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TEAMWORK, COHESION, AND ESPRIT
Teamwork
Crews, not individuals, fight tanks, and the crews must train
together, know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, know their
machines. When it works, it is magnificent and irresistible. -CSM
Richard L. Ross, "As We Face the Future the Glass Is Half Full."
Armor, May-Jun 1992, p. 5
One requisite necessary to win the battle is intelligent team
work.... The one question that always presents itself on the battle
field every minute of the time to every person, whether he be a
general or a private, is "What play has my team captain ordered, and
how best may I act so as to work in conjunction with the other
players to bring about the desired result?"... A poor play in which
every player enters with his whole heart (team work) will often win,
while, on the other hand, the best play in which some of the players
are skulkers and shirkers will probably fail. -Manual for
Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the
United States, 1917, pp. 149-150
Together we can do almost anything. -CSM Sammy W. Wise, "From the
CSM." Military Intelligence, Oct-Dec 1984 p. 3
There is no "I" in team. -SSG James P. Gerkin, "The Ordnance NCO-
Continuing a Proud Tradition." Ordnance, Nov 1989, p. 11
"We" is a beautiful pronoun. -1SG John M. Liggett, "What
NCO’s Expect from Officers." Infantry, Nov-Dec 1972, p. 27
Developing Teamwork
Your unit becomes a team only when your soldiers trust and
respect you and each other as trained professionals and see the
importance of their contributions to the unit.... Integrity is the
basis for the trust and confidence that must exist among members of
the Army.... If you compromise your integrity, you break the bonds
of trust between you, your soldiers, and your leaders. -TC 22-6,
The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide, 1990, pp. 41, 17
A team is always in one of three stages of development:
formation, development, or sustainment.... What molds a group of
individuals together is acceptance, open communication, reliance on
one another, and acceptance of shared standards and values. At the
center of the team is the sergeant. -SFC John K. D’Amato, "Team
Building." NCO Journal, Spring 1991, p. 5
Morale, the mental, emotional, and spiritual state of an
individual and a team, is the "mortar" which keeps the building
blocks of the unit together. Once you have that morale, and have
built an effective, combat-ready team, you’ll find that your
soldiers will take the responsibility for sustaining the team’s
level of proficiency. You may have created the team and guided it
through its development, but at some point it will become their team
and their standards. -CSM George D. Mock and SFC John K. D’Amato,
"Building the Force: ‘Skill, Will and Teamwork.’" NCO Journal,
Summer 1991, p. 19
The name of the game is to make everybody feel part of the
family. And we do this by treating everybody as an individual. -SGM
Albert Lee Wallace, "Quarter Century with the Infantry." Army
Digest, May 1969, p. 39
It’s not enough to feel just a part of the team. Soldiers must
feel that they’re making an important contribution to that team.
[An] important factor in building cohesion centers on the frequency
leaders talk to soldiers.... Unit pride consists of four fundamental
components: the establishment of a positive command climate,
confidence in the members of a command, trust in the organization,
and a strong sense of affiliation to a specific unit. -CSM Ron R.
Semon and LTC Cole C. Kingseed, "Instilling Pride." NCO Journal,
Winter 1993, pp. 5, 4
We must guard against the use of the "old boy" networks in the
officer and NCO Corps that undercut our established systems. We have
extremely perceptive soldiers in the Army today. You will never be
able to hide cronyism from them. -GEN John A. Wickham, Collected
Works, 1987, p. 192
Nothing wrong with having a clique, so long as everybody’s in it.
-SMA William G. Bainbridge, Top Sergeant, 1995, p. 163
Team Leadership
It toucheth [the Sergeant] to see that his companie be well
ranked, in equall distance, and in good array, with their armour and
weapon fitted, and used in their due nature; the which he must doe,
with great forecast, cheerefull speeches, and courteous wordes,
binding them thereby to love him, to regarde him, to respect him....
Let [the Corporal] learne perfectly every souldiers name, and to
know the qualitie & valour of every one in particular, & be earnest
with them to keepe their armor neat, cleane and bright, and often to
practise the weapon they carrie, he himselfe ensigning and teaching
the...rawe men. -The Theorike and Practike of Moderne Warres,
1598, pp. 18, 16
Research on small-unit cohesion from World War II onward supports
the conclusion that NCOs have the most important role in building
cohesive units. -LTC W. Darryl Henderson, "Can-Do NCOs- with Clout-
Can Help Cohesion Problems." ARMY, Mar 1982, p. 18
You have to be able to sense when something is wrong among a
group of men. You’ve got to be able to detect undercurrents and
tensions between groups of men and between individuals. You get a
group of men feuding among themselves and it can tear a platoon
apart. You have to be alert to the way one group of buddies acts
toward another group. There’s a difference between friendly rivalry
and people who deep down are at each other’s throats.... There’s no
standard method for getting the groups working together again. You
can assign them more tasks requiring them to work together, or read
the riot act to them. There are other methods and you use the one
that’s most effective for the particular situation. -SFC Reuben H.
Heutner, "Platoon Sergeants." Soldiers, Sep 1975, p. 9
It was no accident that you became a team leader. Someone saw in
you the potential for excellence, the will to win, or some other
quality. -1SG Jeffrey J. Mellinger, "Open Letters to Three NCOs."
Infantry, May-Jun 1989, p. 17
Soldiers’ ability to sustain themselves and their fellow soldiers
during periods of high stress is built upon rock-hard confidence in
themselves and their leadership chain beginning with fire team
leaders or the noncommissioned officer of their section.... What we
have learned and relearned in our Army is that unit cohesion and
teamwork are what give individual soldiers the confidence to use
initiative, to be resourceful, and to be all they can be. -SMA Glen
E. Morrell, "What Soldiering Is All About." ARMY, Oct 1986,
pp. 41, 42
Cohesion
A company of soldiers, after they have served together for some
months, become like a large family. -SGT Augustus Meyers, Ten
Years in the Ranks U.S. Army [1854-1866], p. 43
We sort of look after each other the way the members of a family
do. You don’t really have any family but the boys, nor any home
except the one you make each night with them. -SGT Henry Giles,
WWII, The G.I. Journal of Sergeant Giles, p. 349
The communion between men [in infantry battalions] is as profound
as any between lovers. [It is] a bond that cannot be broken. -SFC
Kent F. Haws quoting from A Rumor of War, in "The NCO" In
Their Own Words, 1991, no page number
In the crucible of shared hardship and danger, social conventions
and prejudices have a tendency to boil away, and what is left behind
is a relationship between the members of a unit that goes deeper
than friendship. -The NCO Guide, 1986, p. 124
The most effective rapport is based on shared interests or goals.
This relationship is characterized by mutual trust, respect, and
understanding. This is achieved when each of the individuals
perceives the other as competent, mature, and responsible. -MSG
Melchor Becena, "Advising Host-Nation Forces: A Critical Art."
Special Warfare, May 1993, p. 27
This horse was my special pet; every soldier's horse ought to be.
It may be a little hard for a good soldier of fine feelings to pet a
miserable plug, and on the other hand, it may be a little hard for a
good horse to think much of his plug master- both combinations that
ought not to exist. Good men and horses having faith in each other
will follow the right kind of leader to victory or annihilation
without a murmur. -1SG Percival G. Lowe, Five Years a Dragoon
[1849-1854], pp. 178-179
Trust establishes the character within a command and ties leaders
and subordinates together. Camaraderie and cohesion are products of
demonstrated trust between leaders and subordinates. Trusting a
soldier to perform a critical task places his reputation and pride
on the line. The mission or task becomes very personal; the stakes
are high when trust is involved. The weakest leader or soldier will
try harder when placed in the limelight under fire. When the trusted
soldier is successful and that success is recognized by the leader,
the soldier gains confidence. With each success the attitude and
proficiency of the soldier improve. -SMA Glen E. Morrell, "Hard
Work, Leadership Still Keys to Quality." ARMY, Oct 1984, p.
52
Trust is that absolute element which all successful relationships
must be built on. Trust- the bedrock of the Noncommissioned Officer
Corps. -1SG Larry L. Tolar, in "The NCO" In Their Own Words,
1991, no page number
Cohesion in Combat
War brings out the worst in you. It turns you into a mad, fightin’
animal, but it also brings out something else, something I jes don’t
know how to describe, a sort of tenderness and love for the fellows
fightin’ with you. It’s sort of clean, like a fire of pine logs on a
frosty night. -SGT Alvin York, WWI, Sergeant York: His Own Life
Story and War Diary, p. 212
Colors have symbolized military units for thousands of years.
Some of the most interesting episodes in the history of our country
have to do with flags. One of these tells how a small group of Union
soldiers, held prisoners by the Confederates, made a Stars and
Stripes from their own clothing, flew it for a few minutes from the
rafters of the old warehouse in which they were imprisoned, and then
tore it into 22 pieces, one for each man who helped make it. Every
one then hid the piece of flag in his clothing and took it with him
when released from prison. In the years following the war, the
pieces were finally recovered and sewed together again to form the
flag, which is still in existence. -FM 21-13, The Soldier’s Guide,
1952, p. 31
The underlying reason that the U.S. Army Aviation is the best in
the world is because of dedicated, courageous, tactically and
technically proficient soldiers. [As a Platoon Sergeant in Vietnam]
we received a base camp message one day that one of our four-man,
long range patrols was in contact and had taken two casualties....
My First Sergeant and I immediately went across the air field to the
Division Aviation Operations Center.... In about 20 minutes we were
over the team. In the meantime helicopter gunships were on station
suppressing the enemy, who was making an all out effort to
annihilate the team. Within minutes the gunships stopped the assault
and allowed us to land on an old fire base approximately 500 meters
away from the team. I told the pilot, Captain Jackson, to drop us
and leave because of the incoming small arms fire. He said, "We will
wait for you."... We did extract the team. -SMA Julius W. Gates,
"U.S. Army Aviation: Dedicated, Courageous Soldiers." Army
Aviation, 31 Jan 1989, pp. 4, 3
Lasting Cohesion
In a street near the arsenal we stacked our guns, and upon their
bayonets we hung for the last time our equipments. It was a sad
moment; we had not realized before how it would seem to separate....
