WLC, to be or not to be a requirement?

SGT Warford would be great to change the requirements but I feel it is bigger than chaging standards. As an NCO our primary duty is t take care of Soldier's and each leader needs to know what that means for him or her self before they can lead others. My point is that when leadership fails hpow do we come along side these Soldier's who are excited to lead and give them the tools to help them succeed.

It should be a requirement, but if you have even a half decent NCO in charge of you, you will have picked up most of the skills they try and teach you at WLC due to your leadership showing you how to take their place.

WHAT IS WLC?

While I do agree that it is always better to get the training before you are put in the position of needing the training, but we have to remember we are talking about the military and some times...more than anyone would like...mission trumps what we would like.

WLC should be a requirement before becoming and NCO. ALSO before going to promotion board. Anyone can be a board baby as they call it and study for a board but let them go through the training at WLC so they can learn what will be expected and how they should conduct themselves. Then send them to the board

Yes, WLC should go back to being a pre-requisite for becoming an NCO like it was when I went through PLDC 25 years ago. We had the odd SGT in the course with us back then due to certain MOSs that were on the old STAR program where individuals were promoted automatically, but they were few and far between. I was a CPL at the time with no real grasp on "how" to lead Soldiers, I could D&C them, PT them, but really did not have the tools in my kit yet to be a leader and I learned a lot from the course. A decade later as an SGL and SrSGL it was my turn to pay it forward to the young leaders sent to me to learn the "book smarts" of being a leader. Now, while experiences will definitely vary individual to individual, overall the course at the time was still there to provide the building blocks of being a junior leader. It takes the "book smarts" of the NCOAs combined with the "street smarts" of being in the position back in one's unit and learning from the more senior leaders, that ultimately develop the junior leaders into being successful NCOs. I balk at the notion that the Ranger Course is the end all, be all of leadership courses; I had plenty of Rangers from 1st BN at HAAF that attended the course who felt it was beneath them to be there initially, but by the end of the course they had learned more than a little bit of what it takes to be an NCO, as well as having mentored their peers. For too many years while we were an Army at war, standards were lessened or in some cases even done away with in order to meet promotion requirements from higher and the quality of the training suffered. As we transition back to an Army at "peace", the Army is correcting itself and is re-implementing the standards that were in place prior to OIF/OEF.

Oh definitely it should be a prerequisite for promotion to SGT, which I thought had already been implemented. I personally did not learn a whole lot when I was there, but I was already serving in a team leader position before I went so I was squared away already, plus I love D&C and had it "down pat." There are E-4's that don't know much due to poor leadership back at their station, so it's a good course for those that need it before they are fed to the wolves.

I for one didn't learn anything in WLC. I felt it was rushed and I did the three week corse. They would rush through the Power Points and the next day would be the test. The tests were super easy at least for me.

l fully agree that it should be. I have seen NCO's that get confused by counseling statements and when asked basic questions by soldiers will just say "I don't know, go find out."

I think it should be. Because just like you I meet a NCO in the class who didnt know how to say the NCO creed which is a requirement in that course to pass. It was above my paygrade , but he still graduated with us. I think a person should go.through WLC before the go.to.the promotion board. Because anyone can be a good shooter and be a pt stud , but leading and motivating soldiers is something everyone cant do