The Army is looking to shift some parts of its noncommissioned officer academies to virtual learning and scale back temporary promotions in one of its most dramatic overhauls of how NCO careers are managed.
The Army's Advanced Leader Course, or ALC, and Senior Leader Course, or SLC, will shift part of their coursework to online learning in the coming months, Military.com has learned. Army planners hope the move will make attendance more convenient for part-time troops in the National Guard and reserve, in addition to making it less likely students will drop the courses.
“That reduces no-shows,” Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston told Military.com on Wednesday. “We can add a few more people to get some of the academics done. And that's what we're looking at. And it also gives you a little more time in your house, before we send you.”
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The length of the courses vary depending on a soldier's job but are typically one to two months long. Those schools are needed for promotion to staff sergeant and sergeant first class — the linchpins of the rank-and-file leadership. Each NCO rank has a corresponding academy.
About one week of the courses covers academic work focusing on general Army knowledge about regulations, customs and history. Army planners are looking to move that part online but have soldiers…
