FORT BLISS, Texas -- It's July 1966; the price of gas is 32 cents a gallon, Tommy James and The Shondells top the charts with "Hanky Panky," and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Bill Wooldridge discusses the future of the non-commissioned officer corps with the chief of staff.

Shortly after being sworn in as the first sergeant major of the Army, Wooldridge tells Gen. Harold Johnson that there's a need for an NCO educational system. That implementing an NCO management structure would also benefit the Army greatly.

Neither is an easy sell 40-plus years ago. In fact, Johnson himself commented at the time that nobody on his senior staff saw the need for NCO education. Luckily, however, he became a proponent of both based on Wooldridge's counsel.

"Starting an educational system for enlisted troops wasn't easy," said Wooldridge, who served as sergeant major of the Army from 1966-68. "We had small, unit type schools, but they were commander driven. So while some would support educational efforts, many wouldn't.

"But my vision was for an Army-wide system of education," he said, during a visit to the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy here Jan. 14. "And as the first sergeant major of the Army I saw it as my opportunity to get it done."

Several decades later both initiatives are well entrenched in Army enlisted culture — there's a robust management system in place and education continues to take on greater importance.

The changes, of course, didn't happen overnight as Wooldridge and Johnson fought the same battles then as current leadership — that of funding and senior support for programs.

"Money was, as it is today, a big issue," said the 31-year Army veteran. "We didn't get the funding until '69, and the first class didn't begin until '73."

Today, USASMA stands as a testament to Wooldridge and other senior Army leadership who saw the genius in stressing education. Wooldridge pointed out why he thought it's been a success.

"There are several reasons," he said. "First, you're a much better qualified Soldier to work for a commander at all levels — and commanders understand this too. The enlisted educational system also helps troops regardless of assignment, throughout their career with regards to progression. The success of these programs has also been recognized by our international partners, as many foreign services have implemented similar instruction based on our model."

Wooldridge likes to keep tabs on USASMA efforts as he sees education as a continuous process. And the culture that makes it all possible as constantly changing for the positive.

"The attitude about higher education for enlisted troops has changed 100 percent," he said. "Commanders now look forward to receiving better educated NCOs.

"And the performance and effectiveness of our NCOs is much better than in my day," said Wooldridge. "It used to be maybe two or three senior NCOs in a unit were worthy of the rank they held. But today, I doubt you could find even one senior NCO in the class here who wasn't qualified as a subject matter expert in their particular function. That's because they've all come up through the Army's educational system."

He said USASMA fills a vital role in the process — by providing continued education.

"You're never a complete this or that," he stressed. "Learning is a continuous process — you can always improve. And USASMA provides the opportunity for NCOs to do just that, while also striving to improve on its role as an institution for higher education."