Courses
The Sergeants Major Academy was established by General Order in July 1972 and starting educating sergeants major in January 1973 with Class 1 consisting of 105 students. The Academy was also given the mission to further the efforts to standardize education, resulting in the addition of the Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC), now known as the Warrior Leader Course (WLC). This course is a blend of the previous Primary Leadership Course (PLC) and the Primary Noncommissioned Officer Course (PNCOC) into one course that provides leadership tools to non-specific military occupations at the junior NCO level and newly structured against critical task and input from current operations learned during Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. USASMA is the Army's proponent for course development for the Warrior Leader Course to educate junior noncommissioned officers preparing to assume positions as team or section sergeants. USASMA maintains course development of lesson material for the United States Army First Sergeant Course (FSC), a five week program to train master sergeants, first sergeants, and sergeants first class promotable in performing duties as first sergeants. The FSC began in October 1981 and has graduated more than 900 students annually since its inception. The Army discontinued the course for active duty NCOs as of 1 October 2009, but continues to train Reserve and National Guard NCOs until October 2012 at which time the course will be discontinued.
USASMA developed the common leader training for all Basic NCO Courses (BNCOC), and has been the proponent since 1984. USASMA is responsible for the development and delivery of common core leader tasks for the Advanced Leader Course (ALC-CC) as of October 2009 delivering 82 hours of course material to nearly 14,000 sergeants annually.
In 1989, USASMA began conducting the Command Sergeant Major Course (CSMC). The CSMC is a one week course that provides newly assigned command sergeants major (CSM) and CSM designees with the knowledge needed to serve effectively as a CSM at battalion and brigade level assignments. The 42.5 hours of instruction include leader transition, training management, sponsorship, assigning and utilizing soldiers, boards, retention, the NCOER system, quality of life and unit readiness. The training focus is on the commander/CSM relationship and the duties of the CSM in training the unit to mission standards. The course instructors are current CSMs brought in from the field. All noncommissioned officers awaiting positions as CSMs must attend this course. As of October, 2006, the School of Command Preparation at Fort Leavenworth assumed responsibility for the execution of the course in concert with the officer pre-command course.
USASMA also conducts the Spouse Leader Development Course at the Academy. This course enhances the role of the senior noncommissioned officer spouse providing insight and guidance regarding their future assignments and participation as members of family readiness groups and command team partners.
In January 1991, USASMA began instructing the Battle Staff Noncommissioned Officer Course (BSNCOC). This course effectively combines the programs of instruction (POIs) of the former Operations and Intelligence Course and the Personnel and Logistics Course into a six week integrated program and prepared junior staff NCO with the skills necessary to conduct operations in tactical operations centers at all levels of command.
Starting in October 2010, the Sergeants Major Academy developed and delivered level I of Structured Self-Development (SSD) where every soldier graduating from advanced individual training is automatically enrolled and must complete to be eligible for attendance to the Warrior leader Course. There is no level II SSD as ALC-CC substitutes for level II participation. SSD III has been developed and delivered for Staff Sergeants to complete for attendance to the Senior Leader Course. SSD IV was developed and launched for Master Sergeants to complete as a prerequisite for attendance to the Sergeants Major Course. SSD Level V is still in development and scheduled for delivery by January 2012.
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