Eyes grew moist, cheeks that had been unblanched amid the horrors of
the battle-field became pale and sad in those moments of separation.
The ties that bound us together were of the most sacred nature; they
had been begotten in hardships and baptized in blood. Men who lived
together in the little shelter tent, slept beneath the same blanket,
had divided the scanty rations, and "drank from the same canteen"
were now to be separated forever. The last good-bye was said, our
ranks were broken for the last time, and we turned our faces
homeward.... Many of us have never met each other since; I presume
we never shall in this world; but in that day when the reveille of
God shall awaken the slumbering hosts of humanity, may we reform our
ranks upon the parade ground of eternity, as the soldiers of the
great Prince of Peace. -Theodore Gerrish, 20th Maine Volunteers,
Civil War, in Rank and File, pp. 412-413
"Once a soldier, always a soldier," is a maxim, the truth of
which I need not insist on to anyone who has ever served in the army
for any length of time, and especially, if the service he has seen
has embraced those scenes and occasions where every man, first or
last, from one cause or another, owes the preservation of his all,
health and life not excepted, to the kindness, the generosity, the
fellow-feeling of his comrades. -William Cobbett, who enlisted in
the British Army in 1794 and rose to Member of Parliament, in
Rank and File, p. 410
I was glad to come out of [WWII], but even then I felt what I
feel now, and what every old soldier feels: a gratitude for having
been there, and an abiding admiration amounting to awe for the sheer
ability of my comrades. -George MacDonald Fraser (former Lance-CPL),
Quartered Safe Out Here, p. 87
In our national cemeteries, there are rows upon rows of white
crosses where...soldiers rest for eternity. On many of these white
crosses is the inscription "Here rests in honored glory a comrade in
arms, known but to God." While it is true that their names are not
known to us, we know them- for they are soldiers, one of us. -CSM
John W. Gillis, "Two Memorable Dates." Armor, May-Jun 1983,
p. 7
The Winning Spirit
They’ve got us surrounded again, the poor bastards! -SGT Constant
A. Klinga, WWII, in Clarke of St. Vith, p. 25
It is particularly important that [the military spirit of an
Army] should pervade the officers and non-commissioned officers: if
they be capable and the nation brave, there need be no fear for the
men. -Jomini, The Art of War, 1838, p. 458
Although we no longer carry our colors into battle to rally our
units, by tradition we entrust the responsibility for their
safeguarding, care, and display to you, the senior NCOs of the Army.
Symbolically, then, by that charge, we have placed in your hands the
spirit of the Army through the regiments those colors represent.
-GEN John A. Wickham, Collected Works, 1987, p. 190
Only one person at a time can nurture the Warrior Spirit. We’ve
never seen it succeed when tried as a group process. It must be done
one on one, even if it’s done with individual members of a group.
Even in team building, individuals must feel there’s a personal
involvement from the leader or role model, even if it is a remote
involvement. A leader who knows and exhibits some personal concern
for a subordinate tends to earn the loyalty and trust of that
person. And, a leader who identifies, trains, or enhances a skill in
someone else earns that person’s willingness to obey....
Apathy and lack of initiative, as well as tolerance of these
traits, will kill the Warrior Spirit graveyard dead....
If we can define, identify, nurture, and train the Warrior
Spirit, how will we fit it into the modern battlefield? In a world
of global technology, will there still be room for the spirit of our
battle-scarred ancestors? We believe so. But, we also believe we
must find new ways to teach old techniques....
Our 21st century warrior must be able to think in many
functional areas at once, using the technological tools at hand to
apply ancient principles to future tactics and techniques. (Watch
any youngster playing a new video game and you see the spirit in
action.) Our brain and reflexes can work much faster than rational
thought. That’s the future level that we must use to train the
spirit. -SGMs Bobby Owens, Miles Pitman, Ben Moore, Arlie Nethken
and Bill Miller, "The Warrior Spirit." NCO Journal, Spring
1994, pp. 8, 9
At the summit we came upon a strange scene; there on the very
edge of the hill, somewhat concealed by shrubbery, a German machine
gun had been engaged taking advantage of the unobstructed field of
fire as we crossed through the wheat. But now retribution had been
meted out, the German gunner was dead at his gun. Seated as in the
act of firing, his finger on the trigger, his head bent forward on
the breech, a bullet hole in the forehead and gaping bayonet wound
in the throat. I never thought I would reach a point where I would
glory in death, but the sight of that fellow positively caused a
thrill of exaltation to sweep over me, and tired as I was, I laughed
aloud. He had killed and maimed many of my men, and here he was,
himself a victim of war in its tempest of ruthless punishment for
those who defy its course. My platoon sergeant told me afterward
that when I laughed every man in the platoon caught the spirit of it
and laughed a grim short laugh that boded no good for any other
[enemy soldiers] we met up with that day. -LT Marvin H. Taylor, 23d
Infantry, WWI, The Second Division American Expeditionary Force
in France 1917-1919, pp. 266-267
Including Everyone in the Team
You and I came up in the same way. We spent a lot of time in the
armored and infantry divisions, in TO&E units, and we know how they
work. There’s one thing I want to do while I’m in office and I want
you to help me do it. The majority of the Army is not in divisions.
I want you and I to visit as many of those soldiers as we can. When
you go to an installation, make sure to visit the support sections.
Go to the communications and the engineers. I want you to continue
working with the National Guard and reserves. -GEN Edward C. Meyer
to SMA William A. Connelly, 1979, in The Sergeants Major of the
Army, p. 123
Soldiers must feel that they are a part of the unit’s overall
mission, and they must certainly have pride in what the unit does.
This is important for all NCOs, but for the ordnance NCO it is often
the difference between having a cohesive, effective team or a bunch
of soldiers praying for orders to leave for greener pastures.
Ordnance NCOs must make their soldiers understand that the job they
do is so important that the unit could not possibly function without
them. They must understand that being an ordnance soldier is a
demanding job, which requires technical training in addition to
training in the basic soldier skills. -SSG James P. Gerkin, "The
Ordnance NCO- Continuing a Proud Tradition." Ordnance, Nov
1989, p. 12
When things came up that brought the company together, [the
mechanics] were left in the motor pool. I felt kind of bad when I
was coming up and I saw that. Now that I’ve made rank and am in a
position to make changes like that in some of the units I was at,
I’ve seen a different light in their eyes. They are now part of what
the company does. -SFC Jerry T. Morris, in "On Leadership."
Soldiers, Mar 1985, p. 31
Medics are a vital part of your team and need to be totally
involved in your plan. Consider them the same as any other soldiers
in your unit. They need to be fed, worried about, and checked just
as often as your other troops. Don’t think of them as an attachment,
think of them as yours! -SGM Daniel J. Bullis, "Bullets &
Band-Aids." Sergeants’ Business, May-Jun 1986, p. 4
There is nothing better than having a mechanic get the first kill
on an OPFOR T-72 outside the perimeter of the combat trains [at the
NTC]. If you are one of those NCOs, you need to remember you will be
in the fight. The 32nd Guards will bring it to you. The difference
between a serious loss of morale and an exhilarating feeling of
confidence often lies in the fact that some support sections back
there brought death and destruction upon the enemy. They’re warriors
too. -CSM Eddie Velez, "An NCO Prepares for NTC." Army Trainer,
Spring 1989, p. 19
Pride
Most soldiers want to be proud of their units. If mediocrity is
tolerated we destroy that desire. -Drill Sergeant Gernot E.
Klingeberger, in "Drill Sergeant of the Year." ARMY, Nov
1971, p. 8
Do all you can to build up a soldier’s pride in himself and in
his record. -The Noncom’s Guide, 1948, p. 21
Pride is a contagious thing and it can be taught without word, by
example. -SFC Daniel D. Brown, in "The NCO" In Their Own Words,
1991, no page number
The CSM (as well as practically every other senior NCO) had at
least one opportunity in his years of service to become an officer.
He chose to remain an enlisted soldier. He accepted the
responsibilities that went with his choice, and he is proud of his
enlisted status. -CSM John W. Gillis, "Specialist Grades and CSMs."
ARMY, Feb 1986, p. 9
[Drill sergeant/trainee conversation during inspection]: "Did
you shave this morning, Private Burley?" No answer. "DID YOU
SHAVE THIS MORNING, PRIVATE BURLEY!" Mumble. "WHAT?" "No,
Drill Sergeant. I’m sorry, I..." "Don’t apologize to me. You
don’t shave for me- you shave for yourself, so you can take pride in
your appearance." -"A Day in the Life of a Drill Sergeant."
Soldiers, Aug 1978, p. 9
One of the best and easiest ways to maintain a unit’s good
reputation, with those on the outside looking in, is to meet
all those suspense dates from "higher." "Using" suspense dates to
help build unit pride is a smart thing to do! -CSM John W. Gillis,
"Additional Thoughts." Armor, Nov-Dec 1982, p. 7
If I die, I hope I do it with pride. -SSG Hattie Brown, Desert
Storm, in Women in the Military, p. 454
I am so proud of being in the military that the pride in knowing
what I do is important to our nation carries me through some of the
bad times. -SMA Richard A. Kidd, in "Soldiers Get Insight from
Army’s Top NCO." Castle, 27 Jan 1994, p. 2
Morale
[The] morale of the fighting force is the single most important
aspect of any battle or war. Napoleon once said, "Morale makes up
three-quarters of the game; the relative balance of manpower
accounts for only the remaining quarter." -SMA William A. Connelly,
"The Worsening Plight of the ‘Army’s Own.’" ARMY, Apr 1980,
p. 10
The big challenge for NCOs at all levels, from division right on
down to fire team leader, is to keep the morale of the soldier
boosted. If his morale is good, his fighting ability is good. -SMA
Silas L. Copeland, in The Sergeants Major of the Army, 1995,
p. 76
The morale of a soldier comes from three things: A feeling that
he has an important job to do, a feeling that he is trained to do it
well, and a feeling that his good work is recognized and
appreciated. -GEN Bruce C. Clarke, "The Command Sergeant Major."
