Behavior of NCO

[madisontigers]

Folks,

Does anyone know of a source that dictates the correct behavior of an NCO? I know, for a fact, that the role has changed somewhat. I am trying to find evidence in order to give to a personal friend. This friend, an NCO in the hobby, believes it to be correct to scream and yell at the men in his company.

Thanks,
David Long

[Chip]

This might be a good staring point.



RANK.

301. NON-COMMISSIONED officers, like commissioned officers, rank according to date of commissions or warrants in the same grade. The different grades rank as follows, viz.—

1. Cadet and Medical Cadet.

2. Sergeant Major.

3. Regimental Quartermaster, and Commissary Sergeants.

4. Ordnance Sergeants and Hospital Stewards.

5. First Sergeant.

6. Sergeants.

7. Corporals.

302. Non-commissioned officers are all appointed by the commanding officer of the regiment; those of the company, however, are appointed on the recommendation of the company commanders. All non-commissioned officers of a regiment can be reduced by sentence of a court-martial.

303. The non-commissioned officers of a company can be reduced by the commanding officer of the regiment on the recommendation of the company commander; but, without such a recommendation, they must be tried by a court-martial, in order that they may be reduced.

304. Cadets, medical cadets, ordnance sergeants, and hospital stewards appointed by the Surgeon-General, cannot be reduced; although they may be discharged dishonorably.

305. Each non-commissioned officer receives a certificate or warrant of his rank, signed by the commanding officer of the regiment, and counter-signed by the adjutant. (Reg. 80.)

306. At depots for recruits, where there is no legal organization, temporary appointments are made, called Lance Sergeants and Lance Corporals, that by Regulations have the same authority as a duly authorized appointment, and they must be obeyed and respected accordingly. They do not, however, receive any increase of pay beyond that of a private; and, when the recruits reach their destination, the appointment ceases. The successful performance of this duty, however, as non-commissioned officer would lead to a consideration of their claim to promotion in case of a vacancy. (Reg. 971)

307. For the purpose of ascertaining the merits of candidates, and particularly to replace absent non-commissioned officers who have not vacated their appointments, the Lance appointments are frequently made in the companies. Such soldiers are virtually on probation, and their succession to the permanent appointments, when vacancies occur, necessarily depends on the manner in which they perform their duties under the acting appointment. Lance appointments wear the chevron of their rank, the same as legal appointments.

308. Non-commissioned officers are usually, for offenses, placed in arrest; and only in grave cases are they placed in the guard-house. (Reg. 78.) Commissioned officers only have authority to arrest non-commissioned officers.

309. Non-commissioned officers are entitled to implicit obedience from the soldiers, and they should be obeyed and respected by the men; and when a non-commissioned officer fails in obtaining this regard and obedience from the men, he falls in his most essential qualification.

310. The confidence of the soldiers in the integrity of a non-commissioned officer can only be obtained by his being rigidly just and impartial to those under him, and by keeping his temper on all occasions, and discharging his duty without passion or feeling. A non-commissioned officer who cannot control himself will find difficulty in controlling those over whom he is placed.

311. Confidence and energy are the progressive traits of the non-commissioned officer who would be successful. Let him first feel he is right, and acting in obedience to orders and instructions, and hen do his duty with decision and firmness; and success will be more certain, and failure much less discreditable.

312. Non-commissioned officers should provide themselves with a pencil and notebook in which to enter the names of men forming the details. Orders and instructions given to them verbally they should at once reduce to writing, and not trust to their memory. Lists of property placed in their charge temporarily should be entered; and, in fact, all items that it may possibly be necessary to recall should be put down in such a book.

I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to portray NCO's from Corporal to Sergeant Major. From personal experience, screaming and yelling won't get your pard very far. Not unlike a manager or coach who does the same. The effectiveness wears thin very quickly. Better for your friend to lead by example, taking care of the men in his charge first.

[ejazzyjeff]

Folks,

Does anyone know of a source that dictates the correct behavior of an NCO? I know, for a fact, that the role has changed somewhat. I am trying to find evidence in order to give to a personal friend. This friend, an NCO in the hobby, believes it to be correct to scream and yell at the men in his company.

