In my career, I have experienced being trained by exemplary non-commissioned officers (NCOs), whether it be Platoon NCOs, Squad Leader, or Company Training NCOs.
They are indeed excellent soldiers. I feel that I was educated and trained well by the NCOs, not only in the training camps but also in actual actions and operations. Finally, I concluded that soldiers who excel on battlefields are usually also excellent in peacetime operations.
The role of NCOs is very vital in a combat force. In armies across the world, NCOs are referred to as the backbone of an army because they are usually the most experienced soldiers. They are, of course, closest to the men. They live amongst the soldiers. They experience what the ordinary private is experiencing. They know how the young private thinks, feels and acts.
With such deep experience, they become the most reliable soldiers, the masters of fighting and shooting techniques, in using primary and auxiliary weapons. Hence, they are usually very good at combat techniques and tactics at the squad, platoon, and company levels. It is often said that the NCO must be the best soldier in his unit.
A great army is the one that chooses the best NCOs to be its commissioned officers. The most important positions are Squad Leaders, Platoon NCOs, and the company and battalion NCOs. These are very important and decisive positions. A soldier capable of becoming a squad Leader should be the best soldier in that squad. A person who is capable of becoming a Platoon NCO should be among the best squad Leaders. An officer who is capable of becoming a Training NCO can prove to be a standout Platoon NCO.
I have experienced working with and learning from exemplary NCOs in my career, be it Platoon NCOs, Squad Leaders, and Training NCOs. They are precisely those who move the company, who move the platoon, who move the squad.
