2351

US NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ACADEMY FLAG, TRADOC.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 200.00 USD
US NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ACADEMY FLAG, TRADOC.
3’ x 4’ double applique embroidered on black field, gold fringe, circa 1973-1980. The colors of its central device, blue on the left, yellow in the center and red on the right, are the official colors of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Anyone who studies military history knows full well that the backbone of a unit is its NCOs. While such ranks existed from the Revolutionary War onward in American military history, it was not until the 20th Century that the Army got very serious about properly educating its NCO corps. However, Prussian officer Baron Von Steuben, brought in to train the Continental Army at Valley Forge, set the standard for NCO training by forming a training company. After graduation, the men of that company then went out to train their original units to the same standards. The army that marched out to fight after Valley Forge, was a much better led and disciplined force. The Von Steuben model is still used today. Early NCO training was handled on a unit by unit basis by its officers. During the Civil War, General Silas Casey, author of the tactical manual used by the Union Army in 1861, pushed for a proper school for NCOs. By World War One, General John Pershing stressed proper training for NCOs. During the inter-war years, the NCO training was improved especially as war clouds began to gather from the mid-1930s onward. The coming of the war brought a huge expansion in both the enlisted and officer ranks but also the NCO corps. New NCOs were trained and sent forward with newly raised units and often got promoted faster than the old line NCOs who had served longer and had more experience. Before and during training for World War Two, Army posts had established NCO schools for the units that were based at posts. In this manner, a unit could count on receiving a cadre of trained NCOs before deployment to Europe or the Pacific. For example, the Armor School at Fort Knox had such an academy for its future NCOs that was set up by General Bruce Clarke. At the time, Clarke was assistant commandant of the Armor School and would go on to become a hero commanding a portion of the 7th Armored Division in Europe, in particular for his brilliant leadership in the fighting for St. Vith, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. After World War Two, the basis of the modern NCO school system was created for the 7th Army in Germany while on occupation and constabulary duty by Bruce Clarke. The course design and results soon were copied across the Army in Europe with a number of schools along these lines set up and, in turn, proving themselves successful as well. This school remains active and is the oldest of the 20th Century created NCO schools in the Army. For the Vietnam era, the Army created the Non Commissioned Officer Candidate Course at Fort Benning in Georgia which ran from 1966 to 1972 training NCOs for the Vietnam War. Long-time Army MCOs took a derisive attitude towards their graduates due to lack of experience. The Army today does not have one central NCO Academy. Rather, most major Army posts have them to serve the units based there. Fort Campbell, Fort Bragg, Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Sill, Fort Hood, Fort Drum, Schofield Barracks are just some of the posts that have such schools. Additionally, units posted overseas in places like South Korea and Germany also run NCO academies. Fort Bliss not only runs an NCO Academy but also handles training for Sergeants Major, the top enlisted rank of the Army. Additionally, the National Guard and Army Reserve also run NCO academies at their respective posts located across the country. NCO schools not only train NCOs for combat units but also for the various support and technical services of the Army. So this flag is probably for the NCO school that falls under that command. Additionally, the Army seems to allow each school to adopt specific devices for each school for their flags along with the letters “NCOA” across the lower part of the flag. Light blue seems to be the official color for NCO academy flags. CONDITION: fine overall. (02-17547-30/JS). $100-200.