News | Dec. 1, 2013

The Noncommissioned Officer and Petty Officer: Backbone of the Armed Forces

Book

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Backbone of the Armed Forces

A first of its kind, this book—of, by, and for the noncommissioned officer and petty officer—is a comprehensive explanation of the enlisted leader across the U.S. Armed Services. It complements The Armed Forces Officer, the latest edition of which was published by NDU Press in 2007, as well as the Services’ NCO/PO manuals and handbooks. Written by a team of Active, Reserve, and retired senior enlisted leaders from all Service branches, this book defines and describes how NCOs/POs fit into an organization, centers them in the Profession of Arms, explains their dual roles of complementing the officer and enabling the force, and exposes their international engagement. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin E. Dempsey writes in his foreword to the book, “We know noncommissioned officers and petty officers to have exceptional competence, professional character, and soldierly grit—they are exemplars of our Profession of Arms.”

Aspirational and fulfilling, this book helps prepare young men and women who strive to become NCOs/POs, re-inspires serving enlisted leaders, and stimulates reflection by those who have retired from or left active service. It also gives those who have never worn the uniform a better understanding of who these exceptional men and women are, and why they are properly known as the “Backbone of the Armed Forces.”

CONTENTS

FOREWORD
by General Martin E. Dempsey, USA, 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

PREFACE
by Sergeant Major Bryan B. Battaglia, USMC, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION
The Backbone of the Armed Forces

CHAPTER ONE
Noncommissioned Officers/Petty Officers: Who They Are, What They Do

CHAPTER TWO
The Profession of Arms: An Ancient and Honorable Tradition

CHAPTER THREE
Steward of the Institution

CHAPTER FOUR
Complementing the Officer

CHAPTER FIVE
Enabling the Force

CHAPTER SIX
Service Identity and Joint Warfighting

CHAPTER SEVEN
International Roles

AFTERWORD
The Service Continues

APPENDIX A
Founding Documents

APPENDIX B
Authorizing Statutes for the Armed Forces

APPENDIX C
Service Values and Armed Forces

APPENDIX D
Code of Conduct for Members of the United States Armed Forces

PHOTOGRAPHS