Marine Corps Noncommissioned Officer Fact Sheet

Marine Corps Noncommissioned Officer Fact Sheet

Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) are the backbone of the Marine Corps. Baron von Steuben, a Prussian adviser to the Continental Army in 1778, was working to forge the fledgling Continental Army into a professional fighting force, he wrote the following into his Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, “The choice of noncommissioned officers is an object of the greatest importance. The order and discipline of a regiment depends so much on their behavior, that too much care cannot be taken… Honesty, sobriety and a remarkable attention to every point of duty, with a neatness in their dress are indispensable requisites; a spirit to command respect and obedience from the men, an expertness in performing every part of the exercise, and an ability to teach it, are also absolutely necessary.”

The five main purposes of Marine Corps’ noncommissioned officers are:

To decentralize command authority in an orderly structure down to the smallest element in an organization.
To provide links between commanders (as well as officers in general) and the troops.
To provide a senior enlisted adviser – a platoon sergeant, a first sergeant, or a sergeant major – for each commander.
To afford avenues for advancement whereby enlisted men and women may realize their full potential as leaders. (Not every Marine can become a general, but with application and attitude, every Marine can win chevrons, and in so doing, demonstrate that the road to the top is always open.)
To recognize and reward outstanding technical and military skills.

We have noncommissioned officers to help a commander lead, train, and take care of people; to enable good Marines to get ahead; and to make the best use of essential skills.

There are great expectations of Marine noncommissioned officer. The Marine Corps places a great deal of responsibility with its noncommissioned officers, and therefore they are expected to have the technical knowledge and experience, especially within their military occupational specialty (MOS). The ability of noncommissioned officers to lead and guide the actions of other Marines depends not only on their knowledge, but also on their ability to teach that knowledge to the troops in the form of training.

Noncommissioned officers are also expected to reinforce orders, policy, and regulation with a high dedication to duty.

Noncommissioned officers serve as the link between the commander and the Marines, because they have the greatest concern for their junior Marines. They foster relationships with the Marines as individuals, and will know best what they are capable of delivering, and then can best advise the commander of how far the Marines can be pushed.[i]