P-385-63 US Army Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Guide Download
Page 16 of 65
12 DA PAM 600–25 • 11 December 2018 many of these activities take place has evolved and adds complexity to some kinds of tasks, and also adds to the importance of others. b. Technological advancements in equipment and weapons are designed to allow Soldiers to see, understand, and take decisive action. NCOs must train Soldiers to quickly synthesize information at hand, relate the product to the commander’s intent, and take the appropriate and decisive action. Tailored situational training is repeated, until tasks are mastered, under increasingly complex conditions. Consequently, Soldiers will develop intuitive actions, exploit the full capabilities of their equipment, and accomplish the mission as intended by the unit commander. 2–13. Institutional training a. Institutional training and education is the foundation used to develop future leaders. The NCO must be trained and educated continuously, building the expertise that requires a learn-ahead approach. The NCO Professional Development System (NCOPDS) is a combination of the educational processes and gates of leader development for the Army’s largest cohort, the NCO corps. Designed to be progressive and sequential, it provides the self-development and resident roadmap for developmental success of the NCO from initial transformation from the led to a leader to the final gate of strategic management at the nominative Sergeant Major level. b. The One Army School System (OASS) is a set of processes designed to provide relevant and realistic training to units and personnel within multicomponent training centers by utilizing existing resources. The OASS allows Army com- ponents to meet the various challenges of operating training environments by increasing technical and specialized func- tional development. The OASS function is to provide standardized education, optimize training capacity, improve instruc- tional development, reduce temporary duty costs, and integrate the RA, USAR, and ARNG into a multicomponent training environment. c. The “select train educate promote” (STEP) framework is a component of an NCOPDS that assigns and balances training and education responsibilities across learning domains while synchronizing training, education, retention, and promotion policies to provide all Soldiers an opportunity for development and advancement. STEP ensures Soldiers pos- sess the appropriate training, education, and experience prior to promotion to the next higher grade, in order to best prepare them for the unknown and the unknowable amid constant change. d. STEP is a framework for executing the NCOPDS, supported by three other NCOPDS components: career learning content; learning environment; and a systemic approach to self-awareness. e. Institutional learning is the formal military training and education NCOs receive throughout a military career. At- tending the PME and SSD/DLC courses are critical learning experiences that prepare NCOs to apply learned knowledge during unit training, other learning activities, and during mission execution. Army Regulation 600–8–19 identifies a pro- gressive, sequential training path for enlisted Soldiers required to attain eligibility for promotion. Army Regulation 350–1 identifies required and desired levels of training by enlisted rank. The purpose of institutional learning is to develop the values, attributes, critical warfighting skills, and actions that are essential to quality NCO leadership. When these same values, attributes, skills, and actions are tested, reinforced, and strengthened by follow-on operational assignments and meaningful self-development programs, NCOs attain and sustain competency and confidence in their profession of arms. The NCOPDS and other functional courses (for example, the Battle Staff NCO Course (BSNCOC) form the institutional training pillar of NCO leader development). Knowledge learned in NCOPDS contributes to building the unique identity of the NCO corps that is critical to having an effective partnership among Soldiers, NCOs, and officers. Numerous courses support both Army requirements and the professional needs of individual NCOs. It is difficult to anticipate and specify the many combinations of courses that apply to both Army and individual needs. However, representative courses particularly suitable for various MOS are discussed in detail in the Smartbook DA Pam 600–25 at https://www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/smartbook-da-pam-600–25/overview. The NCOPDS is designed to prepare NCOs to lead and train Soldiers who work and fight under their direct leadership, and to assist their assigned leaders to execute unit missions. The NCOPDS does this through progressive and sequential learning, using small group instruction through- out six levels of schooling: basic, advanced, senior, master, Sergeants Major Course and Nominative Leader courses. Functional courses are based on specific skills required for special assignments or duties. The Army uses resident and distance learning instruction to deliver institutional training. (1) The Basic Leaders Course (BLC) is a non-MOS specific, field-oriented leadership course built around basic leader tasks. The BLC trains eligible Soldiers. The training focuses on values, attributes, skills, and actions needed for team and squad leadership responsibilities at the rank of SGT. (2) The Advance Leaders Course (ALC) consists of technical training. Technical training is “hands-on,” performance- oriented, and specific to the MOS. The level of training received at ALC progressively and sequentially improves on the previous instruction received in the BLC and operational assignments.