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The NCO Guide, History of the NCO FM 7-22.7 

1. What publication covers the NCO guide?
A: FM 7-22.7.

2. What does FM 7-22.7 cover?
A: The NCO Guide (History of the NCO).

3. What FM covers history of the NCO?
A: FM 7-22.7.

4. What do Soldiers depend on from an NCO?
A: your guidance, training and leadership. 

5. Para 1-0 Who is CSM Gary L. Littrell?
A: CSM Littrell was a MOH recipient who wrote a very meaningful and informative Introduction for FM 7-22.7.

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FM 7-22.7 NCO Guide The NCO History.  The purpose is to help Soldiers become better educated and earn quicker Army promotions by assisting in not only their army educations but also their college educations as well.  The source for Army Doctrine 2015, NCO 2020 and Doctrine 2020.  The New Army Study Guide.  This site contains questions and answers for Army boards.   It has been designed to assist Soldiers in preparing for promotion boards and competition boards.  All the questions and answers are directly from Army publications and are designed in a way for Soldiers to learn these publications while also preparing for boards.  It is also managed and updated frequently to keep up with changing army publications so please inform TOP if there is outdated material so that he can keep the material relevant and updated.  Also, Please do not hesitate to contact TOP if there is a board subject that you would like to see added. 

6. Para 1-0 Who is SGT Patrick Glass?
A: 1. He was the last living person from the Lewis and Clark expedition.
2. Was the winner of the First Election West of the Mississippi River.
3. Kept a detailed journal of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
4. Showed that  a Good NCO was invaluable to Officers.

7. Para 1-0 Who is Sergeant Rissler?
A: SGT Rissler was a Senior Medic that managed to keep 25 casualties alive during a Battle that is now known  as “The 18 hour Miracle”.

8. Para 1-0 Who usually cuts the cake during Army ceremonies?
A: The Oldest and Youngest Soldier in the Unit.

​​​​​9. Para 1-0 What has been the Key to the Army’s success?

A: our flexibility and willingness to change, to meet the world as it. 

10. Para 1-1 Throughout the history of the U.S. Army the NCO has been there doing what?

A: leading soldiers in battle and training them in peacetime, leading by example and always, always out front.

11. Para 1-2 When was the Army and the NCO corps born?

A: 14 June 1775; With the birth of The Continental Army.

12. Para 1-2 What three countries traditions were blended to develop our Army’s NCO Corps?

A: The British, French and Prussian Armies.

13. Para 1-2 What other aspects shaped our unique NCO corps in the early days?

A: American political system, with its disdain for the British aristocracy, social attitudes and the vast westward expanses.

14. Para 1-3 Who standardized the duties and responsibilities of the NCO Corps?

A: Inspector General Friedrich von Steuben.

15. Para 1-3 When did Friedrich von Steuben standardize the duties and responsibilities of the NCO corps?

A: In 1778.

16. Para 1-3 Where was Friedrich von Steuben when he standardized the duties and responsibilities of the NCO corps?

A: Valley Forge.

17. Para 1-3 What did Friedrich von Steuben write that standardized the duties and responsibilities of the NCO corps?

A: “Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States”.

18. Para 1-3 When was the “Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States” printed?

A: 1779.

19. Para 1-3 What was the common name for the book that Friedrich von Steuben wrote?

A: The Blue Book.

20. Para 1-3 What were the NCO ranks that existed in the Continental Army?

A: 1. Corporals.

2. Sergeants.

3. First Sergeants.

4. Quartermaster Sergeants.

5. Sergeants Major.

21. Para 1-3 Where is part of Von Steuben’s Blue Book that is still with us?

A: In TC 3-21.5 Drill and Ceremonies.

22. Para 1-3 What else did the Blue Book emphasize?

A: The importance of selecting quality soldiers for NCO positions.

23. Para 1-3 How long was the Blue Book the primary regulation for the Army?

A: 30 Years.

24. Para 1-4 What were the duties of the Sergeant Major in the Blue Book?

A: served as the assistant to the regimental adjutant, keeping rosters, forming details and handling matters concerning the "interior management and discipline of the
regiment."  He also served “at the head of the noncommissioned officers.”

25. Para 1-4 What were the duties of the Quartermaster Sergeants in the Blue Book?

A: assisted the regimental quartermaster, assuming his duties in the quartermaster's absence and supervising the proper loading and transport of the regiment's baggage when on march.

26. Para 1-4 What were the duties and responsibilities of the First Sergeant in the Blue Book?

A: The First Sergeant enforced discipline and encouraged duty among troops, maintaining the duty roster, making morning report to the company commander and keeping the company descriptive book.