Thanks,
David Long


The A/C site has some articles. IMO, there are times when an reenactor "NCO" can lose their cool and get loud because someone in the ranks can't stop talking or remember a simple drill (this is more like frustration), but unless those under this reenactor "NCO" are going to accept being scream and yell at because the reenactor "NCO" believes it is correct, the ranks might be very thin.

[GaWildcat]

First off, NCOs is NCOs, no matter what time period. Their first job is as sort of a middle manager... Officer decides or is told what needs to be done, tells NCOs, NCOs make it happen. In the reenactor arena, the reenactor NCO needs to remember first and foremost, that its a HOBBY. His "soldiers" aren't soldiers, and screaming and yelling at a bunch of fellers that are supposed to be friends will only net the result of his being replaced next election, loss of friends, and a thinning of the ranks. Now, yes tempers can shorten during the "battle" and that is understandable, but when in camp, its another matter. Now, some "disciplinary action" can be taken, and we've done just that, but usually every one was in on it and it was looked on as a bit of fun.

The Reenactor NCO that wants to scream and yell and thinks its right, well, needs to wake up and smell the salt pork.

In short, NCOs were supposed to be the best and the brightest, and the most professional, and screaming and yelling for screaming and yellings sake is very UNprofessional.

[madisontigers]

Gentleman,

Thank you for the wonderful responses. I must say, in all honesty, that I think he yells, not in anger, but rather, to gain attention. Typically, he does this when the company is formed up, by screaming the following " X COMPANY,XYZ REGIMENT, FALL IN, NOW, DO IT NOW." As a matter of fact, it has become the concern of some members, some of who are real veterans, that this is uneccesary. Furthermore, it is viewed by some, as a source of embarassement
Here is my feeling towards the subject. Most regiments, C.S. and U.S., were typically raised in the same community. For example, by cloese examination of companies formed in my area, Western North Carolina, the men in a company were typically related, or at the least, familiar with one another. By tearing through diaries, rosters, and other records, it is easy to discern the fact thqat these men were familiar with one another. Simply put, I just don't see that this kind of behavior would have been tolerated.

Regards,
David Long

[GaWildcat]

In regards to his yelling "X Co, XYZ Regt........"

During my stint as 1st Sergeant, I would only yell out A Co, 2d Bttn Fall in as to be heard, not in an unbecoming manner. If our drummer was not bearing arms, I would forgo that, instead having him sound Assembly.

[NoahBriggs]

It sounds like your companion might be mistaking the screaming and yelling for the NCO "command voice". The commands issued to soldiers are nothing more than verbal shortcuts to issue a lot of other commands without seeming long-winded. When delivered in a command voice, the orders will carry to ears all over with minimum effort expended by the NCO issuing the orders. (One of the few areas where the Army actually encourages efficiency.)

[GaWildcat]

It sounds like your companion might be mistaking the screaming and yelling for the NCO "command voice". The commands issued to soldiers are nothing more than verbal shortcuts to issue a lot of other commands without seeming long-winded. When delivered in a command voice, the orders will carry to ears all over with minimum effort expended by the NCO issuing the orders. (One of the few areas where the Army actually encourages efficiency.)


My hat is off to you for explaining with greater eloquence what I was trying to say..:( :cool:

[flattop32355]

In my way of thinking, NCO's have three basic functions:
1) To see that orders from higher command are carried out.
2) To see to the welfare and training of the men under their supervision and authority.
3) To be a conduit between the commissioned officers and the rank and file.

Each of those functions have a place in the reenactment community.

Speaking in a confident, measured and forceful tone has its place; it is mandatory that the NCO's voice be heard above the din of camp, battle or distance. That is quite different than being loud for loud's sake, or to come across as a bully to his own men. Composure and direction should rule the day, instilling confidence in the men of said NCO's abilities to lead them and of his concern for their welfare.

An NCO's sphere of influence (excepting Sgt. Major) will rarely extend beyond his own company, in part or in toto, so referring to a specific regiment is generally unnecessary. The same would be true of everything after the words "Fall in" from your example; the men, if well trained by the NCO, know what is required of them. At worst, a calm nudge of "Look lively, lads!" or similar admonition should be all he needs if his men care to not see him look foolish or inadequate in front of their officers.

Beyond that, I'm not convinced that such admonition as in your example could not be said to be anachronistic/modern rather than period.

