Zambia Army strengthens NCO development through new professional military education course

LUSAKA, Zambia — The Zambia Army, with support from the U.S. Army, is strengthening its noncommissioned officer corps through a new Professional Military Education course designed to prepare junior leaders for greater responsibility and improve integration between officers and enlisted personnel during operations.

The Corporal Strategic Course, developed at the Military Training Establishment of Zambia (MILTEZ), builds on previous corporals' courses by combining leadership development with tactical training. The course introduces leadership concepts traditionally taught to officers, giving junior NCOs greater responsibility while preparing them to lead alongside officers.

Zambia Army Col. Erwin Mumbi, former Wing Commander of MILTEZ and one of the leaders who helped develop the CSC, said the course was created to better prepare junior leaders for today's operational environment.

"This course provides a foundation for soldiers to take on greater responsibility alongside officers," said Mumbi. "Leaders must be responsible for their decisions, their soldiers and the mission."

After the Zambia Army developed the course, the U.S. Army, through U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the 7th Army Training Command, conducted a curriculum assessment and knowledge exchange before the first CSC began.

The assessment team recommended standardizing lesson plans, increasing senior NCO involvement in instruction and mentorship, expanding the use of qualified subject-matter experts and incorporating counseling techniques into the curriculum. Zambia took those recommendations and several are currently being implemented.

“Our initial assessment was vague because we had no idea what to expect,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Troy Bradshaw, the plans, operations and training sergeant major (G357), SETAF-AF. “However, we quickly learned that an incredible amount of work and preparation from the command [MILTEZ] and instructors had gone into developing the course, which was truly impressive."

Throughout the course, officers and corporals trained together during command post exercises and a two-week field training exercise, conducting tactical and counterinsurgency operations in realistic training scenarios.

Training together was new for both officers and enlisted personnel. As the FTX progressed, they adapted to one another's responsibilities and developed a better understanding of how officers and NCOs work together from planning through execution.

The experience also showed the value of giving junior NCOs greater responsibility while allowing officers to work more closely with the NCOs leading formations.

"This is the first time soldiers and officers have trained together at this level during exercises," said Mumbi. "It brings out the true nature of leadership."

The course reflects Mumbi's own leadership philosophy, shaped by nearly three decades of military service. A third-generation soldier, he drew inspiration from his grandfather, who served during World War II, and his father, a Zambia Army officer. He earned his commission in 1997 and continues to serve in leadership positions throughout the Zambia Army.

His time serving along Zambia's borders and during a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone also influenced the course. Those experiences reinforced the importance of trust between officers, NCOs and the soldiers they lead.

"The men really make you," said Mumbi. "They shape your leadership because you learn to depend on them, and they depend on you."

Giving junior NCOs more responsibility early in their careers and bringing officers and NCOs together in the same training environment, the course prepares future leaders to work together more effectively.

The Zambia Army will refine the CSC through future iterations. Through ongoing military-to-military engagements, SETAF-AF and 7th ATC continue to support the Zambia Army with PME resources, mentorship and curriculum development as the course expands.