the NCO 2020 Strategy

escribe the NCO 2020 Strategy using your personal experience and future leadership expectations.
You will use the Army writing style, and comment on how to apply acquired knowledge into real world situations back at your unit. Describe the possible obstacles or barriers to your implementation of what you learned and how you will overcome the obstacles or barriers. Essay should contain between 500 and 750 words and be written in the first person narrative.

ANSWER

NCO 2020 Strategy

            The Noncommissioned Officer 2020 Strategy was developed for various reasons and provides vision and guidelines on ways to develop NCOs that exercise mission command and preserve combat readiness of our military. The roles and responsibilities of our NCOs have evolved significantly in the recent past. We have had to adjust in a deliberate and comprehensive manner and understanding one’s duty is a critical requirement at Professional Military Education schools. The NCO 2020 strategy document dated December 2015 details the three lines of efforts. The first effort focuses on developing capacities such as training and education. The second line of effort deals with talent management and various engagements for broadening assignments. It is aimed at showing our versatility and benefitting the Army. The third line of effort objective is to sustain trust through its stewards of the profession. This line is about members being proud of being Noncommissioned Officers and living its creed.

Central to the NCO strategy is leadership improvement. Leaders at all levels have a duty to develop other leaders. Army senior leaders are actively engaged in developing NCOs by training them, teaching them, and providing support experiences they require to become better leaders. Leaders also support individuals to realize their commitment to career-long learning as an essential part of development and maintaining readiness of the force. There are seven leadership development concepts that guide policy and action in developing Noncommissioned officers with the needed qualities and enduring leadership characteristics. These principles are consistent from initiation into the force and transitional, continuous, and deliberate leader development.

The NCO 2020 Strategy guiding imperatives include commitment to military profession, career-long learning and development. The NCO is expected to balance commitment to the army with education and leadership development. Talent will be managed to benefit both the individual and the army. The strategy is anticipated to prepare creative and adaptive officers able to operate within a complex operational environment. Officers will incorporate Mission Command principles and value a wide range of leader experiences.

Our experience and skill have an impact on our effectiveness as leaders. We are required to actively utilize the various leadership competencies we have in order to produce effective future leaders. We are therefore expected to act as personal examples in leading other individuals in training and education. This trait is known as image competency in which leaders act as role models in their respective organizations. Our strategy encourages senior people in leadership to counsel and mentor subordinate leaders. By being a good role model, my subordinates will develop into effective future leaders.

The NCO 2020 Strategy is designed to meet the challenges of an uncertain future. The strategy does provide us with some obstacles and barriers. The nation has been at war for more than a decade since the unfortunate events of 9/11. We may have lost our focus on effective training and equipping our army well. It is essential for us to be equipped and trained well for combat. Noncommissioned officers must be ready for uncertainty and the unknown. Formal education but must be complemented with professional development. It is imperative that the strategy moves fast to overcome this barrier and void by making sure NCOs spend considerable time training together. Physical training is also paramount but what is mainly being taught is basic. Physical training needs to be scaled up to have our Army back in shape. We have to educate our NCOs to have healthy meals and get in shape. There are standards to be enforced or soldiers should go through continuous counseling to meet the established standards.

In conclusion, it is apparent that for us to have competence in future leadership, different strategies should be considered and implemented. It is everybody’s prerogative to establish our approach and take responsibility for implementing the NCOs 2020 strategy. If we do not take that responsibility, our future leaders might face difficulties in implementing these strategies. We promote effective future leaders through NCO 2020 Strategy by being role models to others and managing recognized talent among individuals. Leader development is fundamental to Army readiness and the strategy revolutionizes how we develop Noncommissioned officers by setting superior conditions for academic well-being, self-awareness, and professional development. The strategy will lead to better readiness and competency among future leaders.

References

Davenport, D., Perkins, D. (2015). United States army training and doctrine command: NCO 2020 Strategy. https://www.tradoc.army.mil/Portals/14/Documents/NCO2020.pdf

Riling, R. (2017). Genuine Leadership Getting back to the Basics. Army Press. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Archives/2017/October/Genuine-Leadership-Getting-back-to-the-Basics/