The Backbone of the Army (Essay Sample)

The Backbone of the Army
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The Backbone of the Army
Toxic leaders do not recognize the significance of treating every army officer with respect. In this case, they may fail to rely upon critical personnel while making decisions. The backbone of the army is the Non-commissioned Officers (NCOs). They have been regarded as crucial individuals in the working of the military for centuries. Based on their responsibilities, skills, professionalism, and diversity, they are the army's strength. Notably, they always carry battle colors whenever the soldiers go to war. In addition, the NCOs maintain planes, tanks, and ships used in battle and, in other instances, operate rails. Significantly, they contribute to the decision-making process; hence, the army commanders depend on them constantly. All these qualities make NCOs the backbone of the army; thus, the military leadership should work towards making the soldiers trust that they can vouch for them and use their skills to better the army.
First, the transformation that the NCOs have gone through over the years clearly shows how important they are to the extent of being the army's backbone. In some countries, such as Britain, the NCOs had no independence but acted as caretakers. However, things have changed over time, especially in the US army. For instance, when the US was engaging in the Civil War, the work of the NCOs was to carry the regiment colors for their assigned units. Notably, they ensured they headed the lines of skirmishers preceding the military divisions. According to Brown (2019), this task helped align the regiments. In addition, this work assisted the unit commanders in knowing where their divisions were during the war. Through the skills of the NCO, the army engaged in open battle formations, which guaranteed a win in every tactical operation. They enforced the proper standards and ensured the officers maintained the appropriate discipline. Currently, NCOs participate in the decision-making process since they train and mentor officers and advise the commander on