Abstract
The role of a noncommissioned officer (NCO) in the Unites States Army (U.S. Army)
can be broad. Rank, duty title, and responsibilities often indicate the general expectations
of an NCO. However, it becomes incumbent upon that NCO’s supervisor (also referred to
as the rater) to provide purpose, motivation, and direction to outline specific expectations
and document the progress of the subordinate (also referred to as the rated soldier),
toward each goal throughout the rating period. The U.S. Army prescribes guidance for
raters to accomplish this expectation through the documented formal counseling process.
This cross-sectional study examined the experiences of U.S. Army senior NCOs enrolled
in the Noncommissioned Officer Leadership Center of Excellence (NCOL CoE)
Sergeant’s Major Course (SMC). The purpose of this Dissertation in Practice was to
identify some of the experiences of U.S. Army master sergeants regarding the
documented counseling processes and to determine what, if any, facilitators or barriers to
meeting the Department of the Army requirements may exist as part of this process. The
results provided a representation of how policy and or personal choice has influenced
decisions on procedures for providing documented formal counseling to rated NCOs and
offered recommendations for consideration to building on successes and working toward
viable, sustainable solutions for improvements.