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Professional military education: Guard and Reserve members

Senior NCO Academies

Air Force Senior NCO Academy. The academy is for senior master sergeants and those selected for promotion to E-8. Six times per year, it holds six-week classes that teach communication, leadership and management.

The Air National Guard sends 120 Guard members and the Air Force Reserve sends 96 reservists annually. Applications are handled by unit training coordinators. The school has an extension program for those unable to attend a resident course.

Contact: Call the Air National Guard liaison at (334) 416-1544; the Air Force Reserve liaison at (334) 416-1657; or visit the Air Force Senior NCO Academy at www.au.af.mil/au/cepme/ sncoa.

Army Sergeants Major Academy. This school at Fort Bliss, Texas, operates the oldest senior NCO course, the Sergeants Major Course. First sergeants and master sergeants selected for promotion attend this course.

Army National Guard and Army Reserve senior NCOs attend a two-year nonresident version of the course, which culminates in a two-week resident phase.

Contact: U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, 11291 Sgt. E. Churchill St., Fort Bliss, TX 79918-8002; (915) 568-8585; www.bliss.army.mil/usasma/ usasma.asp.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Academy. This school has locations in New London, Conn., and Petaluma, Calif. Between the two, classes convene 16 times a year. Class size is limited to 32. The course is for newly promoted E-7s.

Contact: Commandant (G-WTL-2), U.S. Coast Guard, 2100 Second St., SW, Washington, DC 20593-0001; (202) 267-0777; www.uscg.mil/hq/tcpet/cpoa/ index.shtm.

Marine Corps Staff Non-Commissioned Officers Academy. Formal professional military education for enlisted Marine reservists is available each summer at Camp Crowder, Mo. The three courses include the senior NCO advanced course for gunnery sergeants, the senior NCO career course for staff sergeants and the sergeants’ course for sergeants.

A pair of two-week courses runs annually for each level. Prior to attendance, the nonresident professional military education course required for each active-duty level must be completed.

Contact: Commanding Officer, Attn: Director, Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academy, HQSVC BN, 2006 Hawkins Ave., Quantico, VA 22134; (703) 784-2875 or (703) 784-2928; Camp Crowder administrative office: (417) 451-5394;www.mcu.usmc.mil/sncoa/ Crowder/index.cfm.

U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy. Located in Newport, R.I., the academy offers three formal professional military education courses.

The Senior Enlisted Academy resident course provides an eight-week curriculum. Command master chiefs, chiefs of the boat and other selected E-8s and E-9s from the Navy, Coast Guard, Army, Air Force and international navies make up the 65 students in each of the five classes annually.

A selection board convenes annually in January to review packages and select candidates. Students submit packages, with a strong endorsement.

The Senior Enlisted Academy Non-Resident Course consists of two classes annually. Students attend an initial kick-off weekend in Newport, then complete a 15-week distance learning curriculum. They then return to Newport to complete a two-week in-resident phase. Each class of 48 students is made up of drilling reservists, full-time support and regular sailors. Force Master Chiefs from the Naval Reserve and regular Navy select students biannually.

The Command Master Chief/Chief of the Boat course is two weeks long and has 10 classes scheduled annually. The course provides just-in-time education for all first tour CMC/COBs. Each class has 15 to 20 students.

Contact: Senior Enlisted Academy, Newport, RI 02841-1525; (401) 841-4221; www.npdc.navy.mil/cnl/sea/default.asp.