27. Para 1-4 What was the “Company descriptive book”?

A: The Company descriptive book listed the name, age, height, place of birth and prior occupation of every enlisted man in the unit.

28. Para 1-5 What was day-to-day business of sergeants and corporals?

A: instructed recruits in all matters of military training, including the order of their behavior in regard to neatness, sanitation, quelled disturbances, punished perpetrators and forwarded sick lists to the First Sergeant.  

29. Para 1-6 What did typical Continental Army NCO wear for their Rank?

A: They wore an epaulet to signify their rank, Corporals wore green and sergeants wore red epaulets.

30. Para 1-6 How many epaulet’s did SGT’s and Corporals wear?

A: sergeants wore two epaulets, while corporals wore a single epaulet.

31. Para 1-6 From the Revolutionary war until WWII who promoted NCO’s?

A: The Regimental Commander.

32. Para 1-6 What happened if a NCO transferred from one Regiment to another?

A: They would not take their rank, Entire careers were often spent within one regiment.

33. Para 1-7 What three NCOs received special recognition for acts of heroism during the American Revolution?

A: Sergeant Elijah Churchill, Sergeant William Brown and Sergeant Daniel Bissell.

34. Para 1-7 What was the medal the three NCO’s received during the American Revolution?

A: the Badge of Military Merit, a purple heart with a floral border and the word "merit" inscribed across the center.

35. Para 1-7 What was the Badge of Military Merit the precursor to? 

A: the Medal of Honor introduced during the Civil War.

36. Para 1-7 When was the Badge of Military Merit reinstated?

A: in 1932 as the Purple Heart and is a decoration for members of the armed forces wounded or killed in action or as a result of a terrorist attack.

37. Para 1-8 When did the War Department make the first reference to Noncommissioned Officer chevrons?

A: In 1821.

38. Para 1-8 What did General Order in 1821 direct NCO’s to do?

A: that sergeants major and quartermaster sergeants wear a worsted chevron on each arm above the elbow; sergeants and senior musicians, one on each arm below the elbow; and corporals, one on the right arm above the elbow.

39. Para 1-9 When did the Army established a systematic method for selecting noncommissioned officers?

A: in 1825.

40. Para 1-9 What publication provided instructions for training noncommissioned officers which ensured that all NCOs possessed "an accurate knowledge of the exercise and use of their firelocks, of the manual exercise of  the soldier and of marching."?

A: The Abstract of Infantry Tactics, published in 1829.

41. Para 1-9 Who established the "Company Court-Martial" and why?

A: First Sergeant Percival Lowe to allow noncommissioned officers to enforce discipline, for the breaking of minor regulations, without lengthy proceedings.  He noticed Alcohol was a big problem and would lock drunk Soldiers in a Storeroom until they sobered up.

42. Para 1-11 What lesson was learned from the Civil War?

A: That It was necessary to destroy the enemy’s will and capacity to resist through military, economic and political means.

43. Para 1-12 During the Civil War who carried the flags and regimental colors of their units?

A: NCO’s.

44. Para 1-13 Who became the first African American to win the Medal of Honor?

A: Sergeant William H. Carney.

45. Para 1-14 What were the first two schools that began to train NCO’s?

A: In 1870 the Signal Corps and Artillery Schools began training NCO’s because they required soldiers to have advanced technical knowledge to operate complex equipment and instruments.

46. Para 1-16 When did the Army have Regulations that limited the number of married enlisted men in the Army and required special permission to marry?

A: In the 1870’s.

47. Para 1-18 What did Congress approve in 1908?

A: pay bill which rewarded those in technical fields in order to retain their services.

48. Para 1-18 What were the differences of pay between some of the Different NCO ranks because of the 1908 pay bill?

A: 1. A Master Electrician in the Coast Artillery made $75-84 per month.

2. Infantry Battalion Sergeant Major lived on $25-34 per month.

3. A Sergeant of the Signal Corps $34 - $43 per month.

49. Para 1-19 When did Congress authorized voluntary retirement for enlisted soldiers?

A:1885 after 30 years of Service.

50. Para 1-19 When was the requirement to perform 30 years of service for retirement change?

A: In 1945.

51. Para 1-19 Is Army Retirement considered a pension?

A: Military retirement pay is not a pension, but rather is delayed compensation for completing 20 or more years of active military service.

52. Para 1-20 What book published in 1909 grew from the 5 or 6 pages of the Blue Book of NCO duties to 417 pages?

A: The Noncommissioned Officers Manual.

53. Para 1-21 When did the NCO chevrons change in direction and begin to point up?

A: In 1902.

