[This article was first published in the first issue of Army Sustainment Professional Bulletin, which was then called Army Logistician, volume 1, number 1 (September–October 1969), pages 12–15, 23.]
The Noncommissioned Officer Logistics Program, more commonly known as the NCOLP, is the U.S. Army's answer to the growing demand for trained and experienced noncommissioned officers in the logistics field. This unique career development program offers priority of assignment to 1,861 key supervisory positions throughout the world to a select group of qualified noncommissioned officers in pay grades E-6 through E-9. Included in the program are 47 military occupational specialties spanning the logistics field. While the present strength is the highest in the history of the program there is still a great need for additional members. This need is particularly apparent in the maintenance, transportation, procurement, and certain supply military occupational specialty areas.
Opportunities
For the noncommissioned officers who apply and are accepted, the opportunities in the NCOLP are better than ever before. The past five years has seen an increase in the number of members from 485 to more than 1,400. The number of positions has increased from 1,226 to 1,861. Approximately 70 per cent of those who apply are accepted and enrolled in the program.
Nearly 1,900 table of distribution and allowances and table of organization and equipment positions are now open to NCOLP members. Included are key logistics staff positions in major commands all over the world. For example, positions are available in army, corps, and division G-4 offices and support commands, and in major logistics organizations, such as logistical commands, depots, arsenals, proving grounds, inventory control centers, transportation terminals, and in logistics departments of service schools.
In the interest of obtaining equitable and appropriate standardization in the designation of NCOLP positions, a review of support-type tables of organization and equipment (TOE) is being accomplished for the purpose of designating which positions should be military occupational specially (MOS) coded with the noncommissioned officer logistics program special qualification identifier "K". Key positions will be properly annotated in future changes to TOE's as they are processed.
In June 1969, the Office of Personnel Operations (OPO) published AR 614-206. The regulation describes the program and procedures to be used in applying for or nominating persons for membership in the NCOLP. This regulation also contains a listing of all E-9 NCOLP positions worldwide. Continued expansion of the program is envisioned with particular emphasis on maintenance, transportation, procurement, and construction aspects. Such an expansion will increase the types of military occupational specialties currently included in the program.
Objectives and Qualifications
The objectives of the program are to—
- Develop a base of highly trained noncommissioned officers for use in mobilization expansion of the Army Logistics System.
- Provide a trained cadre of noncommissioned officers to staff present key logistics positions worldwide.
- Provide professional development of program members along with additional career incentives.
Only volunteers are accepted in the program. The standards of acceptance are high. Applicants must have—
- Rank of E-6 through E-9. Primary logistics military occupational specialty of not less than grade 4 skill level.
- Five years experience in primary military occupational specialty or a combined total of five years in primary military occupational specialty and a related military occupational specialty within the career group.
- No record of conviction by military or civil court during any tour of duty with the Armed Forces.
- High school education or equivalent.
- A score of 100 or higher on latest primary military occupational specialty evaluation.
- A SECRET or higher security clearance or the initiation of a request for one.
- A waiver of prerequisite qualifications may be granted to individuals who are otherwise qualified.
Noncommissioned officers who meet the prerequisites and desire further professional and technical development in the logistics field are encouraged to apply for membership. Procedures for applying and processing applicants are given in AR 614-206. Commanders are encouraged to nominate noncommissioned officers who meet prerequisites for membership and who voluntarily agree to assignment under the program. The expansion of this volunteer program to meet increasing worldwide requirements will provide greater opportunities for professional recognition, career development, and assignment priority to key logistics positions with supervisory and operational responsibilities.
The NCOLP Course
The Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia, conducts a resident nine-week Noncommissioned Officer Logistics Course four times annually. The course is restricted to enrollees in the NCOLP with more than nine months of service remaining upon completion of the course. The course is designed to increase the member's knowledge of wholesale and Army in the field logistics operations. An extension course paralleling the resident course is also available for members and potential members.
Program Background
In 1955, the Quartermaster General established the first noncommissioned officer career development program for the purpose of retaining control of individuals who had become highly skilled depot supply and maintenance specialists as a result of their assignments in Europe. Certain continental United States general and quartermaster depot positions were reserved for persons in the program. The program initially consisted of 98 members, grades E-5 through E-7. In 1957 the Signal Corps established a similar program.
In 1959, the program was extended overseas when positions were authorized for program members in the supply control agencies of U.S. Army, Europe. At that time the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics (DCSLOO) and the chiefs of technical services formalized the procedures to insure that only highly skilled program personnel would be assigned to these specified positions.
In 1960, a major problem arose in supply operations in U.S. Army, Pacific due to the acute shortage of enlisted personnel with skills necessary to operate the supply system. By early 1961, a program for U.S. Army, Pacific similar to that in effect in U.S. Army, Europe had been approved and requirements to technical service career development program personnel for that command were being filled by the various technical services.
Later in 1961, the DCSLOG established the technical service career development program to encompass the existing Quartermaster and Signal Corps career development programs and to provide for similar programs in the other technical services. This program was based on the need for highly-qualified noncommissioned officers to fill oversea requirements in depot supply, supply control, and maintenance activities and to serve as a mobilization base to meet future logistics requirements. As a result of the DSCLOG action, the Engineer, Ordnance, and Medical Corps established programs during 1962.
As a result of the 1962 reorganization of the Army, OPO was given responsibility for developing an overall Department of the Army program to replace the DCSLOG and technical service programs. The NCOLP was established by Office of Personnel Operations on July 1, 1962.
Today, the NCOLP is managed within the Enlisted Personnel Directorate, Office of Personnel Operations. Each program member's career is carefully monitored and controlled. Assignments of members are made to previously approved key NCOLP positions on a by-name, by-position basis in the same manner utilized in the assignment of officers.
As the functional manager of the Army Logistics System, the DCSLOG, Department of the Army, maintains an active interest in the program. All actions involving the addition to or elimination of military occupational specialties from the program are coordinated with the DCSLOG. All newly-nominated positions received from commanders worldwide are reviewed by DSCLOG prior to being included in the program.
This program is a valuable and integral part of career development in the modern Army. Enrollees in the program are a ready source of highly-qualified noncommissioned officers possessing the characteristics required to operate the Army's complex logistics system.
Social Sharing