As suggested by the author of this 1634 treatise on the organization of an effective military force, the noncommissioned officer has always shared leadership responsibilities with his commissioned superiors. In fact, for more than two hundred years NCOs have served as leaders in the U.S. Army, not only in the barracks and on the parade ground but, most importantly, in the face of the enemy. In both peace and war they are the key to unit morale and esprit de corps and the mainstay of discipline and efficiency.

Although obvious to us today, the role of the NCO

was not always clearly defined. Only in recent years has the Army come to extol the professionalism of its noncommissioned officers and to set service-wide standards for their training. This growing recognition of the role and status of the NCO has been reflected in official documents and publications, as in the extracts that follow.

It should be noted that, beyond minor deletions, as indicated, because of space limitations, these documents appear without any historical editing on our part.

Throughout the Army's history, those who wore stripes were entrusted with duties and responsibilities that required leadership skills and technical proficiency. These duties and responsibilities have been set forth in official documents ranging from Steuben's Blue Book to AR 600-20. It is apparent from these documents that advances in technology and the resulting changes in tactics have made the duties of noncommissioned officers more complex, but their fundamental responsibilities have remained the same.

Extract from Frederick von Steuben, Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, Part I, 1789.

Instructions for the Serjeant Major

The Serjeant major, being at the head of the non-commissioned officers, must pay the greatest attention to their conduct and behaviour, never conniving at the least irregularity committed by them or the soldiers, from both of whom he must exact the most implicit obedience. He should be well acquainted with the interior management and discipline of the regiment, and the manner of keeping rosters and forming details. He must always attend the parade, be very expert in counting off the battalion, and in every other business

of the adjutant, to whom he is an assistant.

Instructions for the Quarter-Master Serjeant

He is an assistant to the quarter-master of the regiment, and in his absence is to do his duty, unless an officer be specially appointed for that purpose. He should therefore acquaint himself with all the duties of the quarter-master before mentioned. When the army marches, he must see the tents properly packed and loaded, and go with the baggage, see that the waggoners commit no disorders, and that nothing is lost out of the waggons.

Instructions for the First Serjeant of a Company

The soldier having acquired that degree of confidence of his officers as to be appointed first serjeant of the company, should consider the importance of his office; that the discipline of the company, the conduct of the men, their exactness in obeying orders, and the regularity of their manners, will in a great measure depend on his vigilance.

He should be intimately acquainted with the character of every soldier of the company, and should take great pains to impress upon their minds the indispensable necessity of the strictest obedience, as the foundation of order and regularity.

He will keep the details of the company, and never warn a man out of his turn, unless particularly ordered so to do.

He must take the daily orders in a book kept by him. for that purpose, and shew them to his officers.

He must every morning make a report to the captain of the state of the company, in the form prescribed; and at the same time acquaint him with any thing material that may have happened in the company since the preceding report.

He must parade all guards and detachments furnished by his company, examine their arms, ammunition, accoutrements and dress, before he carries them to the parade; and if any man appears unfit, he must supply his place with another, and have the defaulter punished: For this purpose he must always warn a man or two more than ordered, to serve as a reserve, who, if not wanted, will return to their companies.

He will keep the company book (under the inspection of the captain) in which he will enter the name and description of every non-commissioned officer and soldier; his trade and occupation; the place of his birth and usual residence where, when and for what term he was inlisted; the bounty paid him; the arms, ammunition, accoutrements, clothing and necessaries delivered him, with their marks and numbers, and the times when delivered; also copies of all returns, furloughs, discharges, and every casualty that happens in the company.

When each soldier shall be provided with a small book, the first serjeant is to enter therein the soldier's name, a copy of his inlistment, the bounty paid him, the arms, accoutrements, clothing, and necessaries delivered him, with their marks and numbers. For this purpose he must be present at all distributions in his company and as often as arms, clothing, etc. are delivered, he must enter them in the soldier's as well as the company's book.

The first serjeant is not to go on any duty, unless with the whole company, but is to be always in camp or quarters, to answer any call that may be made.

He is never to lead a platoon or section, but is always to be a file-closer in the formation of the company, his duty being in the company like the adjutant's in the regiment.

Instructions for the Serjeants and Corporals

It being on the non-commissioned officers that the discipline and order of a company in a great measure depend, they cannot be too circumspect in their behaviour towards the men, by treating them with mildness, and at the same time obliging every one to do his duty. By avoiding too great familiarity with the men, they will

not only gain their love and confidence, but be treated with a proper respect whereas by a contrary conduct they forfeit all regard, and their authority becomes despised.

Each serjeant and corporal will be in a particular manner answerable for the squad committed to his care. He must pay particular attention to their conduct in every respect; that they keep themselves and their arms always clean; that they have their effects always ready, and put where they can get them immediately, even in the dark, without confusion; and on every fine day he must oblige them to air their effects.

When a man of his squad is warned for duty, he must examine him before he carries him to the parade, obliging him to take all his effects with him unless when specially ordered to the contrary. In teaching the recruits, they must exercise all their patience, by no means abusing them, but treating them with mildness, and not expect too much precision in the first lessons, punishing those only who are wilfully negligent.

They must suppress all quarrels and disputes in the company; and where other means fail, must use their authority in confining the offender.