54. Para 1-22 Who suggested the establishment of special schools for sergeants and separate NCO messes?

A: American Commanding General John J. Pershing.

55. Para 1-24 What during the late 1930s caused the Army to create special “technician” ranks in grades 3, 4, & 5 (CPL, SGT & SSG), with chevrons marked with a “T.”?

A: The rapid pace and acceptance of technology.

56. Para 1-24 When did the technician ranks end?

A: In 1948.

57. Para 1-24 When did the rank of Specialist reappear?

A: In 1955.

58. Para 1-25 What was the Black Book, who carried it and what did it contain?

A: A book the 1SG carried that contained administrative files names of everyone in the company and their professional history (AWOLs, work habits, promotions, etc.)

59. Para 1-26 What reduced prestige for many noncommissioned officer ranks especially the rank of corporal?

A: Army increased from 20 percent of the enlisted ranks in 1941, to nearly 50 percent in 1945 during WWII and the infantry squad went from 8 to 12 with a SSG leading the Squad and the SGT taking the Corporal’s job as a team chief.

60. Para 1-28 When did the Army formally add women to its ranks?

A: In 1942.

61. Para 1-29 What was the first Army Noncommissioned Officers Academy, where was it created, when was it created and what was it later named?

A: The 2d Constabulary Brigade's NCO school, located in Munich, Germany,  on 30 June 1947, it later became the Seventh Army Noncommissioned Officers Academy.

62. Para 1-29 When did the Army develop Army-wide standards for NCO academies?
A: In 1955.

63. Para 1-30 What was the first war that the Army fought with an integrated Army with whites and blacks fighting together?

A: The Korean War in 1950.

64. Para 1-31 What grades and ranks were added to the Army in 1958?

A: E8 & E9 and the Ranks of corporal, sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant first class, master sergeant and sergeant major.

65. Para 1-33 What was the Noncommissioned Officer Candidate Course developed during the Vietnam war and what did it do?

A: it was a 12-week course, the graduate became an E-5; those in the top five percent became E-6s; Senior NCO’s called it the “shake-and-bake” program as these NCO’s were only in the Army a short time before being given these stripes.

66. Para 1-33 Who was the first Sergeant Major of the Army and when was he selected?

A: Sergeant Major of the Army William O. Wooldridge in 1966.

67. Para 1-34 When did the Sergeants Major Course first began?

A: in January 1973.

68. Para 1-34 When did BLC (prieviously WLC and PLDC) became a mandatory prerequisite for promotion to staff sergeant?

A: In 1986 and was the first time NCOES was mandatory.

69. Para 1-37 What War had a cease-fire after only 100 hours of ground combat?

A: The Gulf War.

70. Para 1-38 Who are Master Sergeant Gary I. Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randall D. Shughart?

A: On 17 October 1993 A Sniper Team with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu that volunteered to be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel of a downed black hawk, despite being well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site.  Both were  posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

71. Para 1-42 What is the cornerstone of operational success?

A: Effective training.

72. Para 1-46 What is the information environment?

A: The information environment is the combination of individuals, organizations and systems that collect, process, store, display and disseminate information.

73. Para 1-46 What technology affects public opinion and may alter the conduct of military operations?

A: The media's use of real-time technology.

74. Para 1-47 Will superior technology alone always win in land operations?

A: No. the side that applies combat power more skillfully usually prevails.

75. Para 1-48 Who is responsible for individual and small unit training, and will build the foundation for the Army’s objective force?

A: The NCO Leader.

76. Para 1-50 Why are the Army Values so important?

A: They are important because they define character traits that help develop and maintain discipline.

77. Para 1-51 Why should you stand by your soldiers’ honest mistakes?

A: They can’t learn without them.

78. Para 1-51 What should a NCO ensure their Soldiers know about their mission?

A: they understand their mission, know how to accomplish it and why it is important.

79. Para 1-52 What should you do even when no one is watching?

A: Take responsibility and do what's right, no matter how tough it is.

80. Para 1-52 What should you do to the fullest of your ability?

A: Accomplish all assigned or implied tasks.

81. Para 1-52 What will you be asked to put ahead of the personal safety of you and your soldiers?

A: the Nation’s welfare and mission accomplishment.

82. Para 1-52 What do the Duties of an NCO require?

A: a willingness to accept full responsibility for your actions and for your soldiers’ performance.

83. Para 1-54 What is the ability to endure hardships and insurmountable odds in the service of fellow soldiers and our country?

A: Selfless Service.

84. Para 1-56 What does integrity and being honest in everything you say and do?

A: builds trust with your Soldiers and superiors.

