What are your thoughts on going to another service NCO Academy?

1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 11:35:40 -0400

I was googling to find out when the Marine Corps banned NCOA from installations and came cross this. It is an older asticle but I found the topic to be really interesting. I never thought of this.

http://www.charleston.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123246263

Airman attends USMC Staff NCO Academy

If you're looking for a challenge, Master Sgt. Steve Hart, 628th Security Forces first sergeant, can fill you in on a tough one: the U.S. Marine Corps Staff  Noncommissioned Officer Academy Advanced Course held at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While this is not the typical or mo

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 1 at 2015 11:43 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 11:43:17 -0400

If it is anything like what commissioned officers go through it should be a great opportunity 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member. This would allow the Senior NCO to learn from other Service counterparts and in turn teach them from his own training and experience.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Oct 1 at 2015 11:51 AM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 11:51:43 -0400

Sounds like an awesome opportunity. It's a way to separate yourself from your peers.

When we talk "diversity" we often get hung up on the race/gender/ethnicity/etc. This however is also diversity. Joint commands and interoperability, they're all about "common backgrounds" and this is another way of seeing how the other services do things.

The chance for prospective Gunnys & SFCs to go through Chief indocs, or everyone to go through the academies just makes sense.

Response by SGT David T. made Oct 1 at 2015 12:07 PM

SGT David T. — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:07:24 -0400

Given that Joint Operations are the norm now, I would like to see more of this in the future. It will help to facilitate a greater understanding of the pieces each service brings to the table.

Response by SMSgt Bryan Raines made Oct 1 at 2015 12:22 PM

SMSgt Bryan Raines — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:22:44 -0400

I was privileged to attend the AF SNCOA with a Navy Master Chief in my flight. There were also Army SNCO's in the class. It was great discussing the different perspectives of the other services and learning more about them. I am all for it.

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Oct 1 at 2015 12:26 PM

Capt Mark Strobl — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:26:52 -0400

Great read --especially from the Airman's perspective. What the article didn't directly address --the contributions that the Airman brought to the Marines. I'd like to think the Corps has a monopoly on leadership. But, this is clearly not the case.

Response by SSgt David Tedrow made Oct 1 at 2015 12:46 PM

SSgt David Tedrow — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 12:46:17 -0400

I think it can be very helpful as you get a new view on leadership methods and tactics from another point of view.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 2:17 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 14:17:47 -0400

I think there is significant benefit to this but it should be a limited number from each service. The service academies exchange midshipmen/cadets as well and it ends up giving a nice variety of exposure, both for the visiting service member, and for those going through the training with him/her.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Oct 1 at 2015 3:35 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:35:52 -0400

We should cross train with our sister services. With so much joint deployment it can only help

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 3:48 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:48:26 -0400

A good friend of mine went to the Air Force NCO Academy as a Soldier way back in the late 80s. It was a good experience then and would be now. We do this a lot more as officers and I think it is a lost opportunity for our NCOs.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 5:39 PM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:39:00 -0400

I like it! As an O-5, I could have gone to Army War College or Navy War College instead of Air War College for Senior Leadership. Sadly, I took the easy street and stayed within my branch. At the time I couldn't devote enough time to it and chickened out. Now I find that I want to know more about the Army since I interact with them often. When I went to the NCO Academy, we did not delve into inter-service learning. I think as SNCO's and Senior Officers, we should understand the other services better.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 6:34 PM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:34:00 -0400

I think it is wonderful. I went to NATO Senior NCO Course in Germany. I was a great way to see how the other coalition forces approach leadership. I had some, erm, interesting interactions from the French and Italian Army gents. Lol.