They should teach the soldiers of their squads how to dress with a soldier-like air, how to clean their arms, accoutrements, etc. and how to mount and dismount their firelocks; for which purpose each non-commissioned officer should always be provided with a turnscrew, and suffer no soldier to take his arms to pieces without his permission.

On a march the non-commissioned officers must preserve order and regularity, and suffer no man to leave the ranks without permission of the officer commanding the platoon. A corporal must teach the sentinels to challenge briskly, and every thing else they are to do in their different situation; and when he relieves them, must make them deliver the orders distinctly.

When a guard is relieved, the non-commissioned officers take the orders from those whom they relieve; when sent to visit the sentries, they should instruct them in their duty. They should reconnoitre the roads they are to patrol in the night, that they may not lose themselves. They must make their patrol with the greatest silence and attention, and where necessary, send a faithful soldier a-head to look out. If they meet a detachment of the enemy stronger than their own, they must retreat in order to their own post. In the night they must stop all strangers that approach. They must not suffer their men to make the least noise with their arms or accoutrements, and every now and then stop and listen. On their return from patrolling, they must report to the officer what they have seen or heard.

When a non-commissioned officer is a file-closer, he must take care to keep the ranks and files properly closed, and when too much crowded, make them incline

from the centre. When the files of his platoon are disordered by the loss of men, he must exert himself to dress and complete them afresh, with the utmost expedition. He must keep the greatest silence in the ranks, see that the men load well and quick, and take good aim. He will do all in his power to encourage the soldiers, and use the most vigorous means to prevent any from leaving the ranks, unless wounded.

Extract from An Act Establishing Rules and Articles for the Government of the Armies of the United States; with the Regulations of the War Department, 1812.

Art. 2. It is earnestly recommended to all officers and soldiers diligently to attend divine service; and all officers who shall behave indecently, or irreverently at any place of divine worship, shall, . . . if noncommissioned officers or soldiers [so behave], every person so offending shall, for his first offence, forfeit one sixth of a dollar, to be deducted out of his next pay; for the second offence, he shall not only forfeit a like sum, but be confined twenty-four hours; and for every like offence shall suffer and pay in like manner; which money, so forfeited, shall be applied by the captain or senior officer of the troop or company, to the use of the sick soldiers of the company or troops to which the offender belongs.

Art. 3. Any non-commissioned officer or soldier who shall use any profane oath or execration shall incur the penalties expressed in the foregoing article. . . .

Art. 5. Any officer or soldier who shall use contemptuous or disrespectful words against the President of the United States, against the Vice-President thereof, against the Congress of the United States, or against the chief magistrate or legislature of any of the United States in which he may be quartered, . . . if a non-commissioned officer or soldier, he shall suffer such punishment as shall be inflicted on him by the sentence of a court martial. . . .

Art. 8. Any officer, non-commissioned officer, or soldier, who, being present at any mutiny or sedition, does not use his utmost endeavor to suppress the same, or coming to the knowledge of any intended mutiny, does not without delay, give information thereof to his commanding officer, shall be punished by the sentence of a court martial with death or otherwise, according to the nature of his offence. . . .

Art. 10. Every non-commissioned officer, or soldier, who shall enlist himself in the service of the United States, shall, at the time of his so enlisting, or within six days afterwards, have the articles for the government of the armies of the United States, read to him, and shall,

by the officer who enlisted him, or by the commanding officer of the troop or company into which he was enlisted, be taken before the next justice of the peace, or chief magistrate of any city or, town corporate, not being an officer of the army, or where recourse cannot be had to the civil magistrate, before the judge advocate, and in his presence, shall take the following oath or affirmation: “I, A.B. do solemnly swear or affirm, (as the case may be) that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America; and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies, or opposers, whatsoever, and observe and obey the orders. of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles for the government of the armies of the United States."

Art. 11. After a non-commissioned officer or soldier, shall have been duly enlisted and sworn, he shall not be dismissed the service without a discharge in writing; and no discharge granted to him shall be sufficient, which is not signed by a field officer of the regiment to which he belongs, or commanding officer, where no field officer of the regiment is present; and no discharge shall be given to a non-commissioned officer or soldier, before his term of service has expired, but by order of the President, the Secretary of War, the commanding officer of a department, or the sentence of a general court martial. . . .

Art. 12. Every colonel, or other officer commanding a regiment, troop, or company, and actually quartered with it, may give furloughs to non-commissioned officers or soldiers, in such numbers, and for so long a time as he shall judge to be most consistent with the good of the service. . . for time not exceeding twenty days in six months, but not to more than two persons to be absent at the same time, excepting some extraordinary occasion should require it.

Art. 13. At every muster . . . the commanding officer of every troop, or company, shall give certificates, signifying the reasons of the absence of the noncommissioned officers and private soldiers, which reasons, and time of absence, shall be inserted in the muster-rolls opposite the name of the respective absent officers and soldiers. The certificates shall, together with the muster-rolls, be remitted by the commissary of musters, or other officer mustering, to the department of war as speedily as the distance of the place will admit. .

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Art. 21. Any non-commissioned officer or soldier, who shall, without leave from his commanding officer, absent himself from his troop, company, or detachment, shall, upon being convicted thereof, be punished according to the nature of his offence, at the discretion of a court martial.