Georgia Guard conducts 2nd NCO Induction Course

Photo By Staff Sgt. Moses Howard II | Georgia Army National Guardsman Spc. Ricktavious Anderson, an infantryman with the Cumming-based Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, shoots three rounds down-range during M4 zero qualification during the Noncommissioned Officer Induction Course at Fort Stewart, Ga. on Sept. 21, 2018. The Soldiers are required to fire six rounds into a tight shot group prior to qualification  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

09.22.2018

Story by Sgt. Moses Howard II 

124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Nearly 20 Georgia Guardsmen from various units across the state participated in the Georgia Army National Guard’s Noncommissioned Officer Induction Course from Sept. 16 to 21, 2018 at Fort Stewart, Ga.

The NCO Induction Course expands the knowledge of young NCOs who have graduated the Basic Leadership Course. The course serves as a bridge between the skills young NCOs learn in the schoolhouse and what’s needed to be effective team leaders in their units.

Senior noncommissioned officers trained and mentored junior NCOs at the team leader level. The goal of the training is to provide the best Noncommissioned Corps for unit commanders.

Soldiers are trained in the enlisted promotion system, counseling, junior soldier evaluations and documenting NCO development. The documentation classes train NCOs how to track their development as well as that of their Soldier’s.

“Overall, it will be a bridging between BLC and when they return to their units and teaching those intangibles which they’re not getting at BLC,” said Master Sgt. Cory Dial, the senior operations NCO for the Georgia Garrison Training Center.

In addition, the course implemented team leadership skills in the field to include: fire team maneuvers, patrolling, establishing a patrol base, react to contact and squad maneuvers.

The students learned advanced map reading, plotting locations in a tactical environment and knowing the difference between true north, grid, and magnetic directions. Students conducted daytime and nighttime land navigation while in a tactical environment.

During the three-day field training exercise, students honed tactical skills on Army battle drills, to include, squad attacks, ambushes and break from contact. On the final day of the FTX, students conducted an eight-mile road march. They wrapped up the week-long course with live-fire weapons qualification and advanced marksmanship techniques.

This is the second NCO Induction Course the Georgia National Guard has conducted in as many years. While it does not replace BLC, it does serve as an additional training tool for junior NCOs to be successful.

“This is only the second iteration of the course and we can expect, from something that’s new, that there are going to be some changes coming,” said Dial. “Based upon feedback from the students and cadre we’ll come together and continue to refine the training to improve the knowledge of our junior NCOs.”

• Date Taken: 09.22.2018
• Date Posted: 09.24.2018 14:07
• Story ID: 294180
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US