P-385-63 US Army Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Guide Download
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16 DA PAM 600–25 • 11 December 2018 Service members Opportunity Colleges Army Degree (SOCAD) Degree Network System (DNS) program, which guaran- tees Soldiers’ transfer of credits and acceptance of nontraditional credits such as military experience and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests. Additionally, College of the American Soldier offers two degree programs, the Career NCO Degrees Program and the Enlisted Education Program, to expand existing civilian higher education degree choices. They provide Soldiers and NCOs in CMFs 11, 13, 14, and 19 with college credit for specific NCOPDS courses taken throughout their careers. The Career NCO Degrees Program offers associate and bachelor degrees, whereas the Enlisted Education Program offers associate’s degrees to first-term Soldiers. The programs are open to Soldiers in all MOSs. De- grees selected for the program are offered both through distance learning and in traditional classroom settings on, or near, military installations. Degrees will be identified as part of this program within the SOCAD Degree Network System Hand- book and in TRADOC PD materials. All Soldiers across all components apply for tuition assistance and may also enroll in college courses through GoArmyEducation (GoArmyEd), (www.goarmyed.com) a virtual gateway for requesting tui- tion assistance online, anytime for both classroom and distance learning college courses. Tuition assistance is authorized to pay for voluntary off- duty education programs that support Army educational objectives and Soldiers’ self-development goals. These programs help Soldiers earn undergraduate degrees that are recommended on various PDMs. Education coun- selors help Soldiers apply for tuition assistance. Army Reserve Soldiers should contact their servicing Reserve Component Education Center for assistance. d. Education centers offer testing for a wide range of academic and vocational tests. These tests include the Test of Adult Basic Education—a reading comprehension test for NCOPDS, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and American College Test for college entrance, and the College Level Examination Program/DSST standardized test for college credit. e. The Army Continuing Education System (ACES) provides language training for nonlinguists through host-nation orientation and instruction in basic language skills. Soldiers assigned to an overseas location are eligible for host-nation training. These courses enhance language skills of Soldiers whose primary duties require frequent contact with host-nation counterparts. Materials are also available for maintaining language skills. f. Soldiers competing for promotion may receive promotion points for college courses. Promotion points for technical certifications must be listed on the approved Army U credentialing strategy. Contact ArmyU for final language in creden- tialing strategy. (1) Soldiers interested in a certification that is not included on the ArmyU credentialing strategy should contact their proponent SGM. (2) The certification must be current as required by the certifying authority. (3) Soldiers must ensure certification documents are submitted to their unit for permanent entry into their records in order to be awarded promotion points. g. Technical certifications and licenses promote Soldiers’ professionalism, competence, and readiness while in uniform, and prepares Soldiers for civilian post-service. (1) Army Credentialing Opportunities On-line (COOL) (www.cool.army.mil) provides information about civilian cer- tifications and licenses, to include credential description, relatedness to MOS and ASIs, agency contact information, eligi- bility requirements, exam requirements, and exam preparation resources. (2) Soldiers who earn a certification or license listed on Army COOL may submit certification documentation to their unit to be added to their military records. (3) Soldiers competing for promotion to SGT and SSG receive additional promotion points for completing approved technical certifications and licenses (refer to AR 600–8–19). 2–17. Professional development model and career maps Each proponent defines the appropriate mix of education, training, and experience needed by noncommissioned officers at each grade level within the context of the overarching requirement to develop adaptive leaders. The demands of each specialty balanced with broadening opportunities are reflected in the proponent sections in Smartbook DA Pam 600–25, at https://www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/smartbook-da-pam-600–25/overview. While HRCs primary role is to sustain Army readiness at the unit level, a secondary role is to foster development of NCOs by using these models. HRC distributes Soldiers in accordance with the Army manning guidance; matching a specific NCOs talent to meet an Army requirement at the brigade level while considering professional development needs and Soldier Family concerns and preferences. Ulti- mately, commanders in the field assign Soldiers to specific positions, evaluate performance and potential, and provide counseling and training to further develop talents and manner of performance. A Soldier’s shared responsibility is to seek self-improvement and opportunities for their own professional development. To facilitate the professional development of NCOs, HRC operates in concert with various responsible agents to include: the individual; the Army and branch propo- nents; the DCS, G–3/5/7; commanders in the field and the senior Army leadership. NCO professional development is a responsibility shared by all. Life-cycle development models portray the full range of training, education, and experiences for the development of our future leaders. The PDM/career maps serves as the professional reference for a successful