Educating Noncommissioned Officers: A Chronology of Educational Programs for the American NCO

Throughout history, training noncommissioned officers of the United States Army had been accomplished using on-the-job training (OJT) in the unit, and many believed that is where it should stay. Training noncommissioned officers was conducted by officers in the regiment and was the commanding officer’s responsibility. It was accepted that unit training was the best means of developing noncommissioned officers and potential noncommissioned officers. It was not until the post-World War II era that NCO training was conducted outside the unit at specially designed schools and academies. The first Sergeant Major of the Army, William O. Wooldridge, noted that in those days a soldier had to provide for his own education and training. "I went to night school. There were no requirements to attend school if you didn't want to. Now you must get training, or you don't get promoted."