SION, Switzerland -- "Communication is the key" was the main theme for the 2007
NATO/Partnership for Peace International NCO leadership course at the Swiss Armed
Forces junior training center here, and two "communicators" from U.S. Army, Europe's
5th Signal Command were hand-picked to share their expertise with NCOs representing
19 different nations.
The 128th Signal Company command team of Capt. Ken Donnolly and 1st Sgt. Samuel Taylor were chosen by NATO's top enlisted Soldier, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bartelle, to teach
"Officer and NCO Relations at the company level" Oct. 19, the last day of the twoweek course. The 128th is part of the 5th Signal's 39th Signal Battalion, 2nd Signal Brigade, based in Belgium.
"It's a great honor that we were picked," said Taylor. With duty at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, the first sergeant is no stranger to working with military members from many nations.
The signal duo described the U.S. Army company-level officer/NCO relationship as a
"quasi-marriage" in which the partners often spend more time together than they do with
their actual spouses. The pair drew rousing laughter from the class when they debated
which is the husband or wife in their "marriage."
Many eyebrows in the crowd were raised when Taylor revealed that U.S. NCOs train not
only junior enlisted Soldiers but often officers as well, in courses such as Airborne and
Ranger schools.
"Young officers are bred, trained and guided by senior NCOs at a company level, and the
experience and knowledge they gain from those NCOs shape them into becoming good
senior officers and commanders," Taylor told the class.
Donnelly, who was also an NCO before becoming a commissioned officer, said no
commander can succeed without strong NCOs leading the way.
"A key strength of any good officer is his or her ability to delegate responsibility to their
NCOs," said Donnolly.
The pair was followed by NCOs from Norway, Spain and Great Britain who described
their armed forces' NCO structure and how they relate with officers. This time it was
Taylor and Donnolly who raised their eyebrows when the Norwegian NCO said he was
on a first-name basis with every officer assigned to an air base.
In stark contrast, the Spanish NCO said their officers and NCOs work andlive in strict,
segregated worlds where most mission responsibility is given to officers.
The British NCO said their officers sometimes speak a different language that enlisted
Soldiers don't understand, but that NCOs are slowly given more responsibility in their
units.
The class was by and large in agreement that NCOs in any military need to be "the
backbone" of a unit. "The officers are the managers, but the NCOs make it happen," said
Taylor.
Another topic was the NCO rank structure of the different nations. Attendees said many
countries have less than four NCO ranks, due in large part to conscription of enlisted
members who are required to serve a minimum amount of time; those who excel are
often offered career officer positions, keeping the NCO ranks sparse.
Taylor was introduced to a 22-year-old Swiss first sergeant who had served only two
years, as opposed to his own record of 15 years time in service. Taylor said that disparity
exemplifies the need for some nations to increase the size of their NCOs corps and place
more emphasis on the roles and responsibilities of NCOs in the chain of command.
Command Sgt. Major Richard Blanc, chief of NCO development for the Swiss Armed
Forces and co-developer of the international NCO leadership course, said one of main
reasons the course was created was because there is such a strong need for NCO
development in most Partnership for Peace forces. The program began in 2005.
The two-week training offers preliminary, intermediate and advanced NCO courses.
NATO invites two NCOs per country to attend each course. Course modules are taught
by senior NCOs and experts from various partner countries on a rotating basis. The
courses have earned high marks and positive feedback from attendees, said Blanc.
He added that he is trying to conduct the courses more often, and create more
development courses that bring nations together.
"We want to spread the virus of international relations through these courses," said
Blanc.
"We designed the course to include group tasks where NCOs from different nations are
teamed together to solve problems and work through scenarios."
The attendees also had an opportunity to escape the classroom to negotiate rappelling and
rope-climbing drills designed to build team cohesion.
"This experience was awesome," said Canadian air force Master Cpl. Don Caron. "This
course really showed me a lot about myself as a leader and as a person in general."
Caron said he was excited to take the lessons learned from this course and apply them to
his current unit.
"I hope the attendees learn that no military can work without strong NCOs," said
Donnolly.
"I hope they take from this course that communication is the key to success," added
Taylor. "Good officers trust their NCOs to get the job done and good NCOs listen and get
know their Soldiers," he said.
"The concept and success of this course is a dream come true," said Blanc. "The
international collaboration that happens here is something the whole world can benefit
from."
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