Engineer, Summer 1982, p. 7
I couldn’t get tired. I couldn’t get scared. I couldn’t want to
go home. I couldn’t give up. I knew it would have an effect on my
soldiers, so I disciplined myself to not show these things. If my
morale went down, their morale would go down. -CSM Edward S. Usery,
Desert Storm, in TRADOC Pam 525-100-4, Leadership and Command on
the Battlefield: Noncommissioned Officer Corps, 1994, p. 18
Army morale is largely a product...of the noncommissioned
officers.... Army morale refers essentially to teamwork among the
privates. The highest type of morale does not exist without
teamwork, without voluntary cooperation, without hearty coordination
among privates and their immediately superior officers- the
sergeants and corporals. -MAJ George F. Arps, "Science as Applied to
the Selection of Noncommissioned Officers." Infantry, Jan
1919, p. 574
The status of morale does not remain the same; rather, it is
constantly changing. -DA Pam 350-12, Guide for Squad Leaders,
1967, p. 33
I saw a Catholic chaplain at Salerno gather up his white robes
and beat a Focke-Wulf’s tracers into a muddy ditch by a split
second, then return and carry on the service as if nothing had
happened. I have a lot of respect for those chaplains who keep up
the spirits of the combat guys. They often give the troops a pretty
firm anchor to hang onto. -SGT Bill Mauldin, Up Front, 1945,
p. 103
Morale and Mail
A soldier’s life revolves around his mail. -SGT Bill Mauldin,
Up Front, 1945, p. 24
You can’t expect letters unless you write to somebody, too. -SMA
Richard A. Kidd, in "Top Soldier Visits Troops in Mogadishu."
Somalia Sand Paper, 20 Sep 1993, p. 1
Real sergeants can tell an overseas location by its APO number.
-Dennis Steele, "Real Sergeants Don’t Know What Quiche Is."
unknown source
Rations
Happiness starts with the stomach. -MSG Amos H. Catoe, in "He
Dishes It Out." ARMY, Aug 1971, p. 50
The Sargeant...is to see there be no want of victualles. -Approved
Order of Martiall Discipline, 1591, p. 15
The mess has a positive effect on the attitudes of your men three
times a day, or 1095 times a year. Depending on the quality of
preparation of the food, the manner of serving, and other things
related to good mess management, there are 1095 times a year when
the men of your organization are either filled with expansive
contentment or gnawing resentment. -TGGS Special Text No. 1,
Leadership for the Company Officer, 1949, pp. 70-71
The Mess Steward [is] the HOST of his unit three times a day,
everyday of the year. -GEN Bruce C. Clarke, Guidelines for the
Commander, 1963, p. 86
When soldiers come through the [chow] line and if even one of
them says "thank you," it makes my day. And out here [4th Bn, 37th
AR, 1st ID], people do say that all the time. -SGT Bob Jolley, in
"The Unsung Heroes." Soldiers, May 1995, p. 21
All the...wealth of the world is but a symbol of food, reckoned
in terms of the units of "eatments" it will purchase. -SSG Voorheis
Richeson, "Army Chow de Luxe." U.S. Army Recruiting News, 15
Oct 1928, p. 7
Over-feeding. Too much fuel in the furnace spells a dampened
down fire. The man who over-eats, under-thinks. -The Old
Sergeant’s Conferences, 1930, p. 149
As it is the business of a good non-commission-officer to be
active in taking up all deserters, when, on the march, or at any
other time, you observe any ducks, geese, or fowls, that have
escaped the bounds of their confinement, immediately apprehend them,
and take them along with you, that they may be tried for their
offense at a proper season. -Francis Grose, Advice to the
Officers of the British Army, 1783, p. 111
Now, if you must marry, take care she is old-
A troop-sergeant’s widow’s the nicest I’m told-
For beauty won’t help if your rations is cold. -verse from "The
Young British Soldier," by Rudyard Kipling, Barrack-Room Ballads
and Other Verses, 1899, p. 134
[During the Civil War, some soldiers found a pig and it made
their regiment’s Christmas dinner. It was so memorable an occasion
that a soldier wrote a poem about it, including a novel way to
replace Adam’s lost rib:]
"We are all ready for the line up, With cup and plate in hand;
We march up in single file, Hall serves the meat, while Billy
serves the coffee.
Says Hall: "Sergeant, what is your choice?" "Slice of the ham
and section of rib and loin."
"Now, Corporal, pray what may be your choice?" "The same as the
sergeant, if you please, sir."
"Now, Adam, what may I serve you?" I suppose, like Adam of old,
You will want a section of rib, To replace the one that was stole."
-Arthur J. Robinson, Co. E., 33rd Wisconsin Volunteers, A Private
Soldier’s Christmas Dinner December 25, 1863, verses 47-49
Some men have a way of covering bread with gravy or something
else and then leaving it untouched. When the Mess Sergeant catches a
man wasting food in this manner, the plate should be saved as left
by the man for the next meal, and he has to eat that before he can
get any more bread. -Noncommissioned Officers’ Manual, 1909,
p. 19
A real sergeant’s favorite food is the fruit cocktail in
C-rations, the best part of which is the green metal shavings from
the can that float on top of the juice. -Dennis Steele, "Real
Sergeants Don’t Know What Quiche Is." unknown source
The average cook...has more opportunity to show his skill in
preparing a good appetizing soup than in most other dishes.
Seasoning such as can be obtained from a judicious use of different
kinds of pepper, celery, bacon, or parsley and a substantial filling
of different vegetables will produce a dish which the men will enjoy
as much as any part of the meal.... The bills of fare should vary
constantly. For each meal there should be at least one dish that has
not been served for some time. -Manual for Army Cooks, 1916,
pp. 47, 95
The Genl [George Washington] orders a gill of spirits to be
served to each Non-commissioned Officer and Soldier. To avoid the
irregular and partial distribution of this article (which has been a
good deal complain’d of) he expressly orders that no spirits shall
be issued to any part of the Troops in the future but in consequence
of General or Special Orders from Headquarters. A deviation from
this rule will be at the risque and peril of the issuing Commissary.
-1778, Ordeal at Valley Forge, p. 54
Unit Newspapers
[During Desert Storm when newspapers] were weeks late when we
finally received them, so we found other ways of keeping the soldier
up to date. Our S1 section published a Battleking Bulletin,
which was both distributed to our soldiers and sent back to Germany
for distribution to family members. It contained news about the
brigade and our soldiers. Using a short-wave radio, we followed
world events on BBC, and then published a one-page sheet called
Headliners, which was posted in the mess tent and in other
high-visibility areas. -MSG Gregory A. Drake, in Personal
Perspectives on the Gulf War, 1993, p. 22
Unit newspapers, which seem to thrive while the organizations are
preparing for combat in the States, have a habit of withering and
dying just at the time they could be of most help to the men of the
command- when the outfit goes into action overseas.... It’s when a
unit is in combat that a unit newspaper, chatty, humorous, full of
information, and thoroughly American, can be of greatest service....
The secret of keeping the paper coming is simply determination to
get out a paper in some form, no matter what happens.... The paper
is an important part of the division, and more than one man has
credited it with a share in building the 45th’s spirit as a fighting
unit.... The success or failure of a GI newspaper in the field
depends upon the resourcefulness and sincerity of the staff, and the
understanding, confidence, and cooperation of the officers in
command.... The 45th’s first landing was in Sicily, with its
newspaper’s instructions limited to "get out a paper" [and] by D
plus three had produced a two-page, printed newspaper, which is now
a collector’s item. -SGT Don Robinson, "GI Newspaper." Infantry,
Mar 1945, pp. 49, 50
Motivation
Motivation...is a condition of mind and heart. -NCO Education
and Professional Development Study, 1971, p. 22
Successive generations of American soldiers have stood before
NCOs who’ve prefaced their military instructions with admonitions
that, "this will save your life in Vietnam," or, "if the balloon
goes up, you’ll be glad you learned this." Today, though hot spots
around the world may catch our military eye for a moment, they will
not spark the same kind of "real world" urgency or fervent
patriotism that has motivated us and our soldiers in the past....
Without an "evil empire" or a Third World "boogey man" presenting a
legitimate external threat, how will NCOs motivate their soldiers in
the years to come? The answer is clear. Our motivation is our pride.
We learn because we want to be the best, and we train because we are
this nation’s professionals in the military art and science of
waging and winning wars. As we move toward a new century, our
motivation needs to be internal pride and not external threats. And,
since we as NCOs set the standards...the motivation to be the best
needs to start with each one of us. -MSG John K. D’Amato, "What Do
We Do Now That We’ve Won?" NCO Journal, Summer 1992, p. 12
Music
You’ve got to sing [a jody] like it’s bursting in your heart and
you have to let it out. -SFC Anita Jordan, in "Jodies: Songs on the
Move." Soldiers, Jun 1995, p. 52
A few drums and fifes in a battalion are worth five extra miles
on a route march...they swing the battalion back to quarters
composed and happy in its mind- no matter how wet and tired its body
may be. And even where there is no route-marching, the mere
come-and-go, the roll and flourish, of the drums and fifes round
barracks is as warming and cheering as the sight of a fire in a
room....
A band...revives memories; it quickens associations; it opens
and unites the hearts of men more surely than any other appeal. In
that respect it assists recruiting perhaps more than any other
agency. The tunes that it employs and the words that go with them
may seem very far removed from heroism or devotion; but the magic
and the compelling power are there to make men’s souls realise
certain truths which their minds might doubt.
