U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy

Written by Kelly Fodel

Gentry began our interview by pointing out a key change in the way the Army now handles its noncommissioned officers. The emphasis has shifted from training to education as they move up the ladder. By the time NCOs reach the Sergeants Major Course, Gentry and his staff are seeking a higher level of learning.

“They have to be educated … they have to understand how to solve complex problems. They have to be critical and creative thinkers, because the situations they are presented with in combat are much more complex than they have been in the past,” Gentry said. “We are talking evaluation and synthesis, versus just understanding and knowledge.”

The goal is to turn the Sergeants Major Course into a graduate-level education experience for the NCO, so that he or she feels it is a true college environment. This requires the student to become a true problem solver and leader. “It is that ability to take knowledge and turn it into thoughts and ideas, instead of just responding in a rote manner,” Gentry said. “It is much more common for soldiers to pursue advanced education than it was 30 years ago. Today, we really work hard to educate the force. It is taking care of them, because we know a majority of soldiers don’t stay [in the military] for a career.”

The academy welcomed the newest group of students, 645 senior noncommissioned officers, into Sergeants Major Course Class 59 in August 2008. According to The NCO Journal, the class includes 521 active Army soldiers, 64 Reserve soldiers, nine National Guard soldiers, two Marines, two members of the Coast Guard, and 47 international students representing 33 countries. They are currently studying and learning in a small group setting, benefiting from numerous guest speakers and experts in a variety of subject matters.

In addition to their 1,200 hours of studies at the academy, the students have the opportunity to further their civilian education, as well. A variety of colleges and universities, both online and in the El Paso area, have awarded hundreds of degrees to graduates of the Sergeants Major Course.

“We have relationships with lots of schools,” Gentry said. The American Council of Education has reviewed the curriculum to determine how many credits the courses would be worth at collegiate liberal arts institutions. University scholars are not involved in the development of curriculum at this time, but the academy does utilize instruction system specialists and training developers to shape the courses of study.

Students at the Sergeants Major Academy can earn credits toward associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees. The Army has partnered with 12 schools in what is known as the College of the American Soldier “Career NCO Degrees Program.” It is available to all NCOs at any point in their careers, but maximum credit for Army leadership schools is based on completion of NCOES through the Sergeants Major Course.

Credit awards range from 45–67 percent of associate degrees, and 31–38 percent of bachelor’s degrees, for soldiers completing the Sergeants Major resident course. The student may also earn additional credits for MOS training and experience, testing, professional certification, prior learning and functional training.

USASMA and the Sergeants Major Course also have agreements with a number of collegiate liberal arts institutions that will provide graduate level credit for the education the soldiers receive in the academy, from a minimum of nine credits and up.

Students at the Sergeants Major Academy take their education seriously, as evidenced by the number of diplomas awarded at the graduation ceremony for the most recent class in May 2008. Two hundred seven earned bachelor’s degrees, 41 earned associate degrees and 52 earned master’s degrees. A record-breaking number of collegiate diplomas were awarded to that SMC class, with 93 percent of students leaving with a degree.

“We think that was a major step forward. An NCO today is much more educated, experienced and mature—seasoned, if you will, than those in the past,” Gentry said.

Gentry says they are currently rewriting the curriculum of the Sergeants Major Course, to synchronize it with the curriculum being taught to majors at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Since they all will ultimately end up working together, the goal is to unify the material to create a more seamless team.

“Now, we are making sure that they will be able to speak the same language,” Gentry said. “When they go out and work together, they will work more efficiently and effectively together. The relationship between officers and NCOs … one is the planner, one is the executor at the most fundamental level.”

Gentry points out that the Command and General Staff College is an accredited master’s degree institution. He says that is the direction he is moving with the Sergeants Major Academy.

“Sometime down the road, [the Sergeants Major Academy] will be a master’s-level, master’s degree-granting institution,” Gentry said. One of the first steps in attaining that goal is hiring a dean of academics. “Somebody with a doctorate in an education field, who will assist us in ensuring that the education quality is appropriate to where we want to be. We want to maximize the education benefits.”

Gentry hopes to reach his goal in about three to five years. He is starting to search for faculty who would have the requisite degrees to allow the academy to be accredited as a master’s-level institution. After all, there is only a very small number of sergeants majors who have a Ph.D. “It’s not just what you teach, it’s who teaches it,” Gentry said.

Another issue will be leveling the playing field for students before they arrive at the academy. NCOs come to the Sergeants Major Course with varied educational backgrounds. In contrast, officers who attend the Command and General Staff College all have a bachelor’s degree when they arrive. Gentry says only 50 percent of the population at the SMC shows up with an associate or bachelor’s degree. About 70 percent have completed some amount of college work.

Despite the challenges, Gentry is confident that USASMA and the Sergeants Major Academy is making strides in preparing NCOs to be better military and civilian leaders.

“One thing I know is the senior NCOs in the U.S. Army are fully capable of achieving it. All we have to do is create the conditions under which they can do it … we expect [senior NCOs] to work on equal terms with members of the State Department and members of foreign governments … things that 20 years ago you would not have expected a sergeant to do ... we are looking to empower them to do that.”

For more information on the degree credits available through the Career NCO Degrees Program/College of the American Soldier, visit http://www.soc.aascu.org/socad/. ♦