The Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) and Petty Officer: Backbone of the Armed Forces - Service Identity and Joint Warfighting, Profession of Arms, International Roles, Steward of the Institution

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this book is a tribute to the Armed Forces noncommissioned officer and petty officer.

On December 17, 1777, General George Washington's army returned to winter quarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, tired and with little strategic success in their fight against the professional British army. This period in Valley Forge proved critical for the fledgling army. General Washington recruited a former Prussian officer, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben, as Inspector General to strengthen the professionalism of the colonial army. Von Steuben's training objectives constituted the first written plan for standards, discipline, and duty for Washington's army, and he initiated the first training manual that outlined the duties and responsibilities of the noncommissioned officer. So in an important way, December 17 is considered the birthdate of America's noncommissioned officer corps.

The Backbone of the Armed Forces * CHAPTER ONE - Noncommissioned Officers/Petty Officers: Who They Are, What They Do * CHAPTER TWO - The Profession of Arms: An Ancient and Honorable Tradition * CHAPTER THREE - Steward of the Institution * CHAPTER FOUR - Complementing the Officer * CHAPTER FIVE - Enabling the Force * CHAPTER SIX - Service Identity and Joint Warfighting * CHAPTER SEVEN - International Roles * AFTERWORD - The Service Continues * APPENDIX A - Founding Documents

This book seeks to inspire, validate, and ultimately resonate with every Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, and Coastguardsman—past, present, and future. It aims to pay appropriate tribute to the contributions of NCOs/POs in each branch of the Armed Forces. All of us who were involved in producing this book hope that it finds a spot on your nightstand, qualifies for a place on a commander's reading list, and becomes a standard text for the various enlisted leadership academies. We want the book to serve as a working tool to renew our commitment to our profession. We would like it to be read not only by serving and former NCOs/POs but also by all junior enlisted aspiring to become enlisted leaders. We would like it to be digested by our officer corps so that they may fully recognize what our enlisted leaders bring to the units and organizations in which they serve. We hope our military veterans will treasure this book as they look back with pride on their own service to the Nation. Finally, we hope that our comrades in arms in other nations, who are an important part of our history, will likewise benefit from reading this book.