85. Para 1-56 What should you do if you make a mistake?

A: you should openly acknowledge it, learn from it and move forward.

86. Para 1-59 What are the three pillars of Leader Development?

A: 1. Institutional Training.

2. Operational Assignments.

3.  Self- Development.

87. Para 1-59 What is the keystone for NCO development?

A: The Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES ).

88. Para 1-59 What does NCOES provide?

A: leader and MOS skill training in an integrated system of resident training at four levels.

89. Para 1-59 What ties together NCOs’ experience and training to make them better leaders.

A: Self Development.

90. Para 1-64 What is the senior level NCOES course and the capstone of NCO education?

A: The US Army Sergeants Major Course (USASMC).

91. Para 1-65 What provides leaders the opportunity to use and build upon what was learned through the process of formal education?

A: Operational experience.

92. Para 1-65 What is used to enhance NCO development during operational assignments?

A: Leader Development Program (LDP) and NCO Development Program.

93. Para 1-66 What are the Three phases of LPD?

A: reception and integration, basic skill development, and advanced development and sustainment.

94. Para 1-67 What is the CSM's leader development program for NCOs?

A: NCODP.

95. Para 1-67 What should NCODP consist of?

A: should be 75% Mission Essential Task List (METL) driven tasks and 25% general military subjects such as Customs, Courtesies and Traditions of the US Army.

96. Para 1-68 What is a life-long, standards-based, competency driven process that is progressive and sequential and complements institutional and operational experiences to provide personal and professional development?
A: Self Development.

97. Para 1-69 What does Self-development include?

A: both structured and self-motivated development tasks.

98. Para 1-70 What provides both career and educational ‘road maps’ for NCOs to assist in self-development?
A: Professional Development Models (PDM’s).

99. Para 1-70 Where are PDM’s located?

A: DA PAM 600-25.

100. Para 2-1 What is one of the most important leadership situations you’ll face as an NCO?
A: Assuming a leadership position.

101. Para 2-2 What are some things to think about and learn as you establish your goals when assuming a leadership position?

A: 1. Determine what your organization expects of you.

2. Determine who your immediate leader is and what they expect of you.

3. Determine the level of competence and the strengths and weaknesses of your soldiers.

4. Identify the key people outside of your organization whose willing support you need to accomplish the mission.

102. Para 2-3 What Questions should you want answered when assuming a Leadership position? 

A: 1. What is the organization’s mission?

2. How does this mission fit in with the mission of the next higher organization?

3. What are the standards the organization must meet?

4. What resources are available to help the organization accomplish the mission?

5. What is the current state of morale?

6. Who reports directly to you?

7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your key subordinates and the unit?

8. Who are the key people outside the organization who support mission accomplishment? (What are their strengths and weaknesses?)

9. When and what do you talk to your soldiers about?

103. Para 2-6 What is Duty?

A: A duty is something you must do by virtue of your position and is a legal or moral obligation.

104. Para 2-8 What requires that you refuse to obey illegal orders?

A: Duty.

105. Para 2-8 How can you ensure that you do not do anything illegal?
A: do what’s ethically and legally correct.

106. Para 2-10 What are the three types of duties NCO’s have?

A: specified duties, directed duties and implied duties.

107. Para 2-11 What are specified duties?

A: The duty you have to follow Directives such as Army regulations, Department of the Army (DA) general orders, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), soldier’s manuals, Army Training and Evaluation Program (ARTEP) publications and MOS job descriptions specify the duties.

108. Para 2-12 What are directed duties?

A: Directed duties include being in charge of quarters (CQ) or serving as sergeant of the guard, staff duty officer,  company training NCO and NBC NCO, where these duties are not found in the unit’s organization charts.

109. Para 2-13 What are implied duties?

A: These duties may not be written but implied in the instructions. They’re duties that improve the quality of the job and help keep the unit functioning at an optimum level.

110. Para 2-14 What is responsibility?

A: being accountable for what you do or fail to do.

111. Para 2-18 What is Individual responsibility as a noncommissioned officer?

A: means you are accountable for your personal conduct.

112.  Para 2-20 What is authority?

A: the right to direct soldiers to do certain things and the legitimate power of leaders to direct soldiers or
to take action within the scope of their position.

113. Para 2-21 What are two basic types of authority in the Army?

A: command authority and general military authority.

114. Para 2-22 What is Command Authority?
A: the authority leaders have over soldiers by virtue of rank or assignment.

115. Para 2-22 What is an NCO’s Command Authority?

A: Noncommissioned officers’ command authority is inherent with the job by virtue of position to direct or control soldiers.

116. Para 2-24 What is general Military authority?

A: authority extended to all soldiers to take action and act in the absence of a unit leader or other designated authority.