More than that. No one...can say for certain where the soul of a
battalion lives; but the expression of that soul is most often found
in the Band. It stands to reason that a body of 1,200 men whose
lives are pledged to each other’s keeping must have some common
means of expressing their thoughts and moods to themselves and to
their world. The Band can feel the mood and interpret the
thought....
In a cholera-camp in India, where the men were suffering very
badly, the Band of the 10th Lincolns started a regimental sing-song
one night with that queer defiant tune, "The Lincolnshire
Poacher."... It was merely their regimental march, which the men had
heard a thousand times. There was nothing in it except- except all
England.... But, as it was given very softly, at that bad time in
that terrible camp of death, it was the one thing in the world which
could have restored- as it did restore- shaken men to pride, humour,
and self-control....
A man who has had any experience of the Service can testify that
a battalion is better for music at every turn- happier, easier to
handle, and with greater zest for its daily routine if that routine
is sweetened by melody and rhythm- melody for the mind and rhythm
for the body.... The Band can declare on our behalf, without shame
or shyness, something of what we feel, and so help us to reach a
hand towards the men who have risen up to save us.... The Army needs
music- its own music, for, more than any calling, soldiers do not
live by bread alone. -Rudyard Kipling, address "National Bands."
1915, p. 1-3
Esprit de Corps
Esprit is the thing that holds armies together. -SGT Bill
Mauldin, Up Front, 1945, p. 1
Esprit has a way of sneaking up on the worst of us. -Bill
Mauldin, The Brass Ring, 1971, p. 122
The 82nd had been one of the great fighting divisions of World
War I.... It was a proud division, but it was a name, a legend, a
memory only in February of 1942.... To both General [Omar] Bradley
and me it seemed vitally important to...plant in each man’s mind the
idea that valor endured from generation to generation.... One of the
first things we did, therefore, was to invite the grand old soldier
[Alvin] York down from his home in Tennessee to tell the massed
division about that great fight.... Sergeant York’s visit had a
great deal to do with the early inculcation of that supreme
confidence, that magnificent esprit, which later was to be
the hallmark of the airborne. He created in the minds
of...youngsters of every station and class, the conviction that an
aggressive soldier, well trained and well armed, can fight his way
out of any situation. -GEN Matthew B. Ridgway, Soldier: The
Memoirs of Matthew B. Ridgway, 1956, pp. 51-53
[In your reception program] welcoming, not processing, should be
emphasized.... The unit’s history and traditions should be used to
show the soldiers how they fit into the present unit, as well as how
they fit into the unit’s lineage and tradition. Each soldier must
believe that he is personally responsible for upholding the unit’s
honorable history. -1SG Walter D. Stock, "Leading to Confidence."
Infantry, May-Jun 1978, p. 23
The uniform...proclaims the soldier, sets him aside from the
civilian populace and marks him as a loyal defender of its honor.
-SGT Herbert E. Smith, "The U.S. Army Blouse." U.S. Army
Recruiting News, 1 Oct 1928, p. 3
The Army Regimental System...provides a focal point for all of us
in the Corps, both active and Reserve Component. This provides us an
excellent opportunity and forum to increase the awareness of our
Corps history, customs, traditions, and heritage. It allows us to
build on the pride in one’s self and the Corps. It provides a base
to promote...esprit, cohesiveness, standards of excellence, loyalty,
and a sense of pride. -CSM Roland M. Gaddy, "USAMPS Command Sergeant
Major." Military Police, Fall 1986, p. 3
Our basic functions of leading, training, caring, and maintaining
can receive an unlooked for lift if we pause, from time to time, to
Remember Our Regiment. -SFC Richard Raymond, "Remember Your
Regiment." NCO Journal, Fall 1994, p. 16
Building Esprit Through Symbols
The Army is hundreds of years older than you and proud of its
experience. It draws strength from the past and offers some of that
strength to you through symbols. -FM 21-13, The Soldier’s Guide,
1952, p. 68
Chevrons
Chevrons have their origins in early use by the French and
British, the major powers during the formative years of the thirteen
colonies’ confederation.... The first firm date is in 1766. -William
K. Emerson, Chevrons, p. 39
A non-commissioned officer or soldier who had served honorably
[in the Continental Army] for more than three uninterrupted years
was to enjoy the right to "wear upon the left sleeve of the uniform
coat a narrow angular piece of cloth the color of the regimental
facing." For six years of service...a parallel stripe of the same
color could be added. Here is the ancestor of the venerable and
well-known "hashmark," or service stripe worn by senior
noncommissioned officers and men. -Ernest F. Fisher, Guardians of
the Republic: A History of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps of the
U.S. Army, p. 38
The NCO chevrons you...wear mark you as one whose primary
responsibility is to lead. -The Noncom’s Guide, 1955, p. 35
Your stripes are symbols of authority. -The New Noncom’s Guide,
1970, p. 10
Every stripe and every rocker on your arm is an earned tribute to
years of experience and devoted professionalism. -CSM Raymond
McKnight, "INSCOM." INSCOM, Aug-Sep 1989, p. 15
The Halberd
[The Sergeant should] accomplish the dutie of a true and perfect
Souldier: therefore hee shall go alwayes gallantly armed...and his
weapon a Halbard or Partizan, but by reason of his continuall
motion, not over heavie: his Halbard borne after him into his
lodging, thereby to be the better respected and knowne. -The
Theorike and Practike of Moderne Warres, 1598, p. 19
[The English colonists in America used halberds] as weapons for
sergeants and very importantly as symbolic arms for governors’
guards.... Throughout the 17th century and most of the 18th century
the halberd remained an object of ceremony carried by guards, court
attendants and sergeants as a symbol of rank. It was no longer a
real weapon, but it was a sufficiently important object to attract
the attention of metalworkers who fashioned some truly decorative
specimens. Such halberds are the true works of art among American
polearms and thus the most sought after by collectors today....
Procuring a halberd was generally the individual responsibility
of each sergeant, just as it was the duty of each officer to provide
his spontoon. Often these arms were handed down from father to son,
and a single halberd or spontoon [was sometimes] used in a number of
wars by a number of generations....
In a military encampment the sergeant would set his halberd in
front of his tent so that he could be easily located.... In a tight
situation the halberd was useful in a number of ways. During the
first British attack on Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, on June 28,
1776, the fort’s flag was shot down and...a company sergeant named
Jasper rehoisted the flag on his halberd. -Rodney Hilton Brown,
American Polearms 1526-1865, pp. vi, 36, 34, 58
Swords
By the regulations the non-commissioned officers are to be armed
with swords as a mark of distinction and to enable them the better
to maintain the authority due their stations. -GEN George
Washington, 1780, The Writings of George Washington, Vol 18,
p. 45
The serjeants are always to wear their swords. -General
Wolfe’s Instructions to Young Officers, 1780, p. 7
The Ebenezer Stone
[The sculpture at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy] stands
as a tribute to continued NCO professional leader development. The
sculpture, created by NCOs for NCOs, has four white stone blocks to
symbolize purity and the ideals of duty, honor, country, and
selfless service. The words- Leading, Training, Maintaining, and
Caring- on the four stones remind NCOs of their duties and
responsibilities. Each stone faces outward in a different direction
to represent that NCOs are found world-wide and are dedicated to
serving their soldiers, and not themselves. Three steel supports
pointing upward represent the three pillars of NCO professional
leader development- self development, operational assignments, and
institutional training. Two rank insignia sit above those pillars.
The sergeant major and command sergeant major rank represent the
ultimate in NCOES and are the ranks all enlisted soldiers should
strive for throughout their careers. -"This Sculpture Stands."
NCO Journal, Fall 1992, p. 14
The NCO Corps’ "Ebenezer Stone"...was designed and built by MSG
Greg Empfinger.... In biblical terms, the Ebenezer Stone (literally
the "stone of help") was erected by the prophet Samuel to remind the
people of Israel of the help their God gave them in hard times....
White stones remind all leaders of their duty to exemplify the
highest possible ethical standards and encourage others to do the
same. -"The NCO Corps’ ‘Ebenezer Stone.’" NCO Journal, Fall
1994, inside back cover
Building Esprit Through Tradition
Tradition
Tradition is that unique and distinctive characteristic that sets
the military apart from all other professions. Military tradition is
the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of
mouth or by example, from one generation of soldiers to another....
It is our responsibility to ensure that the next generation also
keeps our traditions alive- to instill pride in our Army and in our
heritage and its history.... On June 14, 1775, the Continental
Congress established the American Continental Army. Congress
designated Col. George Washington as the commander in chief of the
regular Army and the volunteer militia.... Celebrating the Army
birthday is an Army tradition, and every unit and those of us who
wear or have, at some time in our lives, worn the uniform of the
United States Army should mark the occasion in a special way....
Mark the occasion with picnics, balls, and dinings-in.... The Army’s
birthday is the day we should be expressing...pride throughout
America’s Army.... Happy birthday, America’s Army, and thank you for
all you’ve done, for all you are doing, and for what you are
prepared to do for the United States of America. -CSM Jimmie W.
Spencer, "Army Birthday- A Great Tradition." AUSA News, Jun
1996, p. 8
The senior noncommissioned officer is both a teacher and keeper
of tradition. And, in this, he binds together all of the energies of
our Corps. -"The History of the Sergeants Major." USASMA files, no
date or page number
Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer
The Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer was developed by the
NCOs of the NCO Subcommittee, Command and Leadership Committee,
Leadership Department, USAIS. -SFC Michael T. Woodward, "The
Subordinate: The Art of Followership." Infantry, Jul-Aug
1975, p. 27
The [NCO] Creed has been around the Army for...years and is well
known to the NCO Corps. It is frequently used at NCO ceremonies such
as NCO Academy graduations, NCO "inductions", and dining-ins.
