KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - The Regimental Air Defense Artillery Command's senior NCO's career advice to 357th Air Missile Defense Detachment Soldiers was "2-keep it moving" Dec. 10 during the Noncommissioned Officer Developmental Program at the Galaxy Theater on Vogelweh.
Referring to the Army's NCO Evaluation Report's five-point scale where "1" is the highest level, Command Sgt. Maj. James Carr gave specific information on how Soldiers can get ready now for senior advancement boards.
"(Board members) are only looking at '1s' - the best of the best," said Sgt. Neil Betty, the 357th AMD-D, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment weight control NCO, on what he took away from Carr's presentation on career progression for sergeants first class and above.
"I want to give E-5s and E-6s an opportunity right now to start looking at what they need to do in order to advance to E-7, E-8 and E-9," said Carr, who just finished being a member of a master sergeant promotion board.
What junior NCOs need to do right now, Carr said, is start asking for assignments to be a drill sergeant, instructor or recruiter.
"I didn't think about those assignments when I was a junior NCO trying to advance, so I want to make sure those today know," but as he stressed in his presentation, "only the best of the best get those assignments so the first thing they need to do is do their jobs and do them very well."
Getting one of these assignments never crossed Betty's mind before, but while listening to Carr, he began remapping his path.
"(Carr) explained the process of elimination for E-7 and above, and he really motivated me and brought to the surface what I need to do," said Betty, a seven-year veteran who wants to make the Army a career.
Other more obvious paths such as membership in the Sergeant Audie Murphy and Sergeant Morales Clubs, and earning a college degree toward advancement were also discussed during Carr's presentation.
Carr has been in his present position in four months, and he has made it a point to visit and talk about NCO career progression to Soldiers assigned to ADA detachments in the States, Germany, Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq. The driving force for these visits, he said, was that the Year of the NCO, which goes until Jan. 1.
"Being that it's the Year of the NCO, I wanted to talk to every NCO in the Air Defense Branch and support staff, so they can have a better understanding of who I am and how the system works, and to make sure that they are leading from the front," said Carr, who mentioned the roles and responsibilities of the NCO throughout his presentation.
The developmental program also consisted of presentations on the Army transformation, specific career choices and paths, and NCO leadership from the 357th AMD-D Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan McGhee and counselors.
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