The empowerment of the Noncommissioned Officer has significantly increased over time and should continue to evolve if the United States expects future success on the battlefield. ABSTRACT: The empowerment of the Noncommissioned Officer is a story of a long road from a beginning of the Continental Army when the Sergeant was little more than a private to the world's most professional, educated and adaptive leader the world has ever known. The Army continues to empower the NCO by giving them the authority to lead and train the Soldier through the Noncommissioned Officer Education System and the day-to-day experiences on the battlefield of Iraq.

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