3, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

Change of Responsibility Ceremony Noncommissioned officers are expected to teach military customs, courtesies, and traditions, yet what do you do when customs and traditions either are non-standardized or are still emerging? I mean how can something be a tradition to share and hand down when it is only just now becoming mainstream? Today the Change of Responsibility Ceremony is one of... Read More

RFI: Upcoming Podcast, “The NCO Vision, is it Relevant?”

February 2, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

Is The NCO Vision Relevant? Next week on the NCO Guide we ask the question “The NCO Vision, is it Relevant?” We look at doctrine, as well as what is going on in the field, and talk about the NCO Vision. This week we hope to hear from you as we take comments from our readers and listeners online and in social... Read More

Podcast: Who is Training the Platoon Leader?

January 31, 2014January 17, 2018 Dan Elder

Who is Training the Platoon Leader? Please note we are aware of our technical problem and the poor sound quality. We felt it important to share this discussion and we will work harder to ensure our levels are corrected for future editions. This week on the NCO Guide CSM (Ret) Dan Elder and CSM (Ret) Archie Davis ask the question... Read More

RFI: Upcoming Podcast, “Who is training the Platoon Leader?”

January 27, 2014January 18, 2018 Dan Elder

Who is training the Platoon Leader This week on the NCO Guide we ask the question “Who is Training the Platoon Leader?” We look at doctrine, as well as what is going on in the field, and talk about who is training the Platoon Leader. This week we hope to hear from you as we take comments from our readers and... Read More

Authority of the NCO, Podcast #3 (Jan 21, 2014)

January 23, 2014January 18, 2018 Dan Elder

Authority of the NCO Podcast #3 (Jan 21, 2014). This week on the NCO Guide podcast CSM (Ret.) Dan Elder and CSM (Ret.) Archie Davis discuss from where noncommissioned officer authority comes from, and we look over the 10-functions of the NCO Support Channel. Visit us at https://ncoguide.com or call our Hotline at (254) 853-4410 to engage. Use hashtag #ncoguide on Twitter.... Read More

Interview with a 2-time ACOM CSM

January 21, 2014January 18, 2018 Dan Elder

This is one in our series of interviews with noncommissioned officers from the field, as well as those in key or strategic positions who are influencing the Army and the Noncommissioned Officer Corps. This interview is with Command Sergeant Major Ronald T. Riling, who served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor of two of the three Army Commands, Forces Command and... Read More

RFI: Upcoming Podcast, “Duties of the NCO”

January 18, 2014January 18, 2018 Dan Elder

Duties of the NCO Here at the NCO Guide we touched on our plans for more discussion of the Authority of the Noncommissioned in a future podcast in our review of the Joint NCO/PO book, so we hope you have a question or topic to send us in advance to join in the conversation. We will address on the podcast... Read More

Developing Trust, Episode #2

January 17, 2014January 18, 2018 Dan Elder

Developing Trust In Edition #2 we talk about a foundational characteristic of soldiering, and that is Trust. This week CSM (Ret.) Dan Elder and CSM (Ret.) Archie Davis dissect the term Trust and talk about trust between comrades, between the leader and the led, as well as trust in our leaders, appointed and elected. We have opened the discussion in... Read More

Ontology of NCO as the Backbone of the Army

January 16, 2014March 10, 2018 Dan Elder

Ontology of NCO Soldier’s, Marines, and now captured in the Armed Forces NCO/PO Book, hear told the story of the noncommissioned officer as “the Backbone of the Army,” but where does the phrase come from? It is easy to think how the Backbone holds up the body and understand the correlation, but few realize the phrase was first coined in 1896... Read More

Interview with the Army IG Sergeant Major

January 5, 2014January 18, 2018 Dan Elder

This is one in our series of interviews with noncommissioned officers from the field, as well as those in key or strategic positions who are influencing the Army and the Noncommissioned Officer Corps. This interview is with Sergeant Major Allen Fritzsching, IG Sergeant Major and Senior Enlisted Advisor to The Inspector General, US Army. Below are his responses to our... Read More

Interview with a Sergeant Audie Murphy Club Member

January 3, 2014January 18, 2018 Dan Elder

This is one in our series of interviews with noncommissioned officers from the field, as well as those in key or strategic positions who are influencing the Army and the Noncommissioned Officer Corps. This current interview is with Master Sergeant Erica Lehmkuhl who has served over 19-years at nearly every enlisted level within a Signal Company and deployments to Bosnia and... Read More

Book Review-The Noncommissioned Officer and Petty Officer: Backbone of the Armed Forces

December 30, 2013January 18, 2018 Dan Elder

Backbone of the Armed Forces Book Review I read the book The Noncommissioned Officer and Petty Officer: Backbone of the Armed Forces on my iPad during a recent flight and it kept me company for the entire 2 hours. It may seem daunting once you see the 180ish pages, but don’t let that spook you off. Only 92 pages are new... Read More