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Air & Space Power Journal - Winter 2005

Building a World-Class Noncommissioned Officer Corps

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray

Today nearly 500,000 of America’s finest men and women proudly serve as enlisted Airmen in our United States Air Force—a total force made up of active duty, Air National Guard (ANG), and Air Force Reserve (AFR) personnel standing strong to project air and space power around the globe. Our foundation consists of three enduring principles or core values: “Integrity First, Service before Self, and Excellence in All We Do.” We expect all Airmen, both officer and enlisted, to live and lead by these core values, which form the basis for Air Force instructions, policies, guidance, and overall focus. Our leadership has the responsibility for articulating and reinforcing these values because new Airmen must understand the importance of using them to shape their actions.

To succeed, America’s Air Force has always relied on strong, competent leaders—both officer and noncommissioned officer (NCO). Today’s unprecedented global environment requires capable leaders at all levels. Because Airmen play a vital role in the overall success of our force, we must assure that they have the means and support to develop their full potential in accordance with our “Developing Airmen” core competency. To reach this goal, we have an obligation to plan and execute deliberate, well-thought-out steps throughout an Airman’s career (see figure). We have made a conscious choice to stay actively engaged in every stage of those careers, never leaving personal and professional development to chance.

As the Air Force chief of staff travels around the world, people frequently ask him how we field such a talented, dedicated, and capable enlisted corps. It assuredly does not happen by chance. We began to chart this deliberate development path in 1952, just a few years after the Air Force became an independent service. Senior leaders recognized how the drawdown and departure of midlevel leaders following World War II left a cadre of technically oriented personnel; however, it created a gap in the number of experienced NCOs needed to lead the rapid buildup and preparation for the Korean conflict. To close this gap, they established the first formal program of enlisted professional military education (PME) with the goal of educating and training all NCO supervisory personnel. Leaders emphasized the position and prestige of the NCO by fostering initiative and developing military bearing, forcefulness, and self-confidence.

As the decades progressed, so did our focus on enlisted PME. Concepts and principles of leadership and responsibility dominate today’s curriculum. In addition to undergoing meticulous technical training, our enlisted Airmen begin formal PME after three years’ service. Each unique level varies in intensity, length, subjects offered, and learning objectives. Currently our program seeks to develop leadership abilities and supervisory skills as well as increase the understanding and appreciation of the profession of arms. After completing Airman Leadership School—the first level of PME—Airmen can expect to return to the classroom with almost every promotion.

The Noncommissioned Officer Academy prepares midlevel NCOs for increased responsibility, and the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy challenges senior enlisted members to expand their leadership capabilities. This level of PME also enables senior noncommissioned officers (SNCO) to engage actively as classmates with their counterparts in our sister and allied services. Another recent innovation incorporated into every class involves an exchange between our students and junior officers attending the Air and Space Basic Course at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. This healthy give-and-take of dialogue, ideas, and interaction helps each group understand its distinctive frame of reference and differences in roles and responsibilities. The program not only helps build a better relationship between our NCOs and junior officers, but also promotes the latter’s mentoring skills and development.

In the Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, the most recent addition to formal PME, those selected to serve in our highest rank polish and prepare their skills as leaders and enlisted-force managers. This course is specifically designed to give them a broader, more strategic view of forces. Since only 1 percent of the active duty enlisted force will have the opportunity to serve as chiefs, we must use this very limited resource where it will have the most impact. Development entails breadth of experience and application of leadership abilities. Because chiefs hold critical leadership positions within our force, we owe them all the tools they need to excel.

Sam Parish, the eighth chief master sergeant of the Air Force, noted that “professional military education is the single greatest step taken for enlisted men and women in the short history of our Air Force.” We continually look at how we can enhance the formal education provided to Airmen through PME. In recent years, we have embraced mentoring and force development as a better means of improving our capabilities. We must ensure that all who ascend our ranks have access to every tool and opportunity to become strong, effective leaders. From providing daily coaching to conducting base-level workshops in professional leadership, we are maximizing our ability to share knowledge and experiences. The vital task of cultivating tomorrow’s leaders remains a top priority.

Recently we substantially revised Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, 1 December 2004, to more clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each level of the enlisted force. We must see to it that all Airmen understand what we expect of them, now and in the future. We group Airmen into three distinct tiers, each reflecting increased levels of training, education, technical competence, experience, leadership, and managerial responsibilities.

The Airmen tier encompasses the Airman Basic, Airman, Airman First Class, and Senior Airman ranks. Initially these personnel concentrate on adapting to the requirements of the military profession, achieving technical proficiency, and learning how to become highly productive members of our Air Force. After becoming Senior Airmen, they begin to exercise limited supervision and leadership as they prepare for increased responsibilities, while continuing to broaden their technical skills.

Noncommissioned officers include staff sergeants and technical sergeants who, in addition to maintaining their technical growth and becoming expert hands-on technicians, also serve as first-line supervisors. NCOs ensure that their team members work together to accomplish the mission. Charged with training and developing the Airmen they supervise, these officers also cultivate their own leadership skills in preparation for increased responsibilities.

