NCO History Study Guide
 

Posted Sunday, June 25, 2006

Who is the 1st Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC)?
SGM William Joseph Gainey.[Bio]

When did the 1st Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairmen Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) assume the position?
October 01, 2005.

What grade is the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC)?
The SEAC holds the grade of E-9 and is equal in seniority to the Services SEAs.

How many SMA have there been?
13.

Name the five most recent Sergeant Majors of the Army:

• Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston
• Former Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley
• Former Sergeant Major of the Army Robert E. Hall
• Former Sergeant Major of the Army Gene C. McKinney
• Former Sergeant Major of the Army Richard A. Kidd

Who was the first Sergeant Major of the Army?
Sergeant Major Willion O. Wooldridge.

What year was the Sergeant Major of the Army Established?
1966.

The Sergeants Major Course began in what year?
1973 (January).

The history of the Noncommissioned Officer began in what year with the birth of the Continental Army?
1775.

Who wrote the "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States", also commonly called the "Blue Book" and thus standardized NCO duties and responsibilities in 1778?
Inspector General Friedrich von Steuben

During the year 1778, what were the NCO ranks during that period?

• Corporals
• Sergeants
• First Sergeants
• Quartermaster Sergeants
• Sergeants Major

Three NCOs received special recognition for acts of heroism during the American Revolution. Each received the Badge of Military Merit, a purple heart with a floral border and the word "merit" inscribed across the center. In practice this award was the precursor to the Medal of Honor introduced during the Civil War. What were their names?

• Sergeant Elijah Churchill
• Sergeant William Brown
• Sergeant Daniel Bissell

During what year did the War Department make the first reference to noncommissioned officer chevrons?
1821.

What publication published in 1829 provided instructions for training of noncommissioned officers?
The Abstract of Infantry Tactics

The 417 page unnoffical publication called the Noncommissioned Officers Manual, was published in what year?
1909.

During what year did the symbol of NCO rank, the chevron, rotate to what we would today call point up and become smaller in size?
1902.

During the period of World War 1, the First Sergeants often carried a book in their pockets that contained administrative files. This book, which today may be known as a "leaders book" contained the names of everyone in the company and their professional history (AWOLs, Work Habits, Promotions, etc.). This book was passed from First Sergeant to First Sergeant, staying within the company and providing the unit historical information. What was this book called?
A Black Book.

During what year did the AR 350-90 establish army-wide standards for NCO Academies?
1957.

In 1958 the Army added two grades to the NCO Ranks, these pay grades would "provide for a better delineation of responsibilities in the enlisted structure". What were the two new pay grades?
E8 and E9.

During what year did PLDC first become a mandatory prerequisite for promotion to Staff Sergeant?
1986.