Standardizing NCO Academies

AR 350-90, Noncommissioned Officer Academies

The Army’s NCO Academy system was formalized in 1957 when the Department of the Army published its first regulation to establish standards for NCO Academies.

Short History of the Specialist Rank

Insignia of Rank, Specialist

The Specialist is in the normal career
progression for enlisted soldiers in between the career
path of going from an apprentice enlisted soldier, to the
journeymen role associated with noncommissioned officers.
There is no current method to identify senior enlisted
specialists from those NCOs in a leadership position.

Seventh Army NCO Academy History

7th Army NCO Academy

The Seventh Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy was originally established as the United States Constabulary Noncommissioned Officer Academy and is one of the oldest NCO Academy’s in the Army.

History of the NCO Creed

NCO Creed scroll

It started on the fourth floor of Building 4 at Fort
Benning, Georgia, in 1973 with a plain white sheet of paper
and three letters; N-C-O. From there begins the history of
the Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer
The Creed has been around for many years in different
forms and fashions. Sergeants can recall reading the Creed
on the day they were first inducted into the NCO Corps.
Most of us have a copy hanging on our wall in our office,
our work place, or at our home. Some have special versions
etched into metal on a wooden plaque, or printed in fine
calligraphy. One Sergeant Major of the Army could pick up
and recite the Creed from any place selected.1 But take a
quick glance at any Creed and you will notice the absence
of the author’s name at the bottom. Where the Creed
originated from has questioned many.