Introduction
The US Army NCO 2020 Strategy is currently the primary educational and ethical paradigm for non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The military system trains versatile soldiers through this strategy, but it has its obvious drawbacks (Lindsey, 2019). That is why I think it is important to try to presume new horizons of this program. The purpose of this reflective essay is to analyze the main points of The US Army NCO 2020 Strategy and suggest potential future perspectives.
Possible Future Perspective of Line of Effort #1
NCO 2020 Strategy includes three areas of professional improvement. These directions are called Three Lines of Efforts; they are Development, Talent Management and Stewardship of the Profession (Lindsey, 2019). The development includes a range of programs to improve military, recruiting, management skills, and different educational courses. The most effective programs are “Select, Train, Educate and Promote (S.T.E.M.) and NCO Professional Military Education” (Lindsey, 2019, para. 4). I consider it necessary to include an educational course on working with social networks and media. It is because these social phenomena have become an integral part of the life of American society. Modern social networks allow the NCO to quickly communicate with subordinates, give them directions, and monitor their progress (Singer, 2019). It is also essential to observe what content the military is posting and how they communicate with civilians (Singer, 2019). I think it would help to develop a more positive image of the army.
Possible Future Perspective of Line of Effort #2
Talent Management means the NCO’s comprehensive development within the framework of their specialization and in other military-oriented areas. However, the events of 2020, especially the COVID-19 epidemic, teach us that society needs the army and its resources even in peacetime. Practice shows that having military leadership skills allow medical personnel to mobilize quickly the human resources required to solve serious problems (Murphy, 2020). It means that the NCO also should have skills to support other institutions, for example, knowing many social factors such as urban infrastructure or population density.
Possible Future Perspective of Line of Effort #3
By learning the Stewardship of the Profession, the NCO becomes fully aware of the importance of their status and the responsibility that comes with it. Nevertheless, the statistics for the last few years show very disappointing numbers. According to Kime (2019), “the suicide rate for active-duty U.S. military members in 2018 was the highest on record…” (para. 1). I think it means that the US Army needs a new ethical and moral system. Moreover, it is even stated by the US military officials themselves. However, it is due to other reasons, namely the introduction of AI technologies and neural networks into military affairs (Associated Press, 2020). I suppose there are both social and technological prerequisites now for the reformation of the army’s ethics.
Conclusion
The author of this paper reviews the US Army NCO 2020 Strategy and suggests further ways of developing this program. I suggested active work and study of social networks and media by the NCO for Line of Effort # 1. I also believe that the military should provide broader support to civilians in times of various social phenomena. I consider a reformation or complete change in army ethics as a logical continuation of Line of Effort # 3. It is rooted in social problems and the newest technological achievements.
References
Associated Press. (2020). U.S. military adopts new ethics principles for using AI in war. Los Angeles Times. Web.
Kime, P. (2019). Military suicide rates hit record high in 2018. Military.com. Web.
Lindsey, B. (2019). NCO 2020: Understanding the lines of effort. NCO Guide. Web.
Murphy, B. (2020). COVID-19: How military crisis management principles apply to med ed. AMA. Web.
Singer, P. W. (2019). Military leaders are starting to come around to social media, but there are 7 rules they need to remember. Insider. Web.