CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo -- For many Soldiers, deployments mean missing out on leadership schools, but that was not the case for Soldiers currently deployed as part of Multinational Battle Group-East in Kosovo.
A team of small group leaders came to Camp Bondsteel from Grafenwoehr, Germany with the 7th Army Joint Multinational Command's Non-commissioned Officer Academy, to instruct Soldiers in two sessions of Warrior Leader Course during the Kosovo Force 19 rotation for the month of March.
Warrior Leader Course, or WLC, teaches specialists, corporals and sergeants the fundamentals of leadership.
Soldiers from a variety of military occupations specialties came from around Kosovo to participate in the course.
"These Soldiers are getting a great opportunity to attend the course in a deployed environment," said Sgt. 1st Class Dana Lescoe, the chief instructor for WLC with the 7th NCO Academy.
"This gives them a chance to get ahead in their careers and when they get back they can focus more on family time."
The course is designed to test the Soldiers on their leadership capabilities.
"There are three different phases," said Lescoe. "The leadership phase, the training phase and the warrior phase. We teach them the fundamentals of Army doctrine so they can have a solid foundation as they become the future leaders of our Army."
"The first few days are in the class room," said Lescoe. "It's a lot of information and they have to come eager to learn. They take a physical training test, they learn drill, they do land navigation, they learn drill and ceremonies and they are put in a situational exercise where they demonstrate their leadership skills. It's everything they will need to know as non-commissioned officers."
The course allowed the Soldiers to get a break from their MOS and gave them the opportunity to focus exclusively on training to be a noncommissioned officer.
"It was just an amazing course," said Spc. Nadia Wilson, a petroleum supply specialist with the 1-150th Assault Helicopter Battalion, New Jersey National Guard. "I feel like I learned to be a better leader. I learned where to find answers if Soldiers need them, and I learned how to work together as a team with my battle buddies here."
Wilson said that the most challenging part of WLC was the simulation training exercise lanes, commonly known as STX lanes.
"I am not an infantryman so I wasn't used to being in this type of situation, and I was a squad leader so I was very nervous, but I made it happen and it felt rewarding," said Wilson.
Wilson received the highest score out of the females on the army physical fitness test and was honored at the WLC graduation Mar. 11, as the Iron warrior.
"WLC has taught me so much. I want to be a good leader for my Soldiers in the future and I know WLC helped me become better," said Wilson.
The first WLC class came to an end and the Soldiers were recognized in a packed auditorium for all of their hard work.
"WLC is a foundation to becoming a non-commissioned officer," said Lescoe. "We teach them and instill leadership and we hope they will stay in and teach their knowledge to their Soldiers. We train the students to be future leaders who are disciplined and embody the Army values. We want them to be creative thinkers who are mentally tough. That's our goal here at WLC."
There are three WLC classes scheduled for the Kosovo Force 19 rotation. For details, visit the NCO Academy online at www.eur.army.mil/jmtc/NCOA.html.
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