Sergeant Major of the Army
Believe in
The NCO Creed
By Sgt. Maj. of the Army
Raymond F. Chandler III
Sergeant Major of the Army
A code of ethics … cannot be developed overnight by edict or
official pronouncement. It is developed by years of practice and
performance of duty according to high ethical standards. It must
be self-policing. Without such a code, a professional soldier or a
group soon loses its identity and effectiveness.
—Sgt. Maj. of the Army Silas L. Copeland, 1972
T
he shared principles and convictions we call the
NCO Creed have stood the test of time, guiding
numerous generations of NCOs. Elements of
this creed date back to Gen. Friedrich Wilhelm
von Steuben, the Prussian military advisor to
Gen. George Washington
who first standardized
the duties and responsibilities of the NCO. The
creed was formalized in
1973 by a group of NCOs
Staff Sgt. David Carter, the 2014
U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command
NCO of the Year, competed in
U.S. Army Materiel Command’s
Best Warrior Competition in July.
October 2014 ■ ARMY 29
Soldiers swear into
the NCO corps
during an induction
ceremony at Camp
Buehring, Kuwait.
gathered on the fourth floor of Building 4 at Fort Benning,
Georgia. Within that creed, they incorporated a brief, clear
statement of the shared principles and convictions that became the identity of the U.S. Army NCO.
Why does the creed have such importance in our NCO
corps? If someone asked you what you or your unit believe
about NCOs, how would you answer? How does the NCO
Creed relate to those beliefs? Our creed must be more than
just words that are shouted at Warrior Leader Course
graduations or a piece of paper we hang on the wall.
To begin, it’s important to explain the meaning of creed.
The word itself is derived from the Latin word credo, which
means “I believe.” Sociologists tell us that it’s part of our human nature to develop creeds. We need creeds to provide
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F.
Chandler III was sworn in as the 14th
Sergeant Major of the Army in March
2011. Previously, he served as the 19th commandant of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major
Academy (USASMA), the first enlisted
commandant in USASMA history. As
Sergeant Major of the Army, he serves as the
Army Chief of Staff’s personal advisor on all
enlisted-related matters, particularly areas affecting soldier training
and quality of life. He devotes the majority of his time to traveling
throughout the Army observing training and talking to soldiers and
their families. Chandler sits on a variety of councils and boards that
make decisions affecting enlisted soldiers and their families, and he
is routinely invited to testify before Congress. He has held a variety
of leadership positions throughout his career, ranging from tank
crewman to command sergeant major. He has served in all tank
crewman positions and has had multiple tours as a troop, squadron
and regiment master gunner. He has served in the 1st Infantry Division (FWD), 2nd Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 1st
Cavalry Division, 3rd Armored Division, 2nd and 3rd Armored
Cavalry Regiments, U.S. Army Garrison (Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas), and the U.S. Army Armor School. Chandler holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Upper Iowa University.
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ARMY ■ October 2014
guiding principles and summaries of truth that allow us to
move forward in all areas of our lives. Creeds are meant to
define the boundaries within which a group of people operates. The NCO Creed is a concise statement of what we as a
group believe to be true about the basic ideas and practices
that define us and our professional work as NCOs.
So, who are we, and what core beliefs are contained in
our NCO Creed? The core purpose and role of an NCO
have remained unchanged since our beginnings during the
American Revolution. In recent years, the responsibility,
authority and influence of NCOs throughout the Army
profession have grown in many ways. Over the course of
my years of service, I have reflected many times on the
meaning of the NCO Creed and how it molds us. I believe
the creed inspires NCOs to be the trusted Army professionals that the American people expect and that American
soldiers require. Let’s examine how the NCO Creed expresses these core principles.
No one is more professional than I. I am a noncommissioned
officer, a leader of Soldiers. As a noncommissioned officer, I
realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is
known as the Backbone of the Army.
These first three lines of the NCO Creed express our
shared identity as trusted Army professionals inside a
proud and honorable military profession. To live this identity—on and off duty—we must continuously develop as
NCOs of character, competence and commitment. Each of
these attributes is touched on throughout the NCO Creed.
I am proud of the Corps of noncommissioned officers and
will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon
the Corps, the military service and my country regardless of
the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade
or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.
These words begin to describe the value that the NCO
has in the principle of selfless service. The creed requires
us to have a deep commitment to the Army profession and
the nation we serve. Commitment is our ability to serve
the nation honorably in all aspects of our lives by performing our duties with discipline and to standard as well as
accomplishing the mission despite obstacles and adversity.
ing appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not
compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not
forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are
professionals, noncommissioned officers, leaders!
Over the history of our corps, our commitment, character
and competence have been our calling card. As we move
forward, the passage above underlies the confidence we
must elicit not only from those we lead but also from those
officers we serve. The trust relationship between officers
and members of today’s NCO corps is the envy of armies
around the world. Many of our allies send their NCOs to
our training institutions in an effort to recreate our success.
This is the desired outcome of our behavior in accordance with the words contained within the NCO Creed.
Our reputation is the result of our demonstration of decisions and actions based on our dedication to the Army
Ethic and Army Values. Character is vitally important in all
These words suggest that central to our success is compe- aspects of an Army professional’s life, so we must hold ourtence. Nevertheless, being a professional is more than just selves and others accountable to the established standards
being good at your job. We demonstrate our competence of the profession as described in our creed. Self-policing is
through the ability to perform our duties and accomplish the an important aspect of any profession’s continued livelimission with discipline and to standard. This passage clearly hood and relevance, and each of us has a responsibility to
outlines our most basic duties as NCOs and then explains protect the reputation of our Army profession.
how we aspire to achieve those responsibilities. We demon* * *
strate this proficiency through our military skills and by proOver the next few years, you will continue to see many
viding soldiers with servant leadership, clearly communicat- challenges to the Army. The issues will change over time,
ing to them the standards and holding them accountable.
but the foundation of our responses to them must be the
same. Our success will depend on how well we remain
Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish
grounded in our core beliefs and convictions as outlined in
their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will
our NCO Creed. If each of us takes time to reflect on our
earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my Solunderstanding of and commitment to the creed, I’m confidiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors,
dent our Army will only get stronger. We need to take more
peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taktime in our professional-development sessions and everyday tasks to understand how they can
be opportunities to reflect on the NCO
Creed. From corporal to sergeant major of the Army, we must constantly
ask ourselves how we measure up in
our adherence to the creed.
I’ve spent my time as sergeant major of the Army talking to soldiers and
leaders about our NCO Creed and
how it relates to our success as individuals and as an Army. As I near the
end of my tenure in this position, it
becomes very clear that the soldiers
who joined in the decades after I did
are inheriting the future of our NCO
corps. Let our creed be the touchstone
that guides you—in both words and
deeds—as the trusted Army professionals that the American people expect and that our soldiers require. At
the end of the day, the NCO Creed
Sgt. 1st Class Jason J. Manella competes in the improvised explosive deforces us to say “I believe”—and that’s
vice portion of the 2013 Best Warrior Competition. Manella, who reprea good place to start.
sented U.S. Army Reserve Command, was declared top NCO of the Year.
✭
Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities
will always be uppermost in my mind—accomplishment of
my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my
role as a noncommissioned officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know
my Soldiers and I will always place their needs above my
own. I will communicate consistently with my Soldiers and
never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial
when recommending both rewards and punishment.
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ARMY ■ October 2014