NCOs Are the Heart of a Great Army

You rarely read such an important letter to the editor and one that most people outside the military cannot really fathom.  The backbone of the military is not just a platitude or something to say off the cuff.  It is real, meaningful, and important to our nation.

And this is the key:

“…highly trained and empowered noncommissioned officer corps.”

I fear that with the budget cuts we are not going to invest in our people (e.g., to be highly trained) and we may again adopt a zero defects mentality and one of micro-management that will lead to having none of our subordinate leaders properly empowered and thus ready for the next conflict.  This letter needs to go to the House and Senate armed services and appropriations committees and needs to be read each time someone wants to cut the O&M budget or reduce training time and resources for individuals and units.  And with this kind of insight and respect for NCOs, I doubt Mr. Kurland was a mediocre platoon leader.