Noncommissioned Officer Education System
The Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES) is the keystone for NCO development.
NCOES provides leader and MOS skill training in an integrated system of resident training at four levels (primary,
basic, advanced, and senior).
The four week, non-MOS specific Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) is conducted
at sixteen Noncommissioned Officer Academies (NCOA) worldwide. Attendance at PLDC is mandatory for promotion to
sergeant. Soldiers will be permitted to appear before the promotion board, but cannot be promoted until they attend
PLDC. Commanders and First Sergeants should closely monitor the announced MOS cutoff scores in programming soldiers
to attend PLDC.
Combat arms (CA) /combat support (CS) /combat service support (CSS) BNCOC is conducted
at proponent service schools. Successful completion of BNCOC is a prerequisite to be considered for promotion to
sergeant first class. Effective 1 October 1992, BNCOC became a prerequisite for promotion to SSG. There are 157
skill level two and skill level three courses on line. Training lengths vary from two to nineteen weeks with an
average of nine weeks. A one week common core, designed by the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, supplements leadership
training received at PLDC. BNCOC is centrally funded by the Department of the Army. Priority for BNCOC attendance
is SSG by date of rank, SGT(P) by promotion points, and SGT (MOSs 54B and 88H only). All soldiers attending BNCOC
are scheduled via an automated system called the BNCOC Automated Reservation System (BARS). The system provides
PERSCOM with an order of merit listing of soldiers eligible to attend BNCOC. The order of merit listing is based
on criteria established by ODCSPER and ODCSOPS. The report enables PERSCOM to identify the "best qualified"
soldiers for training and nominates them to their commander for verification that the soldier is qualified to attend
BNCOC. Commanders have the option of canceling the PERSCOM nomination if the soldier is unqualified. If the commander
cancels the nomination, PERSCOM will then select a replacement from the Army wide order of merit list.
Soldiers who attend the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course (ANCOC) are selected
by the Departement of the Army SFC/Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course Selection Board. The zone of consideration
is announced by PERSCOM before each board convenes. An NCO must be an ANCOC graduate to be considered for promotion
to MSG. All soldiers selected for promotion to SFC who have not previously attended ANCOC are automatic selectees.
All SFCs with a date of rank of 1 April 1981 or later must successfully complete ANCOC in order to be considered
for promotion to MSG. Effective 1 October 1993, ANCOC became a prerequisite prior to promotion to SFC. Scheduling
is done by the soldiers career branch. Priority for ANCOC attendance is SFC and SSG(P) who have not attended.
The U.S. Army Sergeants Major Course (USASMC) is the only senior level NCOES course
and the capstone of NCO education. The USASMC is a nine month resident course conducted at Fort Bliss, TX. Selected
individuals may complete USASMC by corresponding studies. Attendance to resident or non-resident training is determined
by a Department of the Army Selection Board. Soldiers selected for promotion to SGM or appointment to CSM who are
not graduates will attend the next resident USASMC. Soldiers may be deferred for compassionate or medical reasons,
but they may not decline once selected. Effective 1 October 1993, USASMC became a prerequisite prior to promotion
to SGM.
Information Courtesy of U.S. Army
