JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
The United States Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy Dix recently made history for the U.S. Army Reserve when it completed the first Warrior Leader Course containing more days, new curriculum and Soldier training mandates.
After more than a decade of war, the evolution of the Army NCO Academy has returned to some fundamentals of standards and discipline in the wake of curtailed budgets where Soldiers wanting to be retained need to attend the leadership training to be competitive among their peers.
The WLC course, formerly a 15-day training period to develop higher leadership skills for sergeants and specialists climbing the Army career ladder, is now 22 days. As part of the updated program land navigation, a successful Army Physical Fitness test, extended tactical field experience, and completing a Structured Self-Development course before arriving at the schoolhouse are some of the major academy changes.
The first course was held in April 2013, but a second course was fined tuned the model in May, according to an academy staff.
The advanced SSD computer training sets the foundation for the Soldiers attending their first leadership course. One module focused on basic map reading skills, "Once they arrive here it's time to hone their leadership skills," said Sgt. Maj. Peedo M. Pituk, academy deputy commandant."
Pituk said the 15-day training period was not as conducive to retaining the information.
"Basically students started the day at 5 a.m. and worked through 10 p.m.," he said. "Now the course operates like a normal duty while there is still the opportunity for a study hall after diner."
Active-duty Soldiers get 30-days to complete the course since they may be attending it at home station while the active-duty WLC model is the same 22-day training cycle.
They have weekends off to take care of business at home, Pituk said. But active duty Soldiers who do not have an academy close to their duty station can also attend the Dix academy program.
"Make no mistake the standards are the same," he added.
Students no longer carrying a couple of three-ring binders loaded with field manuals and pads. These days WLC students are issued a laptop by the academy staff so student can do all their research, homework and course block testing.
Tactical simulation training is a part of the course normally conducted at the Joint Training and Training Development Center where troop leading procedures communications is the focus.
Academy staff said each student also has to serve in some sort of leadership position as part of the student's assessment.
What is taught in the classroom is then taken to the field for five days of crawl, run training that that culminates into a tactical exercise that focuses on communications, tactical skills, and cultural sensitivity in a foreign country.
Staff Sgt. Angel Quiles, a small group leader, said the land navigation training portion of the old NCO program was removed since the task was considered Skill Level I. In short, their home station may not have been providing the basic skill in the wake of constant deployment cycles.
Students will first walk in wooded training areas with their instructors, then students get pace counts, orient the map, shoot the azimuth with their compass and navigate an academy staff predetermined course.
"Soldiers are taught the right way here and they can bring back this perishable but necessary skill to train the Soldiers in their unit," Quiles said.
Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Downing, an academy senior small group leader, said the Soldiers field experience replicates the lessons learned from the Army's experiences with more than a decade of deployments. Staff from the academy serves as the opposing force operating inside a simulated Afghan village.
"Students are required to make a plan and then execute the mission," Downing said. "The idea is to test the students' leadership skills under pressure."
Sgt. 1st Class George Askers, a senior small group leader, said in the scenario students will attempt to rescue a village elder. First students must conduct a reconnaissance. Second, they must link up with local villagers to gain intelligence, and then rescue the elder.
"Soldiers communication is vital," Askers said. "The left-hand needs to know what the right hand is doing. The synchronization of the force is an important factor. This is a real-world situation. If you practice this mission and find yourself in the real-world with this situation then the training will take over and they will do the right thing."
The payoff to the successful tactical experience was noted by Sgt. Ryan Beaulieu, of the Rhode Island Army National Guard's 861st Engineers.
"This is great realistic training from the music in the village to the scenarios that unfold," Beaulieu said. "From the self-development training to the academy training it's good to know when you get back home how to request things such as a range and other tools to provide realistic training."