117. Para 2-24 What does general Military authority allow leaders to do?

A: This broad-based authority also allows leaders to take appropriate corrective actions whenever a member of any armed service, anywhere, commits an act involving a breach of good order or discipline.

118. Para 2-25 What if a Soldier refuses a correction, saying you don’t have the authority to tell him what to do because he’s not in your NCO support channel?

A: They are wrong, General Military Authority gives you that Authority and you have a Duty to enforce it.

119. Para 2-30 What describes legal aspects of the authority of the noncommissioned officer?

A: The Manual for Courts Martial (MCM).

120. Para 2-32 Why do we have inspections?

A: the Army has found that some soldiers, if allowed to, will become careless and lax in the performance of minor barrack duties in their unit. They become accustomed to conditions in their immediate surroundings and overlook minor deficiencies.

121. Para 2-33 Who should inspect their soldiers daily and should regularly check soldiers’ rooms in the barracks?

A: First Line Leaders.

122. Para 2-33 Who should make arrangements with soldiers who live in quarters (on or off post) to ensure the soldier maintains a healthy and safe environment for himself and his family?

A: First Line Leaders.

123. Para 2-34 What two categories of inspections for determining the status of individual soldiers and their equipment?

A: in-ranks and in-quarters.

124. Para 2-34 What is an in-ranks inspection?
A: An in-ranks inspection is of personnel and equipment in a unit formation and The leader examines each soldier individually, noticing their general appearance and the condition of their clothing and equipment.

125. Para 2-34 What is an in-quarters inspection?
A: inspect personal appearance, individual weapons, field equipment, displays, maintenance and sanitary conditions.

126. Para 2-35 What is one of the most effective administrative corrective measures?

A: On-the-Spot Corrections.

127. Para 2-35 What are the two general reasons a soldier requires an on-the-spot correction?

A: Either the soldier you are correcting does not know what the standard is or does not care what the standard is.

128. Para 2-37 How should you praise your soldiers’ good work?
A: by telling them the specific action or result observed, why it was good and encourage the soldier to continue.

129.  Para 2-38 What is making an informal, unscheduled check of equipment, soldiers or quarters?

A: an on-the-spot inspection.

130. Para 2-39 What does PCC and PCI stand for?
A: Pre-combat checks (PCCs) and Pre-combat inspections (PCIs).

131. Para 2-39 What is the key to ensuring leaders, trainers and soldiers are adequately prepared to execute operations and training to Army standard?

A: Conducting Pre-combat checks (PCCs) / Pre-combat inspections (PCIs) and pre-execution checks.

132. Para 2-39 When do Leaders conduct PCC/PCIs?

A: at the beginning of each event or exercise as part of troop leading procedures to check personnel, equipment, vehicles and mission knowledge.

133. Para 2-39 What do Pre-execution checks ensure?

A: that all planning and prerequisite training (soldier, leader and collective) are complete prior to the execution of training.

134. Para 2-40 Who is the key to inspections, checking soldier and unit readiness in personal hygiene and appearance, weapons, field equipment, displays and sanitary conditions?

A: The First Line Leader/NCO.

135. Para 2-40 When must inspections be done?

A: regularly to help reinforce standards and instill discipline also impartial inspections of important areas develop confidence, teamwork and soldiers’ pride in themselves and their equipment.

136. Para 2-45 What are the general duties of a NCO?

A: 1. Conducts the daily business of the Army within established orders, directives and policies.

2. Focuses on individual training, which develops the capability to accomplish the mission.

3. Primarily involved with training and leading soldiers and teams.

4. Ensures each subordinate team, NCO and soldier are prepared to function as a effective unit and each team member is well trained, highly motivated, ready and functioning.

5. Concentrates on standards of performance, training and professional development of NCOs and enlisted soldiers.

6. Follows orders of officers and NCOs in the support channel.

7. Gets the job done.

137. Para 2-47 Why is the position of Platoon Sergeant unique?

A: They may have to perform the duties of the Platoon Leader and are also the trainer for the Platoon Leader as they are usually more experienced.

138. Para 2-48 What is unique about the squad, section or team leader?

A: This NCO is the first link in both the NCO support channel and chain of command and takes orders from both the Platoon Sergeant and Platoon Leader.

139. 2-50 What is subordinate to and supportive of the chain of command?

A: The NCO Support Channel.

140. 2-51 When was the NCO support channel formally recognized?

A: December 1976 by AR 600-20.

141 2-54 What does a good relationship with the CSM or 1SG leave the commander free to do?

A: plan, make decisions and program future training and operations.