However, it currently does not appear in any official publication.
The Creed espouses principles which are consistent with the theme of
the NCO Guide, and including it in the FM will give it "official"
status. -COL Kenneth W. Simpson, DA Form 2028 "Recommended Changes
to Publications and Blank Forms." 1985, NCOPD Study, Vol 2,
1986, p. F-5
There’s great strength in statements like, "No one is more
professional than I am."... The NCO creed is filled with many words
of wisdom and guidance that capture the essence of what it means to
be a soldier, an NCO, in America’s Army. -SMA Gene C. McKinney, "Our
Army- In Touch with America." ARMY, Oct 1995, p. 33
The NCO Creed...should be every NCO’s primary icon when he or she
"boots-up" each day and his or her affirmation "help screen" to
guide daily endeavors. -SMA Gene C. McKinney, "Meeting Leadership
Challenges as a Team." Military Review, Jan-Feb 1996, p. 10
Building Esprit Through NCO History
Roman NCOs
The origins of today’s Noncommissioned Officer Corps go all the
way back to Biblical times, where we find mention of "captains of
fifties" and "captains of tens."* The fullest development of the
concept in ancient times was found in the armies of the Roman
Empire. The backbone of the Roman Army was the centurion, a senior
professional noncom promoted from the ranks who supervised recruit
training...and led his hundred-man unit in combat.... With the
collapse of the Roman Empire, however, the concept of a
Noncommissioned Officer Corps would take a thousand year
furlough.... Noncommissioned officers reappear once more (bearing
the now-familiar titles of corporal and sergeant) with the
rediscovery of professional armies in the 15th century. -Dr. John
Finnegan, "The NCO Through History." INSCOM, Aug-Sep 1989, p.
26. *Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God,
men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men
over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and
of tens. -Exodus 18:21 [See also Exodus 18:25, and
Deuteronomy 1:15]
The origin of the noncommissioned officer can be traced back to
the Roman legions. The Roman success in war was due to march
formation, camp preparation, and response to orders in battle. The
training of the Roman soldier was long, detailed, and intense. The
Roman commanders...picked exceptional soldiers to be commanders of
ten and assistants to commanders of 100 and 600, to supervise the
individual training, to carry out their plans, and perform
administrative and logistical tasks. The commanders of ten and
assistants to the commanders of 100 and 600 were the first
"noncommissioned" officers (called principalis). An indication of
their importance can be derived from the English translation of that
Latin/Roman word which roughly means principal, main, key, or first
in rank. -FM 22-600-20, The Duties, Responsibilities and
Authority of NCO’s, 1977, p. 14
Some Roman NCO positions are still in use today, such as the
signifer- standard-bearer; tesserarius- orderly [first]
sergeant (title derived from the tessera or "watchword");
commentarienses- legal clerks; cornicularii- personnel
sergeants; speculatores- scouts; frumentarii- military
police; aeneatores- trumpeters. -compiled from The Roman
Soldier, pp. 79, 85-86 and The Army of the Caesars, pp.
308-309
Centurions
The real backbone of the [Roman] army was undoubtedly the corps
of centurions, sixty to each legion. These were professional,
long-service non-commissioned officers who filled positions of
command roughly through modern grades from platoon sergeant to
lieutenant colonel. -"Societies and Armies." Center of Military
History study, 1966, p. 8
Centurions [were] the principal professional officers of the
Roman army who did a lion’s share of the work.... These formidable
men combined the functions and prestige of a modern company
commander and sergeant-major or top sergeant. -The Army of the
Caesars, pp. xxii, xxxiii
Polybius [c. 200 BC] makes the specific point that [centurions]
were not selected simply because of their courage, but especially on
the basis of their leadership ability and their steadfastness ("as
leaders, steadfast and deep of mind"). -History of the Art of War,
Vol 1, p. 431
[Centurion Petronius Fortunatus spent] 46 years in that rank,
completing a total of 50 years of service.... As a centurion he saw
service in thirteen legions and in almost all parts of the Empire. -The
Roman Soldier, p. 88
Centurions in the Bible
As [Jesus] entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him,
beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at
home, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and
heal him." But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to
have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant
will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under
me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and
he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it." When Jesus
heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly,
I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."... And to
the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have
believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment. -Matthew
8:5-10 and 8:13 (See also Luke 7: 1-10)
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what
was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with
all his household, gave alms liberally to the people and prayed
constantly to God. -Acts 10:1-2
Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God,
and said, "Certainly this man was innocent!" -Luke 23:47 (See
also Matthew 27:54)
The Development of the American NCO Corps
The American NCO, like the American Army itself, became a unique
blend of traditions from several different European Armies and our
own colonial traditions and heritage. -William T. Licatovich, "The
NCO’s March in Army History." Sergeants’ Business, Mar-Apr
1989 p. 21
A combination of factors, including the relative lack of rigid
class lines in the New World, affected the evolution of a new kind
of military organization in the [13 original] colonies. Freed from
the need to maintain large standing forces, with more economic and
social freedom at a local level than in Europe, Americans quickly
abandoned blind obedience as a foundation for their militia system.
Instead, they created a new blend in which talent and competence
mattered most. Leadership became a positive influence. -The Story
of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, pp. 36-37
In our early wars [NCOs] served as leaders on the battlefield....
Armies in the eighteenth century used "linear tactics"- that is,
they fought standing in lines facing the enemy, as in close-order
drill today. As units advanced and turned on the battlefield, gaps
inevitably appeared in the ranks. It was the NCO’s essential duty to
close these gaps. Posted directly behind the line, the NCO would
order the men, under enemy fire, to close ranks and advance in
cadence, a notable test of discipline and willpower.... As time went
on, new weapons forced changes in tactics and in leadership roles
for noncommissioned officers. Rifles with greater range replaced
smooth-bore muskets, breech-loaders replaced muzzle-loaders in both
the infantry and artillery, and semiautomatic firing was achieved
with the Gatling gun. These weapons caused high casualties in
formations arrayed in lines on both sides, with a predictable
result: linear tactics began to give way to a more open type of
warfare.
The new open tactics had an immediate impact on the role of NCOs
in battle. Without surrendering their responsibilities as file
closers and color bearers, NCOs now also had to lead scouting and
skirmishing parties forward to locate enemy forces. This new role
was especially emphasized after the Civil War on the western
frontier. NCOs in both the cavalry and infantry led patrols that
might last several weeks and cover hundreds of miles over the plains
and into the mountains in search of hostile Indians. The corporal’s
eight-man squad was a tight-knit unit which trained and fought
together, ate around the same fire, and slept in the same tent. -Time-Honored
Professionals, 1989, no page number
The tactics of [the Civil War] called for officers up to the rank
of brigadier general to lead their men in person, and in consequence
officer casualties were high. As a battle went on, sergeants and
corporals often found themselves assuming command of companies. In
extreme cases, such as the charge of Pickett’s Virginia division at
Gettysburg in 1863, whole regiments lost all their commissioned
officers. The demonstrated ability of the NCOs to handle the burden
of leadership in such cases permanently affected the corps’ future
status. -The Story of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, p.
66
The Indian Wars in the latter part of the [19th] century also
added to the NCO’s role as combat leader. Since most of the fighting
was in the form of small unit skirmishes, and the soldiers were
often raw recruits, the NCO expertise proved invaluable. -William T.
Licatovich, "The NCO’s March in Army History." Sergeants’
Business, May-Jun 1989, p. 21
The fight against Philippine guerrillas from 1899-1902, and in
1900 the expedition against the Boxer insurgents in China, were
mostly small-unit actions that again tested the mettle of small unit
commanders. During those deadly little battles and skirmishes, it
was the war-hardened NCOs who formed the military backbone around
which the inexperienced troops could rally and defeat their
opponents. -Douglas V. Meed, "U.S. Emerges as World Power." NCO
Journal, Summer 1995, p. 23
By sheer force of character, superior training, and long service
this class [of noncommissioned officers] built up for itself an
artificial status distinct from that of the private soldier.
-Secretary of War William Taft, Report of the Secretary of War,
1907, pp. 79-80
The battle of the Somme and the horror of Verdun- a battle that
cost hundreds of thousands of lives- taught the survivors on both
sides to avoid mass formations. Usually led by a noncommissioned
officer, small fire teams of infantrymen learned to take advantage
of mist along river banks and every fold of ground, while providing
covering fire for other groups nearby. At [GEN John] Pershing’s
insistence, Americans learned the lesson too. As weapons and tactics
continued to evolve in twentieth century warfare, the role of the
NCO would continue to grow....
World War II made more demands upon the noncommissioned officer
corps and had a greater impact on the NCO’s role and status than any
previous conflict in American history....
[With the initiation of the NCOES in 1971] the noncommissioned
officer corps’ potential would at last be fully developed....
Looking back over the more than two centuries that have passed
since the creation of the U.S. Army, it is clear that the evolution
of the NCO’s role and status has been gradual, at times uneven, and
most pronounced in the last twenty years. -The Story of the
Noncommissioned Officer Corps, 1989, pp. 15, 21, 29
The History of the "Backbone of the Army"
Kipling is the man who coined one phrase familiar to every
soldier: "The NCO is the backbone of the Army." -Dr. Robert H.
Bouilly, "Backbone of the Army." NCO Journal, Summer 1991, p.
