NCO History

Question 1

Who is the 1st Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC)?

Answer 1

SGM William Joseph Gainey.

Question 2

When did the 1st Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairmen Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) assume the position?

Answer 2

October 01, 2005.

Question 3

What grade is the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
(SEAC)?

Answer 3

The SEACholds the grade of E-9 and is equal in seniority to the Services SEAs.

Question 4

How many SMA have there been?

Answer 4

15.

Question 5

Name the five most recent Sergeant Majors of the Army:

Answer 5

Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey
Former Sergeant Major of the Raymond F. Chandler III
Former Sergeant Major of the Kenneth O. Preston
Former Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley
Former Sergeant Major of the Army Robert E. Hall

Question 6

Who was the first Sergeant Major of the Army?

Answer 6

Sergeant Major Willion O. Wooldridge.

Question 7

What year was the Sergeant Major of the Army Established?

Answer 7

1966.

Question 8

The Sergeants Major Course began in what year?

Answer 8

1973 (January).

Question 9

The history of the Noncommissioned Officer began in what year with the birth of the
Continental Army?

Answer 9

1775.

Question 10

Who wrote the “Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United
States”, also commonly called the “Blue Book” and thus standardized NCO duties and
responsibilities in 1778?

Answer 10

Inspector General Friedrich von Steuben

Question 11

During the year 1778, what were the NCO ranks during that period?

Answer 11

Corporals
Sergeants
First Sergeants
Quartermaster Sergeants
Sergeants Major

Question 12

Three NCOs received special recognition for acts of heroism during the American
Revolution. Each received the Badge of Military Merit, a purple heart with a floral
border and the word “merit” inscribed across the center. In practice this award was the
precursor to the Medal of Honor introduced during the Civil War. What were their
names?

Answer 12

Sergeant Elijah Churchill
Sergeant William Brown
Sergeant Daniel Bissell

Question 13

During what year did the War Department make the first reference to noncommissioned
officer chevrons?

Answer 13

1821.

Question 14

What publication published in 1829 provided instructions for training of
noncommissioned officers?

Answer 14

The Abstract of Infantry Tactics

Question 15

The 417 page unnoffical publication called the Noncommissioned Officers Manual, was
published in what year?

Answer 15

1909.

Question 16

During what year did the symbol of NCO rank, the chevron, rotate to what we would
today call point up and become smaller in size?

Answer 16

1902.

Question 17

During the period of World War 1, the First Sergeants often carried a book in their
pockets that contained administrative files. This book, which today may be known as a
“leaders book” contained the names of everyone in the company and their professional
history (AWOLs, Work Habits, Promotions, etc.). This book was passed from First
Sergeant to First Sergeant, staying within the company and providing the unit historical
information. What was this book called?

Answer 17

A Black Book.

Question 18

During what year did the AR 350-90 establish army-wide standards for NCO
Academies?

Answer 18

1957.

Question 19

In 1958 the Army added two grades to the NCO Ranks, these pay grades would “provide
for a better delineation of responsibilities in the enlisted structure”. What were the two
new pay grades?

Answer 19

E8 and E9.

Question 20

During what year did PLDC first become a mandatory prerequisite for promotion to
Staff Sergeant?

Answer 20

1986.