Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 39

THE PEN AND THE SWORD

A

fter 12 years of war, a debate is emerging over
the ability of the Army’s noncommissioned
officer (NCO) corps to adapt to the changing
operational environment (OE). The future will require
adept NCOs armed with increased knowledge and
new skills. Developing this NCO of the future can only
occur by transforming how the Army educates NCOs
today.
This article will briefly discuss the projected OE
and identify the cognitive abilities needed to equip the
NCO corps for 2020 and beyond. The case to revise
the Noncommissioned Officer Education System
(NCOES) is analyzed using an educational model,
against current &ג6