The Noncommissioned Officer Corps (NCO's) has seen a significant shift in responsibility and empowerment over the last 200 years. Selection of early NCO's were not due to overall performance or potential as much as it was to their large physical size, their booming voice, and the ability to speak clear English. A professional system that evaluates the Soldier through performance and potential compared to their peers throughout the U.S. Army is the system used for selection of today's NCO's. The quality of current NCO's serving in the U.S. Army has significantly improved over the last 200 years and so have their responsibilities and their ever-increasing empowerment. The responsibilities and empowerment of the NCO will continue to increase and evolve due to the broad range of military operations in the years to come.

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