The Edge R&D

The USASMA Technical Support Mission
The Edge R&D provides technical support to the USASMA by
developing high quality training material for the Noncommissioned
Officer Education System (NCOES) and NCO functional courses that
uses current doctrine and appropriate educational methodologies to
effectively prepare NCOs for positions of increasing responsibility in
future assignments. Our team provides training specialists as well as
technical and editorial personnel to support the Noncommissioned
Officer Education System (NCOES)—a progressive and sequential four-
tier course structure that is designed to train Soldiers how to lead at
varying levels of leadership. The courses break down as follows:

Warrior Leader Course (WLC)
The first step in Army leadership that teaches specialists and
corporals the basic skills needed to lead small groups

Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course (BNCOC)
An Army-job related course that teaches sergeants in combat arms,
combat support, and combat service support.
Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course (ANCOC)
An MOS-specific course for sergeants first class and promotable staff
sergeants to prepare sergeants first class to serve at installation
levels

Sergeants Major Course (SMC)
The capstone of NCOES, preparing new and prospective sergeants
major for their duties as senior NCOS in positions throughout the
Department of Defense and allied nation forces.

We also develop training material for the following various NCO
functional courses:
- First Sergeant Course (FSC)
- Battle Staff Noncommissioned Officer Course (BSNCOC)
- Command Sergeants Major Course (CSMC)
- Command Sergeants Major Spouse Seminar
- Sergeants Major International Course

Training material encompasses the following:
- Course Management Plans (CMPs)
- Programs of Instruction (POIs)
- Course Administrative Data (CADs)
- Training Support Packages (TSPs)—TSPs are primarily our focus at
the Academy, which are comprehensive, detailed lesson plans that
provide a narrative script for the instructor to teach each lesson in
NCOES courses. These lesson plans include visual aids, practical
exercises, and student handouts, which our technical writers must
develop.
- Test evaluation plans which include test administrative data, test
questions, and test answer keys.

United States Army Sergeants Major Academy

USASMA

The Edge

Research and Development