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Army NCO Creed 2023

NCO Creed Army

The NCO Creed is a set of beliefs and principles that guide the behavior and actions of Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) in the United States Army.

The NCO Creed is important as it highlights the Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) responsibilities & privileges. It also outlines their commitment to excellence, leadership, and professionalism in serving the nation.

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Words of the Army Non Commissioned Officers Creed

No one is more professional than I. I am a Non-Commissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Non-Commissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time-honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army.” I am proud of the Corps of Non-Commissioned 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.

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 Non-Commissioned 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.

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking 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, Non-Commissioned Officers, leaders!

What are the Non-Commissioned Officers core values?

The NCO has a set of core values that guide the behavior and actions of NCOS in the Army. The Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) core values are as follows:

Loyalty: Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) are expected to be loyal to their country (USA), the Army, and their fellow soldiers in the military.

Duty: Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) will fulfill their duties and responsibilities to the best of their abilities and always put the mission’s and fellow soldiers’ needs first.

Respect: Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) will treat their fellow military men with respect & dignity, regardless of their rank or position in the Army

These Army core values are the foundation of the Army’s NCO Corps and help define NCOs’ roles in the Army.

How do you memorize NCO Creed?

Given the importance of the noncommissioned officer creed, the soldiers need to memorize it. Below are some of the ways you can remember it

  1. Write down the NCO creed

     Writing it out by hand and sticking it on your desk or room helps reinforce the information in your mind.

  2. Try to read the NCO creed repeatedly once or twice a day

    Read the Creed frequently until you can recite it without looking at the text.

  3. Break down the creed into small sections and memorize each section individually

    Once you have each section learned, try to recite the entire NCO creed.

  4. Visualize the creed in your mind and imagine each word as you recite it

    These will help cement the words in your memory.

  5. Recite the creed with your fellow serviceman or woman

    Reciting it with fellow soldiers can help you memorize it more effectively.

Within the army, there is also the ranger creed which highlights the values and virtues that every ranger must abide by in their duty to their country and fellow soldiers.

Tips for Army Non-Commissioned Officers

In addition to knowing the creed of a non-commissioned officer, young NCOs should carry themselves with dignity and respect. Below are some tips for new NCOs: 

NCO Creed: Accountability

My first tip for new NCOs is to make accountability their number one priority. You should know where your soldiers are at all times and where they are going. Accountability to your soldiers is number one for a new noncommissioned officer. 

NCO Creed: The Leader’s Book

The next tip is a leader’s book. Every new NCO should have a leader’s book. You need to have a leader’s book, whether that book is in a binder or has a lot of details and is on your phone.

NCO Creed: Pay Issues

The next tip is on pay issues. As a new non-commissioned officer, you are accountable for three to five soldiers on your team and take care of their finances. Their financial issues are your financial issues; your soldiers deserve that money just like you do. Per the non commissioned officer creed, “My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind – accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers.”

The NCO Creed: The Soldier’s Goal

Next, know your soldier’s goals. You only have one to four soldiers on your team, and as a new NCO, you should know their personal and work-related goals and all of their goals. Knowing their goals will help you facilitate them with the squad leaders and platoon officers. Knowing their goals is part of a leader’s job as per the noncommissioned officer’s creed: “All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership.”

NCO Creed: Failure 

As for myself, I was a young NCO once too, and the one thing I could tell the old me from the new me was that you’re going to fail. As a young NCO, you’re going to fail at something. You might fail a mission, fail to report, etc. Hold a high standard for yourself; I’m all about that. But make sure that you take care of your mentality when you fail something, that you can bounce back, and that you learn something from your failure.

NCO Creed: Talk to your soldiers.

As a young NCO, you cannot be afraid to tell your soldiers you don’t have all the answers. Sometimes I’m not 100 percent sure about something. Don’t be afraid to tell them that you don’t have all the answers. 

As an NCO, it’s your job to get them to the answer. Not always have every single answer. As a leader, communication matters, per the army non commissioned officer creed: “I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed.”

Army NCO Creed: Training

As a non-commissioned officer, it’s your responsibility to train your soldiers. Train your soldiers on everything you know. Give them all of your knowledge. Train them every single day.

NCO Creed: Check up on your soldiers.

Now, one good habit you could start creating is that when your soldiers are on a mission, call them. Periodically call them and check up on them. Ask if they are being fed. Are they being housed? Are they being taken care of? Are they doing what they’re on a mission to do? 

Call them and make sure they’re okay. Remember, their health and welfare, their accountability—that’s you. Placing your needs above theirs is a crucial part of the Army NCO creed: “I know my soldiers, and I will always place their needs above my own.”

NCO Creed: Be Available

Now, one of the best things you can do as a new NCO is get involved in your team’s work. Once you transition from a specialist to a sergeant or a corporal and move into those NCO ranks, don’t lose track that you’re still a human. You’re still a soldier. So please do what you can as a team leader and as a sergeant to work with your team, whether it’s a detail, a duty, whatever, ammunition duty, shoot, shake out, etc.; get in there with them, and don’t let the pride of being a non-commissioned officer drive you.

NCO Creed: Balance being a friend and a leader.

Now, something that will take time for you to learn as a young NCO is when to swing a hammer and when to be friends with your soldiers. You have to have the ability to create that switch and do both. So for you, the tip is to discipline your soldiers when it’s time to discipline them. Take corrective action and discipline your soldiers when they do something wrong. 

Don’t get all spun up on the fact that you need them to like and love you and want to be around you; you can’t do that by disciplining them. They’ll respect you for holding them accountable, but remember to be fair in your punishment. This is quite clear in the army creed of a non-commissioned officer: “I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.”

NCO Creed: Education

Now, onto schools. For you, as an E1 to E5, that’s your time to go to schools such as Airborne and Aerosol, have fun, and do it. Expand your knowledge, expand your leadership, and expand your growth. 

But as an E5, focus on what school you should attend and why you should go to this school. You need to start thinking about schools with master’s programs in them. Master resiliency trainer, master fitness trainer, etc.—these are the schools where you could return to your company, put a program in place, and be a part of growing a culture of success and stability. That’s where you’re going to have an impact. 

It’s all about what you do when you go to that school and bring it back to your company and your team, where you can train them.

NCO Creed: Care

The last tip for a new NCO is to take care. If you care, you will have everything you need in the United States military. So take care of yourself, your soldiers, your platoon, and your company. Care about everything; if you do that, out of all the tips I gave you today, that’s the most important one.

George N.
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