23
The backbone of the Army is the non-commissioned man! -verse from
"The ’Eathen," by Rudyard Kipling, New York Times Magazine
Supplement, 13 Sep 1896, p. 16
We say the NCO is the backbone of the Army. That backbone of
steel inspired our soldiers to stand proud and strong from Bunker
Hill to Omaha Beach to the sands of Iraq. -GEN Gordon R. Sullivan,
"Maintain Standards with SDT." NCO Journal, Fall 1993, p. 5
Color Sergeants and The Colors
The rank of "Colour-Sergeant" was introduced [in the British
Army] by General Order dated 6th July, 1813, in which it was stated:
"It is His Royal Highness’s Pleasure that the duty of attending the
Colours in the field shall be at all times performed by these
Serjeants." -MAJ T. J. Edwards, Standards, Guidons and Colours of
the Commonwealth Forces, p. 104
[In the Revolutionary War] noncommissioned officers, armed with
halberd or short-sword, as file closers kept the long ranks steady
and maintained fire discipline. Early in the nineteenth century,
this tradition gave way to the two-rank battle line of Napoleonic
usage and elevated the NCO...to the focal point of the battle....
The color sergeant, with a guard of corporals, moved front and
center...to become the point on which the ranks dressed and rallied
as they wheeled and advanced into battle. -Ernest F. Fisher,
"Uniquely American NCO Corps Had Roots in European Armies." ARMY,
Oct 1989, p. 188 [For more information on the history of Color
Sergeants, see Guardians of the Republic, pp. 60-61]
In each regiment a sergeant is selected for his gallantry and
military bearing, to carry the regimental colors.... Wherever he
will carry the flag, the men will follow to protect and defend it. -Customs
of Service for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers, 1865, pp.
130, 131
[Unit] flags represented the honor and integrity of the unit.
They symbolized the glories of the past, stood guard over the
present, and provided inspiration for the future. Both officers and
men fully understood that their colors could not be surrendered. To
return from battle without them was the ultimate disgrace. For
example, General Orders of the Army of the Potomac [during the Civil
War] denied any unit that lost its colors in action the right to
carry others without the authority of the commanding general.
Permission would not be given in cases where a unit had lost its
colors through misconduct, "until such troops shall, by their
bravery on other fields, have fully retrieved their tarnished
honor." -The Story of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps, p.
66
The colors indicated whether the unit was advancing or standing
in place, and what the direction of movement was. As a result, unit
colors became the focal point of enemy fire, and the noncoms who
carried them ran great risks. At Gettysburg, one...unit’s colors had
been hit 87 times by bullets and shell fragments. -Dr. John
Finnegan, "The Civil War NCO." INSCOM, Aug-Sep 1989, p. 32
The color sergeant- entrusted with the unit standard...carried
the spirit of his regiment and perhaps ultimately the fate of his
cause in battle. -GEN John A. Wickham, Collected Works, 1987,
p. 143
The Colors of the Sergeant-Major
[In London, in 1643, R. Symonds sketched the] Ensignes of the
Regiments...as they marched into Finsbury Fields.... The record
shows the following:
Colonel’s.- Of the same colour throughout without any kind
of emblem thereon....
Lieutenant-Colonel’s.- Same as the Colonel’s but with the
small St. George’s Cross in the dexter canton.
Sergeant-Major’s.- Same as the Lieutenant-Colonel’s, but
with a small "pile wavy," or a lozenge, a star, a ball, etc., near
the lower inner corner containing the St. George’s Cross.
1st Captain’s.- Same as Lieutenant-Colonel’s, but with two
devices- lozenges, etc. -MAJ T. J. Edwards, Standards, Guidons
and Colours of the Commonwealth Forces, p. 15 [Note: Dexter
canton means next to the head of the lance or pole. (p. 14)]
The Sergeant Major Rank
The office of the sergeant major had its origins in the fifteenth
century [and] developed during the sixteenth century [into a]
somewhat ambiguous rank.... Ambiguous, because in some respects he
can be regarded either as the ancestor of the present-day sergeant
major, or the predecessor of what became the chief of staff or
possibly the operations officer in a military unit. In any case, by
the sixteenth century his had become a key position in the army.
-Ernest F. Fisher, Guardians of the Republic: A History of the
Noncommissioned Officer Corps of the U.S. Army, 1994, p. 15 [For
more information on the development of the rank of Sergeant Major,
see pp. 15-18]
The earliest mention of Sergeant-Major as applying to an N.C.O.
appears to be in an Order of the Brigade of Guards, dated 18th
January, 1725. The Order, which is interesting from other points of
view, reads: "The three Regiments of Foot Guards are to furnish a
detachment...under Command of a Lieut.-Colonel, a Captain, an
Ensign, an Adjutant and a Sergeant-Major, as Guards for the balls
and operas at the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket, and to be aiding
and assisting in the preservation of the peace, and preventing all
manner of profaneness, rudeness, drunkenness, or indecencies, and
not to permit any person whatever to enter the said theatres in
habits worn by clergy." -MAJ T. J. Edwards, "The Sergeant-Major."
Canadian Military Gazette, 14 Oct 1930, p. 5
The Serjeant Major...is a very useful and indispensible
officer.... The duties are very heavy on a single serjeant major to
a battalion, and it is not easy to find men every way qualified....
The Serjeant Major...should be a complete master of all the
exercises of the battalion from the first drill to the movements in
line of battle. -A Hand Book for Infantry, 1814, pp. 111, 112
The Sergeant Major of the Army (for more quotations on the
position of the SMA, see The Sergeants Major of the Army: On
Leadership and the Profession of Arms)
Established in 1966, the title Sergeant Major of the Army
designates the senior sergeant major insignia of rank and represents
the senior enlisted position of the Army. The sergeant major in this
position serves as the senior enlisted advisor and consultant to the
Chief of Staff of the Army. The SMA provides information on problems
affecting enlisted personnel and proposed solutions to these
problems; on standards, professional development, growth, and
advancement of NCOs; and on morale, training, pay, promotions, and
quality of life for soldiers and family members. Utilizing command
information channels, the SMA keeps soldiers current on important
NCO issues, and through the public media informs the American people
of the Army mission, soldier accomplishments and future enlisted
trends. He directs NCO support channel activities through the major
commands’ command sergeants major by using written and verbal
communications. Other functions of this position include: presenting
the enlisted viewpoint to Congress, DA boards and committees,
meeting with military and civilian organizations to discuss enlisted
affairs, receiving enlisted personnel who visit HQDA, and
representing all Army enlisted personnel at appropriate ceremonies.
-TC 22-6, The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide, 1990, pp.
48-49
The Major Commands Command Sergeants Major Conference...was
something the Army did not have prior to the establishment of a
Sergeant Major of the Army. Soldiers of all grades and ranks, from
all levels, had an opportunity to present ideas and recommendations
for improving the Army’s morale, training, readiness, proficiency,
and anything else that could be improved. They simply made
suggestions to their immediate enlisted supervisor. Suggestions were
consolidated at each level and submitted to the next higher
level.... This gave the enlisted soldier a voice that was heard at
the very top, a voice he had never had before. [This way] we got
lots of things approved that would never have even surfaced through
the officers’ chain of command. Even the things that were
disapproved were at least recorded and copies of everything
considered were sent to all commands afterwards. That was an
excellent way of informing commanders Army-wide of the things that
interested soldiers....
The Army will be forever indebted to General Harold K. Johnson
for establishing the SMA position. There are countless significant
improvements that were made and will continue to be made as a result
of the influence of the Sergeants Major of the Army. [GEN Johnson
was] very concerned for the soldiers in his Army, and he left a
system in place that will continue to provide for their best
interests. -SMA George W. Dunaway, Center of Military History
Interview, 1990, pp. 39, 40, 56-57
Over the years, the SMAs have directly influenced decisions on a
number of enlisted issues. A partial list includes: creating and
hosting the first Command Sergeants Major Conference in Washington,
D.C., in 1966; making a relatively bump-free transition to an
all-volunteer force in the early 1970s; enforcing draft
registration; establishing the first sergeant and sergeants major
courses at Ft. Bliss, TX; linking NCO school attendance to
promotion; and fine-tuning the former Skills Qualification Test as
an evaluation tool. -SSG David Abrams, "SMA’s Role Evolves, Grows."
NCO Journal, Summer 1995, p. 45
The Sergeant Major of the Army...is the standard bearer in the
development of NCOs. He is the central voice on the issues of NCO
education, development, and assignment. He is the monitor of how the
Army is taking care of our soldiers and their families. He is a
leader, a teacher, and a role model. He establishes priorities and
sets the tone and temper of the noncommissioned officer corps. He
is...a loyal implementer of national defense programs. He must
understand the past, yet have a sense of vision. He must lead by
example. [He] represents our proud NCO Corps in our relationships
with other Services and other nations. -GEN Carl E. Vuono,
Collected Works 1991, p. 8
The NCO Museum
The Museum of the Noncommissioned Officer, a part of the U.S.
Army Sergeants Major Academy, is the only museum in the world
dedicated solely to the American Army NCO. It is located on Biggs
Field at Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas. In its two wings, built
entirely with private donations, visitors find constantly changing,
colorful displays and exhibits detailing the NCO Corps from its
beginning in 1775 to the present.
For former and currently serving NCOs, the Museum is often more
than a place through which to walk and gaze at uniforms and
equipment. In the glass cases housing each exhibit, NCOs use their
own reflections- a reminder especially to all still serving that
they are part of a long NCO chain- to see that they are the links
that join those who have performed with valor and those who are yet
to serve.
The Museum is also the repository for the NCO Oral History
Program. The personal accounts of NCOs from WWI to [the] present,
will provide future historians detailed information about each
period through the eyes of the NCO. The Museum also maintains a
library that includes letters, diaries, and other documents dating
from the 18th century, and original photographs from the Civil War
period. -"NCOs- It’s Your Museum." NCO Journal, Fall 1993, p.