[NoahBriggs]

Fifteen years under the command voice and mental aggression projected by Kevin J. Air* have taught me to be precise and to the point, and have a low tolerance level to alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, and BS.

Actually, I have severe allergies to BS.











---------------
*Currently one of the many commanders working with Chris Anders towards accurate scenarios at reenactments.

[vamick]

For me here it is in a nutshell......


309. Non-commissioned officers are entitled to implicit obedience from the soldiers, and they should be obeyed and respected by the men; and when a non-commissioned officer fails in obtaining this regard and obedience from the men, he falls in his most essential qualification.

310. The confidence of the soldiers in the integrity of a non-commissioned officer can only be obtained by his being rigidly just and impartial to those under him, and by keeping his temper on all occasions, and discharging his duty without passion or feeling. A non-commissioned officer who cannot control himself will find difficulty in controlling those over whom he is placed.


YES 'command voice'! NO 'R LEE ERMY :D Ive seen too many protrayals out there of 'Full Metal Jacket' or a Marine DI if one is constantly angry, anger when needed loses its force! and also too much 'hey foot straw foot' this stereotype that men in the 1860s wether they came from farms or citys were somehow 'ignorant' is just plain dead wrong, tho many didnt have as much 'schooling' as folks do now they were far from dumb, even by my mother's time they were still teaching latin for instance even in the grades...
CANNONEERS DISS MISSED!:p

[Kevin O'Beirne]

I wonder why your friend believes it necessary to "yell and scream" in carrying out the duties of his portrayal. For my first few years in the hobby my then-group's Orderly Sergeant was the type who screamed at us all the time, and it grew tiring by the end of the first event I did with them. Folks said "He's a great sergeant" and I used to say, "How come? Because he has the Marine Corps/R. Lee Ermy gunnery sergeant thing going on? Can he possibly do his job without screaming and insulting us all the time?" That always got me perplexed looks.

My thoughts on the topic are enshrined in an essay called, "Leadership in Reenacting, Part 1, In the Field" which is on the AC Forum, in the Camp of Instruction folder, in the Research Articles subfolder, and originally published in "Civil War Historian" magazine a couple years ago.

A good leader does not need to scream and yell and instead leads by his knowledge, charisma, and "leadership air" of authority. Those who yell all the time may be attempting to compensate for deficencies in one or more of those areas.

Finally, while I'm sure that some Civil War non-comms yelled and screamed a lot, I suspect the majority did not. This would probably have been because most Civil War companies and even regiments were locally raised, volunteer units, and 1) Military chickensh** didn't sit well with most volunteer citizen-soldiers of the day, and 2) Most men knew some of their non-comms and even officers before and after the war. These men typically did not "put in airs" that often because of the stigma that would attach to them; those who did put on airs were often called on the carpet abuot it to and by the folks back home, and after the war. The modern, professional US military is not the same type of organization as the volunteer citizen-soldier units of 1861-1865, and the leaders of reenactor units should not portray leaders of that era like modern military leaders.

[Frenchie]

The NCO is an example to the men. His appearance, behavior, comportment, dignity, respect for authority, attention to orders and efficiency are required to be as close to ideal as possible.

Historical "never happened" aside, John Finn's portrayal of Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy in Glory was not too bad, all things considerd. He did the command voice well, only rarely shouted and, IIRC, never screamed at the men. He was a model of those attributes I mentioned above.

Well, except for the swearing... ;)

[tompritchett]

As a matter of fact, it has become the concern of some members, some of who are real veterans, that this is uneccesary.

I would listen carefully to what they have to say because they have seen first-hand the difference between being yelled out in Basic Training and being addressed in a command force during the remainder of their tour. After Basic and somtimes AIT, most NCO's do not yell at individuals (exception being chewed out PRIVATELY in the 1SGT's office for gross stupidity) as that is just asking for a friendly fire incident the first time the unit actually sees combat but they will routinely use a command voice when giving orders to the unit. If your veterans are viewing his actions as yelling and not as examples of using a command voice, then there is a strong indication that there is a problem.

[bob 125th nysvi]

in the real military was also the quietest. You almost had to strain to hear him.

But he had combat experience and we all realized that he knew what he was talking about and if we wanted to SURVIVE (thank heaven none of us ever saw any combat) we needed to hang on his every word.

