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Eduation: Senior NCO Academies

Air Force Senior NCO Academy

The academy, at the Gunter Annex of Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., instructs two courses: the Air Force Senior NCO Academy Course and Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course.

• The Senior NCO Academy Course prepares senior master sergeants, those selected for promotion to senior master sergeant, and other master sergeants of the Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air National Guard to lead the enlisted force in the employment of air, space and cyberspace power in direct support of national security objectives. U.S. joint services and international Senior NCOs may attend on a space available basis.

The 33-academic-day program provides education in military professionalism, operational manager, expeditionary leader, joint war fighter and senior communicator fields. Students attending the Air and Space Basic Course, or ASBC, and AFSNCOA merge for three days of combined operations with the goal of increasing understanding of the talents officers and enlisted bring in projecting airpower.

Contact: (334) 416-1651; DSN 596-1651; www.au.af.mil/au/cepme/sncoa/

• The Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course is the capstone of enlisted professional military education for personnel selected for promotion to chief master sergeant. The course gives the Air Force’s newest chiefs foundational strategic-level leadership perspective deemed invaluable to the employment of air and space forces. The course consists of 64 academic hours spread over eight days covering the Developing CMSgt, the Expeditionary CMSgt, and the CMSgt Leader/Manager.

Contact: (334) 416-1651; DSN 596-1651

Air Force First Sergeant Academy

The academy, at the Gunter Annex of Maxwell AFB, Ala., instructs two courses — the Air Force First Sergeant Academy Course and the Additional Duty First Sergeant Seminar — with the mission to develop selected senior noncommissioned officers to serve as advisers to commanders on issues that affect airmen in accomplishing the Air Force mission.

The First Sergeant Academy prepares selected master sergeants within the Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard to be first sergeants. Upon graduation, each master sergeant is awarded the special duty AFSC 8F000, First Sergeant, providing a dedicated focal point for all readiness, health, morale, quality of life and disciplinary issues within their organization of assignment.

The 15-academic-day program uses informal lecture, guided discussion and case studies. Guest speakers provide students with perspective on leadership and joint and deployed environments. Eight in-residence courses per year graduate about 500 first sergeants.

The five-academic-day Additional Duty First Sergeant Seminar is taught by academy instructors to senior noncommissioned officers who are performing the duties of the first sergeant but do not have the special duty AFSC 8F000. The seminar is held at Air Force installations around the world about 12 times per year, graduating about 1,400 senior noncommissioned officers.

Contact: (334) 416-2900

U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy

The school, on the Biggs Army Airfield sector of Fort Bliss, Texas, offers a nine-month resident course for full-time soldiers and a two-year non-resident program for reservists. Both are the capstone of NCO education in the Army. The academy also offers a three-week first sergeant course and a four-week battle staff NCO course, and is the proponent agency for the common-core content of the Warrior Leader, Basic NCO and Advanced NCO courses.

Contact: https://usasma.bliss.army.mil/

U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy

Classes at the school in Petaluma, Calif., convene 10 times a year — nine times for active duty and once for reserves. Class size is limited to 72 students. The 33-day program is for newly advanced chief petty officers. Senior CPOs and master CPOs also are eligible.

Contact: USCG Training Center, 599 Tomales Road, Petaluma, CA 94952-5000; (707) 765-7111; www.uscg.mil/hq/tcpet/ cpoa/index.shtm

Marine Corps Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academy

Six campuses and several distance programs provide professional military education for enlisted Marines.

The three courses are the SNCO Advanced Course for gunnery sergeants, the SNCO Career Course for staff sergeants and the Sergeants Course. Each resident course requires the completion of a distance education program as a prerequisite.

The Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academies at Twentynine Palms, Calif., and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, each host the resident Sergeants Course. The Staff Noncommissioned Officers academies at Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Camp Hansen, Okinawa; and Quantico, Va., each host the resident Sergeants, Career and Advanced courses. One-week seminars are held each year for first sergeants and master sergeants at Quantico, Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, Camp Hansen in Okinawa, and Kaneohe Bay.

The Marine Corps University’s Lejeune Leadership Institute annually conducts the Russell Leadership Symposium for Marines in various grades, based upon requirements established by the commandant of the Marine Corps and the president, Marine Corps University. The Marine Corps University Enlisted Professional Military Education Branch annually hosts the two-week First Sergeants Course for newly selected first sergeants.

Contact: Director, Enlisted PME, 2041 South St., Quantico, VA 22134; 703-784-4018/4019; DSN 278-4018; www.mcu.usmc.mil/

Navy Senior Enlisted Academy

The academy’s resident course is a six-week curriculum aligned with the Chief Petty Officer’s Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education requirements. It offers concentrated studies in communications skills, leadership and organizational behaviors, national security and military operations, fitness and wellness, and sailor professional development.

The academy leverages the nearby Naval War College to deliver presentations and run a capstone, one-day competitive war game that integrates Senior Enlisted Academy content. The SEA’s non-resident course provides a similar, though limited, experience through distance learning coupled with a two-week, in-residence curriculum.

The program is open to active-duty and reserve Navy E-8s and E-9s. The academy also admits a limited number of Navy E-7s, as well as E-8s and E-9s from the other U.S. military services and international navies. The staff is comprised of senior enlisted leaders from all the services.

Contact: Naval Senior Enlisted Academy, Newport, RI 02841-1525; (401) 841-4221; DSN 948-4221; www.usnwc.edu/SEA