Badges for NCO Instructors....

2014-02-27T22:42:15-05:00

I am currently an AIT instructor and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the Army Times article below. What I don't understand is how only NCOES instructors are deserving enough to be recognized by a badge. All certified military instructors should have this recognition. As a matter of fact, AIT instructors spend more hours a day training soldiers. From conducting PRT with the Platoon Sergeants to teaching all day to occasional after duty hours training/activities. I've never been one to chase awards or attention but fair is fair in my opinion. What are your thoughts?

January 22, 2014 Army Times article

Soldiers who serve as instructors in the NCO Education System will
be recognized with badges and professional development skill
identifiers as a result of the Army’s continued efforts to battle sexual
assault.

The initiative is an outgrowth of the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response program, and is intended to place only the
highest quality soldiers in positions of significant trust, such as
recruiters, drill sergeants, instructors and advisers.

The Army’s
enlisted assignments and utilization regulation, AR 614-200, has been
revised to ensure an individual assigned to instructor or adviser duties
has an unblemished military and civilian history regarding sexual
offenses and is not registered as a sex offender under the military
justice system.

Soldiers assigned as instructors normally will be
stabilized in those positions for three years, and will hold Special
Qualification Identifier 8 (instructor), as they have in the past, but
in a change to the regulation, “may hold personnel development skill
identifiers for instructors.”

The regulation change authorizes the
commanding general of Training and Doctrine Command to award, and
withdraw, personnel development skill identifiers for instructors. Additionally,
TRADOC has been tasked with developing a regulation for the NCOES
Instructor Development and Recognition Program that will stipulate the
eligibility requirements for Army instructor badges and skill
identifiers for instructors.

The move is a clear signal that the
Army is looking to elevate the stature of instructor jobs in the eyes of
soldiers. A badge identifies that it’s a critical and tough assignment,
and that it’s on par with the roles of drill sergeant and recruiter.
These instructors’ responsibilities include teaching the Warrior Leader
Course, Advanced Leader Course and Senior Leader Course.