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By Staff Sgt. Tim Sander
215th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Iraq – The Army's non-commissioned officers are often referred to as "The backbone of the Army" for the leadership they provide to enlisted Soldiers. The Army requires their NCOs to complete standardized courses through the Non-commissioned Officer Education System. For 11 Staff Sergeants at Logistics Support Area Anaconda, Iraq, that instruction came during the first Basic Non-commissioned Officer Course – phase one, offered while deployed.
"The Soldiers participating in this class are Soldiers who have not had the opportunity to either start or complete their BNCOC requirement due to multiple deployments," said Sgt. 1st Class Gary Martz, 213th Area Support Group Battle NCO, who instructed the course.
Martz explained that all staff sergeants in the Army must complete BNCOC before they are eligible for promotion to sergeant first class.
For the 11 NCOs who completed the course, progression in their military careers would have been delayed until they returned home.
"This is really a great opportunity," said Staff Sgt. Juan Camacho, a member of the 118th Maintenance Company, and one of the 11 Soldiers who completed the course.
Camacho said many of his classmates have been scheduled for BNCOC in the United States, but had to withdraw when they discovered they would be deploying.
Planning for the class was no easy task, said Martz, who is an Active-guard-reserve NCOES instructor when he isn't deployed.
"We started talking about (hosting a class) in May of 2007 at Fort Bragg," explained Martz. "Once we got here and got settled, we started making plans."
Coordination had to be made with the NCO Academy in the U.S. to ensure the training met the requirements for NCOES and the class had to be approved by both Martz's leadership and the command staff of LSA Anaconda.
Martz said all concerned parties were very receptive of the class.
The Soldiers participating in the class also needed approval from their chains of command since they would be taken out of their jobs for 13 days.
"Our units have been very supportive," said Comacho, who explained his unit understands the importance of NCOES and how it is applies to leading Soldiers while deployed.
"The advantages of taking BNCOC here is we can go back to our job and apply the skills we learn to real world situations," he said.
In order for the NCOs to receive credit for the course, every requirement had to be strictly adhered to, regardless of its location. Perhaps the most challenging requirement to meet in a war zone was physical training.
Students met at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday to begin stretching. After a brief warm-up, the two class leaders of the day, which rotated to provide everyone an opportunity to lead, took control and led the rest of the group in their choice of training.
"I don't know how well we'll do in PT ... after Staff Sgt. Moss and Staff Sgt. Comacho's 'smoke session' this morning," joked Staff Sgt. Fredrick Holt, Supply NCO for the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), referring to an intense session of PT.
After 13 long days and complete commitment from the students and instructor, the 11 NCOs became the first Soldiers to graduate from BNCOC in Iraq.
"This is history in the making for Soldiers to engage in Non-commissioned Officer Education System (while) in theater," said Martz.
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2008 10:44 |
| Story ID: | 17181 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 226 |
| Downloads: | 195 |
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