P-385-63 US Army Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Guide Download
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DA PAM 600–25 • 11 December 2018 13 (3) The Senior Leaders Course (SLC) is structured similar to ALC and prepares NCOs to assume duties and responsi- bilities needed to lead a platoon or company-sized element. The SLC has proponent phases that include hands-on and performance-oriented training, emphasizing war-fighting skills. (4) The Master Leader Course (MLC) is designed to challenge and educate selected Sergeants First Class in the areas of professional writing, communication skills, public speaking, critical thinking, organizational and command leadership, management skills, joint and operational level of war fighting, discipline, readiness, health, and administrative require- ments. In addition, students will be exposed to topics like national security, JIIM environments, and strategic thinking. (5) The Sergeants Major Course (SMC) prepares selected MSGs to perform duties of a SGM and a command sergeant major (CSM) in staff and troop assignments. This course provides training to senior noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) in the range of military operations, the contemporary operational environment, and the JIIM environment. (6) The Nominative Leader Course (NLC), executed by the Center for Strategic Leadership and Development of the U.S. Army War College, directly supports the ALDS. The course addresses an institutional development void for Army executive level CSM and SGMs at the one-and two-star nominative level. NLC provides a unique opportunity for the senior Army NCO leadership to engage these NCOs, ensuring they understand the Army's current strategic message(s), goals, and objectives and enlisting their efforts to promote or accomplish them. NLC presents material that encourages personal and professional reflection, critical assessment, and consideration of the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambig- uous issues that currently dominate the JIIM environment. f. Each NCOPDS course is a blend of training and education activities. Early courses in the NCOPDS are comprised primarily of activities designed to train individual tasks, while courses for SNCOs will be comprised primarily of educa- tional topics designed to broaden NCOs’ management and leadership knowledge. Functional courses such as drill sergeant, recruiter, instructor/facilitator, and attaché training are required for special assignments. Other functional courses, such as the BSNCOC and the Company Commander (CC)/1SG Pre-Command Course, provide specific skills required for duties in operations and leadership areas of responsibility. CSMs attend the Pre-Command CSM Course to prepare them for their initial duty as a CSM. g. Army warrior training maintains Soldier proficiency performing warrior tasks and battle drills (WTBD). All Soldiers must be ready to fight and complete the mission by applying the warrior skills learned through the fundamentals of WTBD. Proficiency in WTBD is enhanced through the execution of tasks in the following categories; shoot, move, communicate, first aid, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN), and battle drills. 2–14. Assignments Assignments facilitate the accumulation of experiences over time; providing opportunities to employ and further develop those skills and knowledge attained through the process of institutional training. Experience gained through a variety of challenging operational assignments prepares NCOs to lead Soldiers in combat. a. Operational assignments. Primarily a modified table of organization and equipment (MTOE) assignment with duties in your MOS or CMF to numbered armies, corps, divisions, brigades, and battalions that conduct decisive action as part of unified land operations; expeditionary in nature and deployable worldwide. b. Institutional assignments. Primarily a table of distribution and allowances (TDA) assignment, with duties in your MOS or CMF focused on supporting the operational Army. Institutional organizations provide the infrastructure necessary to raise, train, equip, deploy, and ensure the readiness of all Army forces, as well as provide installation and area support. c. Key and developmental billets and assignments. Operational or institutional MOS and CMF positions, identified by a respective proponent as required to develop critical technical and leadership skills and experience that provide the greatest potential for advancement. d. Broadening billets and assignments. Operational or institutional positions in a command or agency where duties are outside of one's MOS or CMF, or duties are at the operational or strategic levels. These assignments offer a purposeful expansion of an NCO’s core MOS proficiency and leadership, resulting in agile and adaptive leaders capable of operating in complex environments. Broadening opportunities are crucial in developing leaders with a wider range of experiences and skills who can operate in ever-changing global environments. The intent is to allow NCOs to explore and learn through broadening experiences (depth and breadth) as leaders, through more challenging assignments, over time. The end-state is to support development of leaders who are broad enough to operate with a global mindset and across the range of military operations. Broadening assignment guidance for NCO ranks: (1) Broadening developmental opportunities. Examples of broadening through developmental assignments are Joint, NATO, drill sergeant, recruiter, AIT platoon sergeant, instructor, ROTC, inspector general (IG) NCO, brigade level sexual assault response coordinator or sexual harassment/assault response and prevention coordinator, and EOA assignments. Mostly, these assignments are MOS-immaterial and challenge the NCO to increase their knowledge of Army policy and programs, increase skills beyond their CMF by performing the required duties of the assignment, and encourage growth as well as mentorship of these key attributes: character, presence, and intellect.