MSG David K. Thuma Noncommissioned Officer Academy

The Master Sergeant David K. Thuma Noncommissioned Officer Academy (NCOA) serves as the premier generating force for implementation, design, and development for the Basic Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Senior Leader Course, and Master Leader Course, ensuring the highest quality of training, education and professional development for all ARSOF NCOs.

The USAJFKSWCS NCOA is accredited and recognized by TRADOC and U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy as an Institution of Excellence. The USAJFKSWCS NCOA prepares Soldiers for the rank of sergeant through master sergeant and conducts NCOES in three distinct ARSOF career management fields.

The NCOA trains all CMF 18 (SF), 37 (PO), and 38 (CA) series Soldiers who have not completed Basic Leader Course prior to attending their training pathways. Soldiers receive leadership, situational, and physical-fitness training to prepare them for the rigors and requirements to successfully complete their ARSOF training pathway. NCOA facilitators are precision-focused on preparing Soldiers to develop a winning mindset and mentor them to understand their future role as an ARSOF warrior and leader through academic excellence.

The USAJFKSWCS ARSOF Basic Leader Course is a stand-alone course and is fully accredited by USASMA as meeting and exceeding Army Basic Leader Course standards. Soldiers will be enrolled in DLC-2 upon the start of their training pathway and Advanced Leader Course (complete) credit is awarded upon successful completion of CA and SF training pathway.

The USAJFKSWCS NCOA also trains AC CMF 37 series Soldiers in Advanced Leader Course requirements. The Advanced Leader Course prepares these NCOs to return to their units and effectively operate as a member of their detachment and is another foundational block in their NCOES training.

The CMF 18, 37, and 38 Senior Leader Courses last six weeks to allow for a combined unconventional warfare exercise for all NCOs of these CMFs assigned to special operations units. The NCOA continues to collaborate with special operations CA, PO, and SF unit command sections and the branch proponency offices, and will continue to evolve to meet and exceed U.S. Army and ARSOF leadership requirements.

The Master Leader Course is a 19-day course that fills the gap in professional military education between the Senior Leader Course and the Sergeants Major Course. The Master Leader Course challenges and educates select ARSOF Sergeants First Class to lead their organizations to fight and win in complex operational environments. Master Leader Course provides the requisite knowledge, competencies, and leadership skills to effectively perform the vast array of duties and responsibilities required of an ARSOF master sergeant or first sergeant.

The USAJFKSWCS NCOA is one of the only NCOAs to fully implement the Army Learning Model into NCOES. The NCOA produces a more adaptive, flexible, and intuitive NCO who is capable of performing and leading in the most challenging of environments. The NCOA continues to be at the forefront, using combinations of emerging technologies, experiential learning, student-centered, peer-to-peer interaction, and ALM classroom instruction to achieve results.