3
After visiting the Museum of the NCO...people will have a greater
appreciation for the NCO’s accomplishments and contributions to the
nation. -Dr. Daniel Zimmerman, in "NCO Corps: Museum Is First to Be
Dedicated Solely to Noncommissioned Officer." Engineer,
Summer 1981, p. 11
Famous NCOs
Some famous people who served as NCOs include Chief of Staff LTG
Adna R. Chaffee; Buffalo Bill Cody; Sam Houston (who was a drill
sergeant); Joyce Kilmer; Joe Louis; President William McKinley;
Napoleon; Old Bill (Frederick Remington’s "Old Bill" was a cavalry
sergeant in the 3d Cavalry in 1898 who went by the name of John
Lannon, and whose real name was William Carroll; Edgar Allen Poe;
Elvis Presley; Eddie Rickenbacker; President Harry S. Truman;
Chairman of the JCS GEN William W. Vessey; and Marshal of the Soviet
Union Georgi Zhukov, and possibly Shakespeare. -A Treasury of NCO
Quotations, 1997, no page number
Was Shakespeare an NCO?
Between [Shakespeare’s] 21st and 28th years, and thus preceding
the known beginning of his career as playwright, the so-called Lost
Years, 1585-1592, have attracted partisans of various trades and
professions, each of which would like to assign its own vocation to
the young Shakespeare. But no claim is as strong as the military’s.
The Lost Years embrace the period of England’s bitter war against
Spain, culminated by defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588....
But aside from his prime soldierly age, his country’s war, and
his [intimate] knowledge of recruiting abuses, the most convincing
testimony to Shakespeare’s military service lies in the 37 plays,
which reveal an astounding expertise in the lingo, customs, and
practices of military life. Professor Paul Jorgensen devotes an
entire book to elaborating the pervasive military context of
Shakespeare’s works. Shakespeare’s editor, G. B. Harrison,
speculates that the Bard did not spend all his youth near the
theater. "When we come to look closely into Shakespeare’s plays," he
writes, "it is clear that he had an extraordinary knowledge of
soldiers." Sir Duff Cooper, after a microscopic examination of
Shakespeare’s lines and scenes, concludes that the dramatist had
served as an NCO in the Low Countries. Cooper titled his book
Sergeant Shakespeare.
All of Shakespeare’s great tragic heroes were soldiers, but it
is in treating the predicaments of the enlisted men that
Shakespeare’s accents ring most unmistakably true. -"From the
Archives." Parameters, Spring 1987, inside back cover
Most creative writers make use of their personal experience both
in selection of background and portrayal of character.... We have no
reason to suppose that Shakespeare formed an exception to this rule.
Reading through the list of dramatis personae of those
thirty-seven plays, we cannot but be astonished at the number of
soldiers’ names on that immortal roster. Admitting that in the
historical plays, classical as well as modern, soldiers impose their
presence by the subject of the story, we may yet question why it was
necessary to introduce them and the language of their trade, so
frequently into plays and poems that had no relish of the military
in them [such as Romeo and Juliet, All’s Well That Ends
Well, Cymbeline, and Venus and Adonis, The Rape
of Lucrece]. Throughout the works of Shakespeare...the military
metaphor...continually crops up, even in places where its employment
seems hardly suitable. [This] would not prove so powerful an
argument if it were not supported by the large number of soldiers
who are brought upon the stage, and the sympathy and understanding
with which they are presented. -Duff Cooper, Sergeant Shakespeare,
pp. 75-78, 96
[After reading Shakespeare’s Henry V, Platoon Sergeant
Hutton] asked "Was Shekspeer ivver in th’Army?" I said that most
scholars thought not, but that there were blanks in his life, so it
was possible that, like his friend Ben Jonson, he had served in the
Low Countries, or even in Italy. Hutton shook his head. "If ’e
wesn’t in th’Army, Ah’ll stand tappin’.* ’E knaws too bloody much
aboot it, man."... Hutton was a military hard case...but Shakespeare
had talked to him across the centuries...on his own subject. -George
MacDonald Fraser (former Lance-CPL), WWII, Quartered Safe Out
Here, p. 129 *Probably from "tap", meaning mad
Teamwork and the Total Army
Reserve Components (Reserves and National Guard)
If we are to live up to the responsibilities that history has
placed upon this great land, then it is important that we know we
can count on each other. It starts with the basic element of our
Army- squads; and is true of the Total Army- active, Guard, and
Reserve. We need each other. We need the other services, and we need
the support of the American public. -SMA Glen E. Morrell, "What
Soldiering Is All About." ARMY, Oct 1986, p. 42
History tells us: Every time the Active Army took the Reserve and
Guard to war, we were successful. -CSM William J. H. Peters, "From
the TRADOC CSM." Army Trainer, Spring 1985, p. 27
Most people don’t really realize how much we depend on the
National Guard and the Reserves. They train far more than people
know.... They are good [and] we need them. -SMA George W. Dunaway,
Center of Military History Interview, 1990, pp. 3, 4
We can’t go to war without the Reserve Components....We must
continue to help improve the Reserves. The NCO corps, the soldier,
everyone should make the RC feel that they truly are part of the
Total Army. -NCOPD Study, Vol 1, 1986, p. 211
The National Guard...had its origin when the militia of
Massachusetts Bay Colony was organized on 13 December, 1636. -Army
National Guard Noncommissioned Officer Handbook, 1989, p. A-19
Sergeant Belton Savarie, 2d Battalion, Free Men of Color,
Louisiana Militia 1814-1815 [was] one of the first identifiable
black American Noncommissioned Officers [and] saw combat in
operations attendant to the battle of New Orleans during the War of
1812. He serves as an example of the countless numbers of
Noncommissioned Officers from the Reserve Forces who rallied to
America’s defense throughout our history. Sergeant Savarie made the
supreme sacrifice to his country. He was mortally wounded and died
on 10 January 1815. -DA Pam 623-205, The NCO Evaluation Reporting
System "In Brief", 1988, foreword
The linear service of the reserve component NCO is the base on
which the unit sustains its readiness. It is the continuity of
service of the reserve NCO that maintains the steady and positive
building influence on unit performance. -SFC Albert Killian, "The
Reserve Component NCO." Ordnance, Nov 1989, p. 20
We [the Active Army and the Reserve Components] must be ready to
go to war together. We must understand each other, know each other’s
strengths and weaknesses, and be smart enough to capitalize on the
strengths and overcome the weaknesses. We are one Army! -MSG
Donald L. Brumfield, "Walking in RC Boots." NCO Journal,
Spring 1994, p. 5
PRIDE: P is for Professionalism; R is for
Readiness; I is for Integrity; D is for Dedication,
because there is no one more dedicated than the citizen soldier;
E is for Enthusiasm, because it’s always a great day to be
enthusiastic about the Army. -CSM Larry Pence, National Guard CSM,
in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number
I always tell [soldiers] that I work for 230,000 soldiers and
it’s the best job in the world. -CSM Jack Rucynski, USAR CSM, "NCO
Notes." NCO Update, Mar-Apr 1997, p. 6
Families and the Army
The more we get the spouses and families involved, the healthier
the Army becomes. -SMA Julius W. Gates, in The Sergeants Major of
the Army, 1995, p. 152
Military wives are every bit the patriots their husbands are.
-MSG Roy Benavidez, Medal of Honor, 1995, p. 66
The family [is] perhaps the single greatest contributor to the
National Guard member’s ability to train, mobilize, and deploy in
support of State and Federal missions. The National Guard family
contributes immeasurably in time, commitment, and support of the
National Guard member’s acquisition of skills and training. -Army
National Guard Noncommissioned Officer Handbook, 1989, p. C-17
One of the major ingredients in a well-rounded organization is
teamwork. Troops are taught teamwork in their jobs, but it takes
more than that. There has to be a good sports program and there has
to be some social life that involves the family. -SMA George W.
Dunaway, in The Sergeants Major of the Army, 1995, p. 59
There really [is] a tie between a soldier’s readiness in the
military and family business. -Sylvia Kidd (SMA spouse), in "Through
the Eyes of the Wives." Soldiers, Jun 1995, p. 26
The total military family life extends beyond the home and
hearth.... The young wife has to make the best of life wherever she
and her family happen to be.... She should [have] an idea of what
her [husband’s] job requires of him and she should...encourage and
support him. Above all she should let him know she has faith in him
and in what he’s doing. -Rita Van Autreve (SMA spouse), "A Career
Wife’s View." Soldiers, Feb 1974, p. 32
When your husband becomes a Command Sergeant Major...your new
position puts you at a vantage point to see the unit as a whole.
From this viewpoint, watch for problem areas that relate to
families; listen to and evaluate the concerns they express to you.
Share these family-related issues with your husband who is in a
unique position to help improve the situations. [Being a] Commander
Sergeant Major’s or First Sergeant’s wife...is a time of personal
growth. -Ann Crossley, The Army Wife Handbook, 1991, pp. 267,
270
Our ancestral Army [NCO] wives who traveled West in covered
wagons aided the younger wives by providing a helping hand or a
mothering touch. Our means of transportation has improved, but
nothing has lessened the young wives’ need for support and guidance.
By helping the younger wives adjust and be happy in their new
environment, you are directly helping your husband’s unit; soldiers
are more inclined to be content and perform their jobs well if their
wives are happy. -Ann Crossley, The Army Wife Handbook, 1991,
p. 267
I can’t speak enough about ACS [Army Community Service]. It’s the
crossroads headquarters. It’s the place you go that will lead you in
any direction toward what you need or want.... Army Family Team
Building for me is like the military spouse first aid kit. It is one
of those things that when you are having your struggles, there is
always something in that course you can use. -Wilhemina McKinney (SMA
spouse), "Wilhemina McKinney Prepared for Leadership Job at the
Top." Cannoneer, 9 Nov 1995, p. 3A
One of the most important ways spouses contribute to the Army is
by how much they take care of so that the soldier can do his job.
Good leaders at all levels respect and recognize these
contributions, and also look for ways in which the time of family
members is being wasted. By good management these time wasters can
often be turned into time savers. -Francine Merrick, in A
Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number
What about your family when work takes so much of your time?
