The History of the NCO Corps

Paper Summary:

The paper defines a non-commissioned officer as a member of the armed forces, who ranks below a second lieutenant in the Army but is still in a position of leadership. The paper relates that the NCO is a crucial part of the foundation of the armed forces, as the system would not function without the works of those in the non-commissioned ranks. They make crucial decisions associated with the immediate needs of the system, especially in battle when communication with superiors can be limited. The paper concludes that the NCO Corps are now considered a professional and elite part of the US Army.

From the Paper:

"The commissioned officer or as they are sometimes called enlisted officer, usually holds a degree earned outside the military as well as a certification called a commission that he or she is a management generalist and a trained leader while the noncommissioned officer has been educated or trained in his field within the military establishment. In the past the designations also usually indicated that the noncommissioned soldier was conscripted while the commissioned or enlisted officer was a volunteer. Though in more modern times, most militaries have converted to an exclusively volunteer army, making the former distinction the more applicable."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Baron von Steuben" Website at: http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/steuben.html
• "Brief History of the NCO" Website at: www.armystudyguide.com
• "Building a NCO" Website at: http://www.ncopd.com/Articles/193.html
• "Commissioned Officer" Website at: www.answers.com
• "Encyclopedia of the First World War" http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWweapons.htm)

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