5 Important NCO Roles

From the Desk of CSM Thompson

Good afternoon, it is time for another of my leadership rants. I know it has been a while since I have written one, but life sometimes takes over.

The NCO is vital to the operation of any military organization. As stated in the NCO Creed, NCOs are the “Backbone of the Army.” Without the NCO running the day-to-day operations of the organization, the mission will not be accomplished. The NCO takes the commander’s intent and turns it into action.

Today we will discuss some of the major roles an NCO performs. While an NCO’s job is multifaceted, these are 5 roles that are at the forefront of their jobs. NCOs oversee military training, practical leadership, role modelling, unit standards and mentoring.

Military Training – NCOs are responsible for training the enlisted corps. This begins at Basic Training. NCOs are the ones that have hands-on, face-to-face interaction with the troops. When in basic training, the recruits rarely see an officer, and when they do it is usually to handle administrative, personnel or disciplinary issues. The actual training is done by the Drill Sergeants and enlisted subject matter experts. Moving on to AIT, it is usually NCOs with experience in the MOS training doing the training. At line units, the NCOs are responsible for the training schedule. They receive the commander’s intent from the Company Commander or Platoon Leader, and it is the NCO that turns that intent into the training. We as NCOs need to remember that we control the training schedule.

Too many times, when I ask about the training being conducted at unit level, I hear that the Lieutenant or the Captain has set out what needs to be done in detail. When we allow micromanagement, it dilutes the NCO’s authority to run the military training. The NCOs know the troops and have a better understanding of how to get the mission accomplished. We need to take ownership of our unit training schedules and ensure that we are getting the job done. As I said earlier, the Officers provide the general requirements for the training, while the NCO makes it happen. They tell us what needs to be done, not how to do it.

For this to work, there needs to be a relationship established between the officer and the NCO. Many times, the officer comes out with a detailed plan that “must be followed” because that Officer does not have confidence in the NCO’s ability to make things happen. If this is the reason, it is probably because the NCO has not established a relationship with the officer and the officer lacks confidence in the NCO’s ability to get the job done. To avoid this, the NCO needs to establish a relationship with the officer. Once that relationship is established and the officer has confidence in the NCO, the task can be accomplished in the manner the NCO sees fit. The lesson here is that relationship building is important to the accomplishment of the mission.

Practical Leadership – The NCO is responsible for practical leadership. This means ensuring that those lower in the chain of command are being mentored and understand their roles. In 2020, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff put out his list of desired leader attributes. There were 4, but I will concentrate on the first two because this is the basis of Practical Leadership.

The first principle is “Operating in intent through trust, empowerment, and understanding.” As leaders we must trust our troops to make the right decision. We can’t always be everywhere, so we need to ensure our troops are trained to make the right call. We need to empower our troops to make decisions on the spot without worrying about calling for permission. This provides them with the practical leadership and decision-making skills they need. We also must be understanding. New leaders make mistakes (so do seasoned leaders). As supervisors, we need to ensure we are not nailing them to the wall for honest mistakes. This allows the troop to make necessary decisions without worrying about getting in trouble. Of course, there is a fine line between honest mistakes and fiascos, and we must ensure we continue to train our people, so the latter does not happen.

This brings us to the CJCS’s second attribute. “Making ethical decisions based on the profession of arms.” We need to train our troops in ethical decision making. Ethical decision making is defined as “the process of evaluating and choosing among alternatives in a manner consistent with ethical principles.” It involves ensuring that when you make decisions, you consider the core values of the organization while also making sure you are taking care of your troops. Decisions made on an ethical basis mean the right calls are being made for the right reasons. This becomes a “win-win” for everyone involved.

The NCO Creed says, “All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership, I will provide that leadership.” A leader that follows these two attributes will be able to provide the type of leadership we need to provide to our troops. This is the basis for practical leadership.

