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REVOLUTIONARY REGIMENTAL STAFF • Three field officers. • Six staff officers. • Four staff NCOs: A sergeant major. A quartermaster sergeant. Two lead musicians. P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-1

THE COLOR SERGEANT • Led the color guard. • Maintained proper alignment and cadence. • Focal point on which men dressed.

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REVOLUTIONARY COMPANY • • • •

Four officers. Four sergeants. Two musicians(A fifer and a drummer). Eighty “rank and file” soldiersFour corporals Seventy-six privates

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CIVIL WAR REGIMENTAL NCO STAFF • • • • •

A sergeant major. A quartermaster sergeant. A commissary sergeant. A hospital steward and, Two musicians.

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GENERAL PERSHING’S MESSAGE “NCOs must love initiative and hold what ground they gained to the utmost. It often happens that a sergeant or even a corporal may decide a battle by the boldness with which he seizes a bit of ground and holds it.” P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-5

NCOES 1971 • The Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course(BNCOC). • The Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course(ANCOC). • The Sergeants Major Course(SMC).

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PREREVOLUTIONARY PERIOD MILITIA • Created for protection against Indians on the frontier and warring European powers. • Blended French, British, and Prussian traditions. • Involved in first fighting between colonists and British in American Revolution. P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-7

THE BLUE BOOK • NCO selected by and responsible to the commander. • No NCO could transfer and retain grade. • Stressed NCO responsibility for the care, discipline, and training of soldiers. • Initiated a Company Descriptive Book. P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-8

CIVIL WAR RESULTS • Deadlier weapons ended the use of linear formation tactics. • Eliminated the color sergeant’s role. • All NCOs to receive training in giving commands.

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WORLD WAR I • Raised the status of the NCO corps. • Reemphasized the the use of small unit tactics. • Prepared NCOs for the age of modern warfare.

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WORLD WAR II • Placed greater demands on NCO leadership skills. • NCO retained grade upon transfer • Forced the creation of a new specialist rank “techs.” • These technical specialists proved essential to winning the war. P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-11

KOREAN WAR • Opening months of war demonstrated the neglect in training. • Majority of fighting took the form of small unit actions. • Emphasized the need to maintain a well trained minimum amount of forces to meet the worldwide Communist threat. P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-12

VIETNAM WAR EFFORT • First forces used as military advisors. • Success depended on small unit leadership. • Airmobility made the role of the NCO more effective and of greater importance. • This war belonged to the platoon sergeant, squad, patrol, and fire team leader. P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-13

TRIUMPH OF PROFESSIONALISM • Elimination of the draft. • Implementation of an all volunteer force, the Modern Volunteer Army(MVA). • Created a new enlisted rank structure. • Noncommissioned Officer Education System(NCOES) initiated. P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-14

TRIUMPH OF PROFESSIONALISM (Cont) • Implementation of the Enlisted Personnel Management System(EPMS) to regulate all career development for enlisted personnel. • Evolution of the Noncommissioned Officer Development Program(NCODP) which emphasized “doing” rather than “testing.” P205/MAR 98/PLDC/VA-14(cont.)