Senior noncommissioned officers include the top three ranks of the enlisted force: master sergeant, senior master sergeant, and chief master sergeant. As critical components of the Air Force’s ability to project airpower, SNCOs have a great deal of experience and leadership ability that they use to leverage resources and personnel against a variety of mission requirements. Primarily, they seek to fulfill the organization’s mission through the skillful use of teams. They also concentrate on developing their teams and people, both technically and professionally. SNCOs contribute to the decision-making process on a variety of technical, operational, and organizational issues, and a few of them go on to serve at the highest levels of the Air Force as strategic leaders and managers. Because each of these roles is essential to the Air Force’s accomplishment of America’s missions, we exert tremendous effort to ensure that Airmen can successfully fill each position.

Technical training and PME form the core of enlisted development, but the educational process doesn’t stop there. With knowledge comes power, so NCOs need to stay at the top of their game in every respect. We place so much value on formal education that our Airmen gain college-level credits for their military education through the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).

Founded in 1972, the CCAF is the only -degree-granting institution of higher learning in the world dedicated exclusively to enlisted Airmen. As America’s largest community, junior, or technical college, it offers a unique opportunity for motivated, career-oriented Airmen and NCOs to earn a job-related, two-year undergraduate degree. Open to active duty, ANG, and AFR members, and accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the CCAF awards the Associate in Applied Science degree. Its careful mix of education from diverse sources—designed to fuse technical education and PME with off-duty education at civilian institutions—equips graduates with information and mental tools needed for enhanced performance within their Air Force specialties.

The CCAF seeks to give enlisted Airmen an opportunity to earn a degree in their Air Force specialty. If they need additional classes to complete the degree, they can take them at any accredited institution; civilian colleges located on Air Force installations offer many of these courses. The Air Force provides active duty members tuition assistance that usually covers the entire cost of an average undergraduate class. Despite ceilings on the amount of funds available each year, Airmen expend very little, if any, of their own money to earn a two-year degree.

Education levels throughout the enlisted force reflect the clear advantage of providing college-level accreditation for military training and funding basic tuition (see table). Seventy-five percent of midgrade NCOs have one to three years of college; 14 percent of the enlisted corps has an associate’s degree; over half of our master sergeants have an associate’s degree; 47 percent of chief master sergeants have a bachelor’s degree; and 13 percent of chief master sergeants have a master’s degree or higher. This speaks volumes for the dedication to learning and the value that SNCOs place on higher education.

Table. Levels of education in the enlisted force

Certainly higher rank carries correspondingly more responsibility and workload, making it more difficult to find time to balance work, family, and school. SNCOs set aside time for formal education not only to increase their knowledge in a chosen field and gain a degree, but also to enhance their standing with promotion boards. Although the Air Force requires no degree for enlisted Airmen, SNCO records undergo a board review and grading for promotion. Because earning an associate’s degree in their primary career field indicates an increased level of dedication and commitment, career-oriented Airmen fully realize the value of a degree and aggressively pursue it.

For a few select Airmen, our service offers an even more advanced educational opportunity. Beginning in 2002, the Air Force designated eight SNCOs to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Traditionally, mostly company-grade officers matriculate at AFIT, the Air Force’s graduate school of engineering and management as well as its center for technical professional continuing education. SNCOs in the class of 2004, the first to include enlisted members, received specific follow-on assignments to capitalize on their newly acquired science, technology, and systems skills. This program offers great potential for increased rank and responsibility, not to mention the enhanced capabilities that technically trained and focused NCOs will give our force.

Promoting the right Airmen to leadership positions remains an active, ongoing process. From providing career counseling and mentoring to writing concise performance reports, senior leaders aim to groom Airmen to become outstanding SNCOs. We must lay out a clear road map for new Airmen to follow and continue guiding them along the way. By producing technically competent professionals, building solid foundations, and developing strong leaders, we can add outstanding SNCOs to the Air Force.

We often hear that NCOs are the backbone of our service. Because they serve as front-line supervisors, have extensive knowledge of Air Force people and their mission, and exert much influence on their teams, exposing them to the right training, education, and experience is crucial. If we deliberately chart a course to develop the tremendously talented NCOs within our ranks, we will create strong leaders, managers, and supervisors. Without question, people are our most valuable resource, and we must make them our first priority. We can have the most sophisticated aircraft and hardware on Earth, but if we don’t have talented, competent, and motivated people to employ them, they are useless.

Every officer and NCO has a fundamental responsibility to develop Airmen to their fullest potential. We must continue to leverage all the talents of our young Airmen and groom them for additional responsibility. We firmly believe that having the right leaders in the right place at the right time, combined with giving them proper education and training, produces a great force multiplier. These concentrated intangibles start a ripple effect throughout our organizations that is invaluable. The Air Force and its sister services enjoy a unique asymmetrical advantage: instead of “paper-cutting” leaders, we capitalize on the differences each member brings to the team and exploit those distinctions to our advantage in developing Airmen.

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Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray (AAS, Community College of the Air Force; AA, Saint Leo College) is the 14th chief master sergeant appointed to the Air Force’s highest noncommissioned officer position. He serves as the personal adviser to the chief of staff and the secretary of the Air Force on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, and proper utilization and progress of the enlisted force. With a background in aircraft maintenance, he has served as a command chief master sergeant at the wing, numbered air force, and major command levels. The chief also deployed in support of Operations Desert Storm and Southern Watch. Before assuming his current position, he served as command chief master sergeant, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

Disclaimer

The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University

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