Troops on missions outside the wire need leadership. That leadership usually comes from a battle staff element directing the missions from the confines of the unit's command and control center.
Fort Jackson non-commissioned officers have been training to help lead troops in the NCO Battle Staff course currently being held at the Education Center on post.
"The course educates staff sergeants through sergeants major to serve as battle staff NCO at
battalion and higher level staff positions," said Greg Welch, chief of Fort Jackson's Individual
Training Division. Select NCOs learn the tools to become familiar with other staff sections through the course which provides "technical and tactical curriculum relevant to the missions, duties, and responsibilities assigned to battle staff members in battalion and brigade-level units."
Sgt. 1st Class Andrew James, with the Leader Training Brigade and a student in the course, said he felt the course is a great way for NCOs to set themselves apart from their fellow Soldiers.
"I think this is a great opportunity to enhance my career," the military policeman said. "It's career progression for my military occupation specialty. In order to move I need to ensure I move into the right position and properly trained for my next job in operations."
Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Wrzesinski, the assistant instructor for the course said that as an infantryman the course is "very important because you have to know what the staff operations are doing to the lowest level. If you know what they are doing from the lowest level to the highest level you can understand exactly what the battlefield is doing."
BSNCOC is a 159 academic hour-long course taught over a period of 22 academic days either as a resident course or video-teletraining to distant sites from the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy where students learn how to track unit elements, draw and design graphics, mission analysis, military decision making process, and other battle staff-related elements.
James, who has been in the service 12 years and has previous experience working in operations with various units, said the class would have helped him in those situations but "it's a double-edged sword because I believe having experience before makes the class easier."
Sgt. 1st Class Erica Melendez, BSNCOC instructor, said students in the course learn all the functions of Army operations but gain personal growth as well.
"They grow by learning research skills," she said. "A lot of the students because of their different MOSs do not get a chance to do a lot of research -- say the automations and reading doctrine to find references -- it tightens them up on those skills on an overall professional basis."
Melendez agreed with James saying that the course should be mandatory.
"It is something that should be a cog in the wheel for you to move up the ladder for promotions," she said. The Soldiers learn leadership which is necessary for all military specialties. "They will need
the course to lead something higher than a shift change. I think it's a must have … because it prepares you for the level of the unit you will be at."
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