WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jan. 12, 2007) - Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey announced a new leader-development initiative for the Army's military and civilian leaders at the Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, Wednesday.
The Army Leaders for the 21st Century initiative has been established to improve the leader-development process of building military and civilian leaders who are capable of accomplishing complex and challenging missions in the 21st Century national security environment.
"Much of what the Army does is first class," said Harvey. "We want to grow on that and make changes where it's needed. Right now we want to expand the role of our noncommissioned officers, COs, create a civilian corps and adjust officers' cultural awareness to full spectrum so we can build leaders capable of accomplishing complex missions in the dangerous and challenging environment of the 21st Century."
The main objective of AL21 is to develop more adaptive leaders, or "pentathletes," those who are multi-skilled, versatile and competent in the operational and institutional Army. The Army also wants its leaders to be well-rounded with technical expertise, regional knowledge and cultural awareness. Officer, NCO and Army civilian leadership development strategy will vary.
Harvey focused on the NCO aspect of AL21 during his visit to the Sergeants Major Academy, expressing the need to expand the role and responsibilities of the NCO to exploit their knowledge and expertise.
"The world is changing," said Harvey. "We are expanding the role of our NCO Corps to increase their contribution to our Army. Our NCOs need to remain the technical experts while leaning forward and stretching beyond the traditional comfort zone."
<b>NCOs</b>
The future role of the NCO will not change fundamentally; they will continue to lead troops and remain competent in their Soldiering abilities. The NCO of the 21st Century, however, will be capable of reaching new heights of effectiveness in any environment, from war fighting to resource management. Through life-long learning and continuous training, the NCO pentathlete will embody proficiency in all aspects of being a Soldier and the capability of fighting a war in an era of unpredictability.
<b>Officers</b>
Like the NCO, the fundamental role of the officer will not change with the implementation of AL21, but will adjust to expand the competency of officers to a full spectrum of cultural awareness and strategic leadership. AL21 intends to improve these areas through education, and by developing Army fellowship and exchange programs with other agencies for select officers, as well as Army civilians.
<b>Civilians</b>
Possibly the most dramatic changes of the new initiative will be felt by Army civilians, who have been lacking in leadership development opportunities. As the Army has become more reliant on Army civilians in leadership positions, it's critical appropriate training and development opportunities are provided to build on leadership qualities such as decision making and communication.
As the active component of the Army grows, Soldiers are steadily moving from the institutional to the operational side of the Army, and the positions are being filled by Army civilians. From fiscal 2002 to 2006, more than 35,000 active-duty Soldiers relocated from headquarters positions into operational units as part of the military to civilian conversion, which shows the growing reliance on the Army's civilians and the significant need for leadership development.
To build civilian pentathletes, new management systems and mandatory classes for supervisors will be established, and the development of the Civilian Education System will be accelerated to ensure civilian leaders can continue their education. Army civilians will also feel a sense of predictability in their career paths, as the new management system will allow for career mapping similar to that of the officer.
The AL21 initiative was introduced after a directive from Harvey and Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker for a task force to examine the policies and programs that govern the education, training and assignments for Army leaders. The Review of Education, Training and Assignments for Leaders was conducted from October 2005 to June 2006 by three panels for the NCO, officer and Army civilian, and provided leadership development recommendations initiating the establishment of AL21.
"Leader development is not a cost," said Harvey, "It's an investment in our Soldiers, our civilians, the Army, and our nation.""
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