Bring your family into the larger family of the unit. Before every
major holiday my wife, Maggie, used to say, "Well, how many soldiers
can we have over?" When your family is involved with the unit, your
lives are richer. -CSM Steve Stoner, in A Treasury of NCO
Quotations, 1997, no page number
I think what makes this all work is that I have never become
angry with him about what the Army requires of him. I have to
understand his mission and what his job is.... For example, you can
get so excited about something, like "it’s my birthday, and we’re
going to go out and have this big dinner," and then he comes home
and he says, "guess what, I have to go." You just have to
refocus.... What we, as spouses, need to remember is that the better
trained a soldier is, the more prepared and knowledgeable he is
about his mission. For a spouse to be unhappy and doing things to
take the soldier’s focus off his duties, is not helping anyone. Let
your soldier know you are proud of him. Let him know you respect the
commitment of patriotism he has made to his country. -Wilhemina
McKinney (SMA spouse), "Wilhemina McKinney Prepared for Leadership
Job at the Top." Cannoneer, 9 Nov 1995, p. 3A
Family Support Groups
The pride in the great accomplishments of our military police
soldiers during the Gulf War should not only be felt by the soldiers
who served in the desert, but by every member of the MP Regiment and
those great folks we call the family support group. I hope I speak
for all my fellow soldiers who served with me in the Gulf War- our
sincere thanks and gratitude for the tremendous support provided by
soldiers and families who were left behind. Rear detachment
soldiers, wives, and family members got actively involved with unit
family support groups. Their efforts gave peace of mind to the
soldiers serving in the desert. Soldiers knew there was someone back
home to lend a hand, lend an ear, or provide whatever assistance was
needed by the family. Soldiers had to worry only about what was
happening or going to happen in the sand, not about what might be
going wrong back home.... If we all stay involved with the family
support group, they will only get better and be more prepared for
those unforeseen deployments that may come in the future. -CSM David
W. Salter, "Regimental Command Sergeant Major." Military Police,
Dec 1991, p. 3
A genuine concern for the soldier’s family is a basic tenet of
good leadership. Family support groups (FSGs) can have a dramatic
impact on an organization. Although regulations require commanders
to have FSGs, a commander is powerless to direct spouse
participation.... Like most units in the 25th Division Artillery
(Div Arty), relationships begin with a strong sponsorship program
that includes meeting the new soldier and his family at the
airport.... A representative from the FSG makes contact with the
family soon after arrival. This kind of concern isn’t soon forgotten
by the new family and will pay dividends in the future. These
gestures demonstrate concern and begin to build the relationship
between the organization and the family that’s so critical during
unit deployments. -CSM William J. Perry, "Deployment Success- A
Senior NCO’s Perspective." Field Artillery, Jun 1993, p. 16
Friendship is a very important part of any spouse group, but the
best groups have goals that are clear and easily attainable. An
example is "We want to:
--Welcome each new battalion member.
--Welcome each new baby.
--Give baked goods to each single soldier and geographic
bachelor during the Christmas holidays.
--Visit each sick soldier or family member in the hospital."
These kinds of goals do not overtax the members, and create a sense
of contribution and achievement.
When a member of the unit’s Family Support Group visits the
families of soldiers newly assigned to the unit, she can ask how
well the family was sponsored, if they had any problems inprocessing,
and what could be improved. Giving this feedback to the unit can be
very helpful.
It is also important not to confuse a Spouse’s Group with a
Family Support Group. Though in some areas their functions can
overlap, the Family Support Group is an official Army program, and
the Commander’s responsibility. One of the best benefits of the FSG
is the partnership it creates between the unit and the families. It
adds another dimension to the unit’s life. -Rose Ann Spieles, (CSM
spouse), in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page
number
A good way to attract wives is with a family members’ briefing by
the battalion staff, held before a major exercise. -USACGSC RB 22-2,
The Commander’s "Link", 1983, p. 33
[To encourage spouses to join a battalion spouse group] include
the information "No elected officers, dues, constitution, or
by-laws." And the final clincher: "No board meetings, just an
opportunity to make new friends."... One unit’s NCO wives’ group
succeeded [because of] the informal organization, the lack of
pressure to attend, and the feeling of belonging.... But most
important was the sincerity of the friendship offered. -Kay
Piotrzkowski, "NCO/EM Wives: They Belong." ARMY, Jan 1972,
pp. 45, 46
Family Separations
It gets lonely when we’re separated. You have to handle it. It
makes a better marriage if you can be strong. -Elissa McCrillis (NCO
spouse), "Army Wives Speak Out." Soldiers, Dec 1980, p. 29
Spouses of senior NCOs are experienced in dealing with family
separations and know how to handle situations when they arise. If
they volunteer it, their experience can help alleviate many of the
difficulties faced by younger families.... Many spouses are
independent and don’t appreciate overbearing assistance. Yet all
spouses need some support when their soldier spouses are away
training. The best leaders are those who ensure their own families
know where to go to get help, and encourage their spouses to become
part of the family chain of support. -CSM James C. McKinney, CSM
Lyle C. Daniels, and MSG Michael Lawson, "CMTC: Training for
Combat." NCO Journal, Summer 1991, p. 8
[During family separations] the soldier goes off to something
else. He can’t help but be involved in that something else. For
family members left behind there’s a big void they have to learn to
fill. Getting together with other spouses [helps]. You keep routines
the same. And you fill the time with friends and doing things with
other wives and their kids. -Gay Sullivan (CSA spouse) and Sylvia
Kidd (SMA spouse), in "Through the Eyes of the Wives." Soldiers,
Jun 1995, p. 26
[During separations] if you live near a military base you at
least have the comfort of being able to take advantage of the
facilities there but it still isn’t easy.... Each time we have been
separated I’ve learned something new about myself. I’ve found
strength and courage that I didn’t know I had.... The husband can
assist his wife...by making sure she knows he is well and doing his
best. You see, although he may not have to worry about his wife
being safe and his children being cared for, she will worry about
his health and about his happiness with his job. He can make her
burden a lot lighter by letting her know he’s OK. -Rita Van Autreve
(SMA spouse), "A Career Wife’s View." Soldiers, Feb 1974, p.
33
There are several important messages leaders can gain from [In
Love and War, by Admiral James and Sybil Stockdale]. One is that
our soldiers can survive internment, but only if we train them for
that possibility, just as we train them to fight and avoid capture.
Another lesson is that much of their survival depends on knowing
that their military leaders will care for and support the military
families in the soldier’s absence. -MSG Jeffrey J. Mellinger, "Book
review of In Love and War." NCO Journal, Summer 1991,
p. 22
Community Support
Leadership is not restricted to a military environment. In fact,
many communities are starving for the gifts and talents of leaders
that their soldiers take for granted. NCOs have the experience and
proven level of caring to fill [voids]. Every community has at least
one area where leaders can take charge. -SFC Tyrone LaValley,
"Increase Leadership Abilities Through Volunteerism." NCO Journal,
Spring 1994, p. 11
[I became involved in my communities] because I felt it was a
great way of finding out about my community and the people we were
serving with. It offered a way to give something back to a community
that had given so much. -Gay Sullivan (CSA spouse) and Sylvia Kidd (SMA
spouse), in "Through the Eyes of the Wives." Soldiers, Jun
1995, p. 27
Civilians
These last twenty-five years I have worked with civilians very
closely, and without that dedicated work force this government of
ours would be dead in the water. -SMA William G. Bainbridge, Top
Sergeant, 1995, p. 348
When NCOs or civilians must supervise each other, it is very
important that they learn each other’s personnel system. If you as a
civilian don’t know where to start, see the organization’s CSM or
senior NCO. Don’t wait to learn about the system until you need to
know- you need to understand the system before anything comes
up. -Mac McCauley, in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no
page number
The commander’s civilian administrative assistant and the CSM
need to communicate often. When this relationship is effective, the
result will be better support for the commander and the
commander’s subordinate units. -CSM John E. Osborne and Ann Kepler,
in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number
At every organizational level, a good partnership between the
admin officer and the senior NCO of the organization will pay
dividends. -Luticia Hook and MSG Steven L. Boehmer, in A
Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number
Soldiers and civilians working together need to understand each
other and understand where each is coming from. By doing this you
can help the organization’s momentum to grow. -Randy Morron (former
NCO) and Cindy Hartzel, in A Treasury of NCO Quotations,
1997, no page number
When you supervise soldiers and civilians, treat them both the
same. Your attitude towards both should be, "If you’re right, I’ll
back you, and if you’re wrong, then we’ll sit down and talk about
it." Most people want to do a good job, and your job is to help them
do it. -John Chada, in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no
page number
All organizations can be made better by being concerned about
all members- the Reserve Components, families, veterans,
retirees, and civilians. Remember where you came from-
everyone was a civilian once, and will be again. Appreciate and
recognize their contributions- it will pay dividends in increased
teamwork and mission accomplishment. There are many ways to
recognize contributions, and most are free. Visit the civilians in
your agency; do informal, unannounced walk-throughs; and make it a
priority to see what your civilians do. The Army can’t function
without a proud, dedicated Civilian Corps. -Andy Hare, in A
Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number
Veterans and Retirees
There is something different in the way [a veteran] carries
himself, a sparkle to his eye, a spring to his step...which another
soldier will instantly recognize. -SGT Herbert E. Smith, "They Get
Their Men." U.S. Army Recruiting News, 1 Sep 1928, p. 6
In regard to the infantry, as long as there are a few old heads
you can do what you want with the tails; they are the greatest
number, and the return of these men in peace is a noticeable benefit
to the nation. -Marshal Maurice de Saxe, My Reveries, 1732,
p. 211
Is not old wine wholesomest, old pippins toothsomest, old wood
burn brightest, old linen wash whitest? Old soldiers, sweethearts,
are surest, and old lovers are soundest. -John Webster, 1580?-1625?,
Westward Hoe, II, ii, in The Penguin Dictionary of
Quotations, p. 412
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