Role Modelling – NCOs are the role models. Beginning with the recruiting process, new recruits look to their NCOs to see “what right looks like.” NCOs are the professionals, the subject matter experts. A good NCO will always be in the right uniform, comply with height/weight standards and be within grooming standards. The troops should look to the NCO as the person they want to emulate. Again, quoting the NCO Creed, “I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself.” This is both in and out of uniform, at drill and between drills. If you have anything referencing the Texas State Guard or Texas Military Department on your vehicle, there is another opportunity to be a role model. No matter how upset other drivers make you, you should not succumb to road rage. You never know when one of your subordinates or a member of the public may be watching. Believe me, there are those out there that will let us know if someone that is supposed to be a member of the Texas State Guard is acting up. Personally, in the past 3 months, there have been 2 times that I have encountered TXSG personnel while on duty at my civilian job. Both times, I did not know they were in the organization until after my initial contact with them. Since they knew who I was, I am sure they were watching to see how I acted.

Unit Standards – NCOs are the enforcers of the standards, and we need to know those standards. NCOs should be familiar with all policies and regulations of the organization. This includes accession, promotions, uniform wear, promotions and drill and ceremonies, among others. An NCO should be the person the E1 through E4 goes to with questions about any of the above and have the answers. If you don’t know something, there is no shame in telling the troop that you don’t know. But that should be followed up by saying I will find out. Then find the answer and promptly give it to the person who asked the question.

We need to be just and equitable on how we enforce the standards. We cannot ignore a regulation or part of a regulation because we don’t like or agree with it. One example is that of “ranger rolls” on patrol caps. There are many personnel that like them because they think it gives them a “tacticool” look. But according to DA PAM 670-1, Chapter 4 paragraph 4-10 a. (2) “No rolling of, blocking or alterations to the cap are authorized.” Many NCOs wear ranger rolls on their caps and when they are reminded of the prohibition, they say “that’s stupid” or “oh well it’s just a little thing.” Well, stupid or not, it’s the regulation. It is a slippery slope. If we let this little thing go, then what happens when something bigger is violated?

We also must remember to be equitable across the board when enforcing standards. We cannot have one set of standards for our friends and another for those that we don’t know very well or those we don’t like. Professionalism means putting personal feelings aside and being just when enforcing standards.

Enforcing unit standards also means ensuring customs and courtesies are practiced. Things like standing at attention when speaking with an officer or at parade rest when speaking with an NCO are an important part of military tradition. By allowing troops to forget these small things, it starts to chip away at the discipline of the unit. NCOs are the keepers of the traditions of the service, and we should always set the example and

Drill and ceremonies is another important part of unit standards. Accountability formations should be conducted each morning of drill. Squad and platoon level drill is important in building teamwork and comradeship. It is also a part of the responsibility of an NCO. While we may not use drill to move on the battlefield, it is a way to move a formation from one location to another in an orderly, proficient military manner. We also never know when we will be asked to participate in a parade for a community event. A sharp, well-disciplined unit will do wonders for recruiting.

Finally, mentoring is an important aspect of being an NCO. We need to mentor and develop our subordinates because we won’t be around forever. We need to ensure the generation taking our place can move the organization forward positively. When we invest in our junior enlisted, we are ensuring the future of the Texas State Guard. This takes us back to role modelling. When junior troops look at you, they should see a person they want to be like. You may not even know you are inspiring that troop, it’s a silent mentorship. On the flip side of that, bad leaders have a negative effect on the unit morale. Some young troops will imitate that behavior and develop as ineffective leaders. Other troops will see the bad leader for what he or she is. In the best instance, they will recognize the bad leadership and vow to never be like that person.

That mentoring also spreads to officers. Remember, NCOs are the subject matter experts. While Officers may be in a position for 2 to 3 years, many NCOs have gone through their entire career in their chosen MOS. Officers right out of training (OCS or DCOOC) as well as those that have been officers in federal service also may need mentoring. For those new officers, they will have to understand the relationship between NCOs and officers. We need to ensure we are steering our young, inexperienced officers in the right direction. For those that have served in the federal forces, our job is to make sure they understand the differences between federal service and state service. While much is the same, there is a whole lot that is not.

In our ongoing quest to be the best leaders we can be, we need to remember that it is up to us to do everything we can not only to develop ourselves, but everyone around us.

As always, I will end this rant as I do with all of them. A quote from my father that I have used and followed for over 40 years. MISSION, MEMBERS, ME.?