Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
Introduction
The Non-Commissioned Officer Academy (NCOA) is a Regimental level School operated as part of S7 - Training. The Non-Commissioned Officer Academy trains enlisted Soldiers to become Non-Commissioned Officers in the 7th Cavalry Regiment. The School's courses are a requirement for Soldiers to be promoted to the rank of Corporal, and is a requirement for Soldiers who wish to become a commissioned officer.
The School has two courses, Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy.
Mission and Vision
The Mission of the Officer Development School is listed as: The 7th Cavalry Non-Commissioned Officer Academy will train and impart leadership excellence in the future of the 7th Cavalry Regiments' Non-Commissioned Officer Corps through demanding, realistic, and transformational training. The School will impart ethical behavior and judgement into all Students, enabling the next generation of Warrior-Leaders in support of Tactical Operational, and Strategic missions.
The Vision of the School is listed as: The Non-Commissioned Officer Academy will maintain its position as the Functional Center of Excellence for Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Training. The School will look throughout the Army to ensure that its content remains relevant, targeted, and designed to create the best possible Non-Commissioned Officer. The Instructors of the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy are leaders in their own right, who pursue excellence at every turn, and impart their experience through a variety of instructional methods.
Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
The Non-Commissioned Officer Academy is divided into two phases.
Non-Commissioned Officer Academy Phase 1 (NCOA1)
The Non-Commissioned Officer Academy Phase 1 focuses on the fundamentals of leadership in a general context. Students learn about leadership principles, administration of subordinates, and general duties and responsibilities of Non-Commissioned Officers. This phase is 2 hours long, delivered in one day.
| Pre-Requisites |
| Minimum Time in Service of 45 Days |
| Private First Class or Above |
| No negative actions in past 3 months, or current negative action |
| Not currently banned from NCOA classes |
Non-Commissioned Officer Academy Phase 2 (NCOA2)
The Non-Commissioned Officer Academy Phase 2 teaches Students the specific duties and responsibilities of an Army Squad or Section Leader. Students learn the specific administration that a Squad or Section Leader must undertake, such as roll-call tracking and reporting to a higher headquarters. This phase is 2 hours long, delivered in one day.
| Pre-Requisites |
| NCOA Phase 1 |
| Minimum Time in Service of 45 Days |
| Private First Class or Above |
| No negative actions in past 3 months, or current negative action |
| Not currently banned from NCOA classes |
Course Request Form
If a soldier requires a course at a specific time or date, they may submit a request to the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy at the following link:
| https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFPls5dzZKLLVPWjM9KkecH1nO7kfKIdbQtfQy-xmw4mZxxA/viewform |
School Standard Operating Procedures
School Non-Attendance Policy
Students who fail to notify the NCOA Chain of Command of their absence in a class will face a temporary ban from attending further courses. This ban lasts one month, and then a member may re-apply to take either phase that was missed.
Instructor Qualification Policy
Due to the specialized nature of the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, new instructors must meet specific requirements.
- Must be a Corporal or higher. Specialist will be considered for exceptional cases only.
- Must instruct the NCOA Phase 1 or 2 once every 2 months
- Must submit 2 letters of recommendation from a superior NCO or Officer, depending on the applicants role
- Must send an application letter to the NCOA Commander with the following information:
- Name
- Time in service
- Why the member wants to be an NCOA instructor
- Short reason why member will be successful
- Attach both letters of recommendation
Roles and Responsibilities
Overall Responsibilities
The NCOA must run, at a minimum one class in the North American and European timezone every month of both Phase 1 and Phase 2. The school must work to ensure course material is updated and in-line with current Regimental operating procedures. The department should be available to assist members to update their knowledge if they have questions about course material.
Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge
The Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) is the Commander of the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. Duties of the NCOIC include:
| Responsibility Priority | Description |
| Priority | Instructs NCOA Phase 1 and 2 Classes |
| Priority | Maintains accountability records and enforces School standards |
| Priority | Responsible to supervise NCOA Phase 1 and 2 Course Leads |
| Priority | Posts NCOA Phase 1 and 2 Courses for special circumstances |
| Routine | Reports to S3 |
| Routine | Forwards medal recommendations for S3 Trooper Of the Month |
| Routine | Manages the NCOA tracker |
| Routine | Updates course material when required |
Course Lead
Each NCOA Phase is assigned A Course lead whose primary role is to schedule and instruct that phase of the NCOA Course. Other duties include:
| Responsibility Priority | Description |
| Priority | Instructs NCOA Phase 1 and 2 Classes |
| Priority | Responsible to provide guidance to instructors to conduct NCOA Courses |
| Priority | Must attend one NCOA class and provide instructor feedback once every 2 months |
| Routine | Maintains course material |
Instructor
NCOA Instructors are assigned to teach a specific phase of the NCOA Course.
| Responsibility Priority | Description |
| Priority | Instructs NCOA Phase 1 and 2 Classes with one class every 2 months |
| Priority | Marks student courseware submissions within one day of course being held for Phase 1, and within 7 Days for Phase 2 |
| Priority | Logs all marking on the NCOA Phase 2 Tracker |
| Priority | Posts a class a minimum of 5 days in advance |
| Priority | Posts a class with the S3 Events Tool, and in the S3 Operations and Training Calendar |
| Routine | Reports inaccurate material or broken links to the applicable NCOA Course Lead |