Revitalizing Military Scholarship: The NCO Journal and Contributing Editors

** Contact the authors if you are interested in exploring a contributing editor model for your journal. **

BG Foley and CSM Porras from Army University recognize SGM-A contributing editors, faculty members, and Students of Class 74 for their contributions to a culture of continuous learning.

The Army’s flywheel of learning spins faster when there’s a tight link between schools and their journals. When faculty serve as contributing editors for their journals, they draw on decades of experience and time as instructors to enhance military thought. Articles from the field benefit from scrutiny from our country’s best instructors, while those same instructors can spot and encourage the best thinkers from within the Academy to publish.  The whole Army benefits as editors help writers improve the clarity of their writing and improve communications skills. For these reasons, the Sergeants Major Academy has strengthened their link with the NCO Journal—a model that other centers of excellence should consider.  

Sergeants Major Academy (SGM-A) faculty members bring valuable expertise and insights to the role of editors for the NCO Journal. Besides teaching at the academy, SGM-A faculty dedicate themselves to the detailed work of editing submissions for the NCO Journal, demonstrating their steadfast commitment to the professional growth of NCOs. Their deep understanding of the NCO Corps allows them to enhance relevant and practical content for the journal. These editors, evaluate the originality and relevance of submissions in relation to the professional development of the NCO Corps and the Army profession. Whether the article is selected for publication or not, faculty editors offer insightful feedback to authors. This constructive feedback amplifies the clarity, depth, and importance of the authors’ arguments, observations, insights, and suggestions. Working together, they elevate good writing to professional writing, linking ideas, experience, and application to a community of interest, thereby fortifying the Profession of Arms.

NCO Journal’s contributing editors help publish the best papers. For example, Master Sergeant Jason G. Picket authored and submitted the first article by an SGM-A student, which was subsequently edited and published under this partnership. His article argued that “while the ACFT serves as a valuable tool for assessing Soldiers’ physical performance, there is a growing recognition that its scoring system raises ethical concerns.” MSG Picket sought guidance from his instructor and diligently worked on improving the article’s structure, tone, and overall quality. After submission, the assigned editor collaborated with him to fine-tune clarity and messaging. Throughout this process, MSG Pickett demonstrated remarkable patience as we refined our processes, transitioning from grading writing assignments to editing for a professional journal. The article’s journey from submission to publication spanned 33 days, including the two-week winter break. The discussions and debate that this article inspired validated the significance of this partnership. Soldiers and leaders from across the US Army discussed and debated this article on several social media forums and was ultimately featured on the NCO Journal Podcast.

As this example shows, the associate editor model works. Since November 2023, the SGM-A editors have been actively reviewing articles, with approximately 30 already approved for publication and an equal number awaiting improvements. Their instructors and editors, through their service, embody the NCO Corps’ values of scholarship, mentorship, and leadership. Correspondingly, unpublished articles in the NCO Journal receive constructive feedback and mentorship to improve writing skills. Additionally, editors may also encourage authors to explore other reputable publications, thereby ensuring a broader dissemination of valuable insights.

Senior leaders too have recognized the contributions of the NCO Journal’s associate editors. In March 2024, Brigadier General David C. Foley, Deputy Commandant of the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) and Provost for the Army University, recognized the significant contributions made by the SGM-A faculty and students. During this ceremony, five faculty members received Silver and Bronze Pen Awards, while seven students from Class 74 were honored with Iron Pen Awards. The Golden Pen Award and the Order of the Iron Pen programs inspire faculty and senior leader student writing, fostering authorship, and contributing to a culture of continuous learning.

This innovative alliance between the NCO Journal and the Sergeants Major Academy presents an opportunity to spin the Army’s learning flywheel faster across all of the Army’s Centers of Excellence. By integrating seasoned instructors from branch schools or leaders across the force, we can enrich branch journals. This collaborative effort promises to usher in a new era of mentorship, authorship, and excellence in professional military education. By fostering partnerships across the Army University, we can elevate discourse standards and empower leaders to shape the future of our profession.

Ultima Strong!

SGM Jorge A. Rivera volunteers as a contributing editor in support of the NCO Journal, serves as a senior instructor at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, and is an adjunct instructor in homeland security at Mary Baldwin University. Jorge Rivera holds master’s degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso and Syracuse University. He uses his background and interests to write on leadership and national security issues.

SGM Sean T. McCracken is a senior Armor NCO, currently assigned as an instructor at the Sergeants Major Academy and volunteers as a contributing editor for the NCO Journal. He has held leadership positions from Team Leader through Squadron CSM. He holds a master’s degree from Syracuse University and is a doctoral student at Baylor University pursuing a EdD with a focus on learning and organization change.