The U.S. Army constantly improves its warfighting ability in preparation for the future, which could involve large-scale combat operations. Logistical support on the battlefield directly affects the success or failure of any operation, regardless of the scope. Moving people and supplies across the battlespace, and maintaining equipment and the needs of the warfighter is critical to mission success.
The preparedness of the noncommissioned officer to function effectively in an operational or strategic environment is critical and one that requires additional consideration.
Through a progressive education system, we expect noncommissioned officers to be highly educated, versatile, and capable of leading American men and women through the complexities of the battlefield. However, there is a disparity between the logistics noncommissioned officer’s operational knowledge and the officer counterpart.
Logistics officers and warrant officers receive early exposure to the operational and strategic-level process of getting supplies to the warfighter on the battlefield. Through military education, assignments, and stand-alone courses, officers gain the necessary tools to function at the operational and strategic level. In contrast, the noncommissioned officers are tactically sound when it relates to combat operations, and are experts at executing, leading, improvising, and training. However, many logistics noncommissioned officers lack exposure to the importance of operational and strategic planning and assignments until the latter parts of their careers.
Just as important, a senior noncommissioned officer assigned to a strategic or operational-level assignment must contribute by adding significant value to the organization. Synchronizing and integrating the noncommissioned officer’s formal education with training and assignments will create a more strategically focused sustainment noncommissioned officer. In order to do so, noncommissioned officers must gain exposure to strategic and operational-level opportunities throughout their careers to enhance readiness.
Current Environment
Logistics noncommissioned officers often work in tactical and operational assignments such as a theater sustainment command, expeditionary sustainment command, or at a division or corps-level. Noncommissioned officers must add value at all echelons and be nested in planning with operational and strategic initiatives.
Noncommissioned officers are comfortable and proficient at these levels, but nesting them with higher headquarters and echelons of planning in order to have a thorough common operational picture of the operational environment is vitally important.
Strategic and Operational Level Requirements
After graduation from the United States Army Sergeants Major Course (SMC), I was excited for the next chapter in my career. Once I arrived at the Theater Petroleum Center, I realized my lack of operational assignments, and experience with planning at this echelon was going to be a challenge. I did of course, do some operational-level planning as a student at the SMC.
At the tactical level, I was very confident in my abilities. I excelled at positions at the brigade level and below because that is the construct of the Army’s Noncommissioned Officer Professional Military Education (PME) system. What I learned during the Advanced Leaders Course and Senior Leaders Course is not beneficial past the tactical level.
At the operational level, I was lacking the fundamental knowledge necessary to compliment the planning process. This is a commonality among noncommissioned officers in the quartermaster career management field. The training required for an operational or strategic-level assignment comes after he or she is in the assignment. Sometimes the noncommissioned officer never receives the training.
Most noncommissioned officers “figure it out.” That is not ideal for the noncommissioned officer or for the organization. If the training is available, it should be a requirement for the assignment.
The noncommissioned officer PME does not currently support operational and strategic level planning until attendance at SMC. From the Basic Leaders Course to the Master Leaders Course, noncommissioned officers learn the intricacies of leadership and the technical aspects of their military operational skills (MOS). The Master Leaders Course does focus entirely on joint and operational-level operations.
Waiting until NCOs reach the senior rank is troublesome and causes noncommissioned officers to have to learn entirely on-the-job rather than through deliberate and invested PME courses. Enlisted and junior noncommissioned officers serve in staff positions at every echelon of the Army and need access to this level of education earlier in their careers.
While serving at the operational or strategic level, it is critical that all noncommissioned officers nest with their higher command to ensure mission success. The noncommissioned officer has an increased responsibility and role at echelons above the brigade.
To bridge the knowledge gap, the Army has training opportunities and assignments available to prepare noncommissioned officers to assume greater responsibilities and roles in operational and strategic organizations. Sometimes though, a lack of information or emphasis on existing opportunities hinders noncommissioned officer development.
Bridging the Educational Gap
The Army must better bridge the operational and strategic level knowledge gap between the officer and noncommissioned officer. A proposed recommendation is the information found in the Talent Management Framework for Strategic Petroleum Managers (TMFSPM). The framework highlights Logistic Officers Captain to Colonel, 923A Warrant Officers WO3 to WO5, and 92F/L/W Staff Sergeant to Sergeant Major. Here though, this article focuses on the noncommissioned officer because they remain at a disadvantage.
Essentially, operational and strategic development should begin at the staff sergeant level with assignments and planning at both levels, online or in-person schooling to broaden the noncommissioned officer’s knowledge, and increased opportunities to compete for Training with Industry positions. This will give the noncommissioned officer the foundational knowledge to better assimilate to planning roles.
Once the noncommissioned officer attends the selected schools and completes the credentialing programs related to their military occupational skill, the Army should capitalize on the training by assigning them to an operational or strategic level organization. The idea and recommendations within the TMFSPM is not just limited to petroleum managers and is applicable to all military occupational skills. Noncommissioned officers must be more involved in their own careers in order to succeed at every level.
Recommendations
The TMFSPM focuses on the noncommissioned officer’s broadening knowledge base and conceptual skills growth. It does not provide a pathway for promotion to the next rank. It outlines a guide for assignment and proponent managers to place the right person in the right position to bolster the unit’s productivity.
Courses such as the Joint Petroleum Course, Joint Logistics Course, Theater Sustainment Planners Course, and Support Operations Course build a solid foundation for the logistics noncommissioned officer to understand theater operational and Army strategic planning.
To expand on their knowledge, noncommissioned officers should enroll in credentialing programs such as the tiered Certified Petroleum Professional programs, Certified Management Consultant, Product Management certification and other credentialing programs. In addition to credentialing, the office of the professional development model can advertise and advocate these opportunities beginning at the staff sergeant level.
Finally, assignments remain an integral part of the noncommissioned officer’s overall growth. Placing noncommissioned officers in an operational or strategic assignment too late in their career is counterproductive to the success of the noncommissioned officer, the organization and the Army.
Optimally, career managers can begin to manage and groom noncommissioned officers for operational and strategic assignments at the rank of staff sergeant.
Noncommissioned officers must seek development, prepare through online schools, and fight for opportunities to broaden and advance their careers in order to succeed in operational and strategic assignments.
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