A screamer is someone who is trying to make up in volume what he lacks in natural leadership. Leaders who try to intimidate their men find when the going get stough, they are going alone.

Have him watch some of the other NCOs in other outfits to see how they are behaving. I garuntee that the best drilled outfits are not NCO'ed by screamers.

But it is a two edged sword, try to make sure he didn't start off screaming because the privates were a bunch of goof offs.

If you're not paying attention he may feel some frustration.

[Ephraim_Zook]

One of the best reenacting NCOs I've ever encountered was at one of my first events. It was a Gettysburg event. We were laying on the ground waiting for the approaching confederates, and he came along the line, partly hunched down and partly crawling, checking to make sure that everyone felt OK, everyone had adequate water, no one was suffering from the heat, and so forth. My immediate impression was "here is a real, professional NCO" -- someone who really cared about his men.

[7thNJcoA]

Being An NCO in the Marines, I was never really screaming and yelling. There is a time to yell as when someone violates a saftey rule at the range and puts themself or another in danger. This is the same in Reenacting If I see you level firing at 35 yards and you ignore the commands from the NCO to elevate just a bit iver there heads time to make your point known. There is however no reason to run around and boss everyone around its not what an NCO does. An NCO is summed up in the Creed I had to memorize in the Marines

"I am an NCO dedicated to training of new Marines and influencing the old. I am forever conscious of each Marine under my charge, and by example will inspire him to the highest standards possible. I will strive to be patient, understanding, just, and firm. I will commend the deserving and encourage the wayward.

I will never forget that I am responsible to my Commanding Officer for the morale, discipline, and efficiency of my men. Their performance will reflect an image of me."

I hate how there are so many NCO's in Some Reenacting units I dont have the figures on hand but Kevin may know the Ratio Of How many CPL's and Sgt's needed per number in the company.

[bill watson]

The louder you raise your voice, the more you undermine your own authority. The starting point should be that what the NCO has to say is so important that everybody else needs to shut the heck up and focus on it; the best way to make that happen is just the opposite of yelling. Watch really good speakers at a seminar some time. When they're really trying to get your attention, their speaking voice drops somewhat so you have to refocus and listen more intently. There's a point of diminishing returns, yeah, but what you need is rational thinking to re-educate someone who got confused and thinks louder is more authoritative. Nah. :-) And, of course, it would just be wonderful if the starting point -- what the NCO has to say is important so everyone should listen -- were really true. The parallel vice to "too loud" is, very often, "unnecessary," like that gratuitous, overbearing "do it now" hollered out at the end of a command.

Another very important thing for your sergeant to come to understand is that an awful lot of people equate loud voices to aggression. The part of me that reacts viscerally rather than rationally usually starts thrashing around when someone is yelling, and yelling at me, when a normal speaking voice would do. Now you've got guys having to wrestle down an instinctive urge to prepare for a fight, or at least get defensive and maybe balky and unhappy and stressed out for no reason, and all he wanted was, maybe, to have guys fall in for rations or something equally low key and mundane.

When there's noise coming from some source other than the chatter of your own men, you might have to raise your voice, but never more than it takes to be heard over the gunfire or music or whatever.

[TheQM]

There was another side to being a NCO in the 19th. Century. From the Customs of Service for Non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers, Page 149:

Paragraph 483: "It is rare indeed that the practice of summary chastisment indulged in by some orderly sergeants with the most unruly charactors that are to be found in almost every company can be regarded as successful. Individual instances, however exist of very good government where the sergeant rules almost exclusively by physical force; but good judgement in forbearing to a point where the offender has placed himself beyond the consideration of kindness by his conduct, will be found to be the true secret of success in a physical-force policy."

In other words, it's okay to beat up Private Tentpeg, as long he deserves the beating.

