America’s NCO corps just didn’t happen. It evolved over the years, tapping ideas and innovations from many different sources.

The first NCOs or relatives of the breed were probably those exceptional legionaries serving Rome’s empire. They commanded 10 soldiers while assisting their commander in handling his 100 men. The legionaries supervised training, performing administrative and logistical support tasks as they arose.

Long after the Roman Empire fell, standing armies of France’s Charles VII contained regiments and companies. Senior NCOs in the 15th Century were called “corporals” or “lance corporals.”

By the first quarter of the 18th century, other nations had copied this organization.

The origin of the NCO in America’s fledgling Continental Army came about through a combination of factors. The American Army blended traditions of the British, French and Prussian armies into a configuration which became a staunch and effective American institution.

The British military system served as a model for our Army. British Pilgrims from the Massachusetts Bay Colony created the first “militias.” In December 1636 they had formed the first three regiments of a permanently organized militia. These units; the north, south, and east regiment, still exist today in the form of the 181st and 182nd Infantry, the 101st Field Artillery, and 101st Engineer Battalion, Massachusetts National Guard. They are the oldest units in the U.S. Army.

America’s first inspector general, Baron Von Steuben, strongly influenced the shaping of the NCO corps in the Continental Army. He instituted the Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, commonly called the “Blue Book.” Von Steuben’s opus officially established the structure of the NCO Corps within the American Army.

The Blue Book set down duties and responsibilities for corporals, sergeants, first sergeants, quartermaster sergeants, and sergeants major, effectively encompassing the NCO ranks of that day. The book also established the qualities a soldier must have to serve in demanding positions. For 30 years, the Blue Book served as the American Army’s regulatory bible.

Many changes in the NCO command structure occurred over the years but perhaps none were so momentous as when the Army became an all-volunteer force in1973. The intent was to build a modern Army upon the principles of personnel management, leadership, motivation and training. Two years earlier, in 1971, the Army took steps to ease the transition by establishing the Basic NCO course (BNCOC), the Advanced NCO Course (ANCOC) and the Sergeants Major Course.

Highly crafted training would now continue throughout a soldier’s career, enabling him to hone professional skills while utilizing the latest technological innovations.

Baron Von Steuben would’ve been proud.

##Author Unknown