[Rob Weaver]

I have been a commissioned officer, United States Army for real, and a reenacting NCO for play for 5 or 6 years now. My experience is informed by both those experiences. First of all, an NCO has to read the appropriate manuals and be knowledgable in so far as he needs to be to perform his function, train and evaluate the level below him, and to fill the position above him when necessary. I do not yell at my company. First of all, off-field they are my friends. There are better ways to fellowship and motivate your friends. Secondly, you don't express yourself well if you're acting angry all the time. Third, an NCO has to look out for the welfare of his soldiers. That means balancing mission and men. You're supposed to make sure they have water, get fed, don't get abused by idiots, etc. Many reenacting NCOs don't give Corporals anything to do. Remember them. They're there to straighten the line and to keep order in the ranks. Corporals - do your job! You should also be able to give them details like wood, water, etc.
Last year at Gettysburg, I was second sergeant/occasional first sergeant for a company which included the largest number of new reenactors I think I've ever seen. I was also sick that weekend, and lost my voice. I still remember the young guy on the left flank of the company who I made cry by the brusque manner I put him in line. Others in the company told him "Don't worry. He's a really nice guy." and I apologized to him afterwards. I guess I'm saying recognize your own humanity and be willing to be a person first and a bit player in our little ad hoc theater second.

[Memphis]

Don't you people have elections?

[madisontigers]

I believe the answer is no.

[tompritchett]

FREE THE BBQ FIVE!

"Fried Green Tomatoes". It is too late. :twisted:

[tompritchett]

I believe the answer is no.

I used to belong to a unit like that where the military commander, the President and Vice-President (the VP was the military commander and the President was his significant other) were members for life. The operative words here are "used to".

[sigman]

The Belittling style wears thin very quickly. I have seen it from the highest in command to the rank of sergeant. Our group voted out a sergeant who was overbearing. That has happened in other units I know as well. That person usually leaves the unit shortly after.

It is best to read real accounts. There are plenty of them. The original 12th NJVI was put together as companies from the various southern New jersey towns. Everyone basically knew each other in the company. One company from the Woodbury area had a need to promote a sergeant to the rank of Lieutenant.

An affable sergeant who received the promotion and immediately became insufferable, borish and pompous prompting the men to disassociate themselves with him and never associating with him again in their lifetime.

Bottom line, attaining rank goes to some people's heads. I have seen that in reenacting quite a bit. Still, ther are plenty of gentlemanly officers and nco's. Hey, a great idea for a new thread! Name the best officer or nco that you served under.

Andy Siganuk, Mifflin Guard

[Parault]

I have been 1st Sgt for 6 years in our unit. We don't have elections. Don't need to. If you want the rank you can have it. Nobody wants anything other than what they have.
I have not had to yell at the guys "just because I'm the Sgt and you're the private." I have shouted, but, it is on the battle field during all the action. I get their attention in order to do movements, or by repeating commands of the officers. I do not yell at anybody. If you have a good group of guys, that know what they are doing, then you got it made.
IMHO, if you do all that yelling, you are the one that is lacking in certain areas, and trying to make up for it.

[Swag]

The best way to be a good NCO, besides reading of course customs of service, school of the company, school of the skirmisher, and basically everything in which ever manual you so choose to use in your portrayal, is to go to your library and look over original materials, or reprinted letters and diaries, Primary sources are your friends. One book that I found very nice while doing research was this:

Croner, Barbara M, A Sergeant’s Story: Civil War Diary of Jacob J. Zorn
1862-1865, Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 1999

A really good read, and insight on the duties of a Sergeant. Though Jacobs diary tends to become very bland there are bits that are very interesting; not to mention the letters are always interesting to read no matter what the subject as the written word was still an art form during the nineteenth centery. If you want to know how to act as a NCO read the duties of said position, as many already have listed, but more importantly read letters, diaries, and reports written by NCO's themselves. Just my two cents and a push in the right direction. Good luck to you pard.

[bob 125th nysvi]

Don't you people have elections?

to pick NCOs or officers.

How about having them work their way up through the subordinate positions to see if they have the knowledge and the leadship skills for the next position up?

Make sur ethey have the KNOWLEDGE to do thier jobs, not justthe stripes.

Then hold elections from among the qualified candidates.

And then when they (insert swear word here) up you can unelect them.

Just a couple of ideas.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Our group does it very simply: We don't have any permanent (or annual) field-rank in the club. Members hold rank on an event-by-event basis based on their attendance at that event and their ability to do the job entailed by that rank. In over eight years we've never once had anyone crying that they got passed over for rank. Heck, it's almost the other way: folks who are good at the job of holding rank--particularly commissioned officers and sergeants--are often happier being a private. :)

When the officers and non-comms are required to (expected to) WORK and to know their job, and when done even remotely correctly it is indeed a JOB, they don't WANT rank all the time.