Sergeants School ... Legacy Through Leadership
by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jackson Ricker
May 12, 2026

Leadership is not a billet or a rank. It is a skill developed through feedback, repetition, and experience.

For noncommissioned officers attending the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy’s Sergeant School on Okinawa, that development takes place in a controlled and demanding learning environment, where Marines and ally service members refine the fundamentals of small-unit leadership through academic rigor, physical and mental grit, and iterative feedback from peers and instructors alike.

Many service members arrive at the course with a strong foundation in their military occupational specialties but limited formal experience leading Marines. Sergeant School bridges that gap by focusing on the core responsibilities of an NCO. Leading, mentoring and making decisions under pressure.

“I believe Sergeant School starts off as a refresher of the basics for the sergeant of Marines,” said Gunnery Sgt. Julio Gote Mendoza, a leadership and warfighting instructor with the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Okinawa, Japan.

“Sergeant School affords them the opportunity to enhance those deficiencies that they may have and create a leadership laboratory where they can exercise things that they haven’t practiced on a day-to-day basis, like drill and counseling sessions,” he said. “It allows them to really get into the warfighting mentality and better understand modern warfare and the threats that exist today.”

Throughout the course, students are placed in scenarios that require them to exercise decentralized decision-making, communicate effectively and take ownership of mission accomplishment and their Marines’ welfare. Instructors evaluate performance in real time, providing immediate feedback designed to build confidence and competence in leadership roles.

The curriculum emphasizes warfighting principles rooted in lessons learned from past conflicts. Lessons that have shaped the Marine Corps into a disciplined and adaptable fighting force. By reinforcing these fundamentals, the course strengthens the ability of NCOs to operate independently while contributing to a larger mission.

“The Marine Corps combat mindset is a concept that does not exist in the JGSDF,” said a member of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force who attended the course. “For example ... applying warfighting philosophy to the forefront and overcoming friction in many different situations. Those are not concepts in the JGSDF.”

“I think that is part of the Marine Corps’ legacy, built through real combat experience,” he added.

The impact of Sergeant School extends beyond the Marine Corps. The course routinely includes service members from other U.S. military branches as well as allied and partner nations, fostering a shared understanding of leadership and small-unit tactics. By training together, Marines and their international counterparts build mutual trust and a common approach to leadership - one that enhances combined effectiveness in future operations.

Leadership laboratories allow Marines, allies and partners to test and hone their craft as leaders within the profession of arms. Sergeant School reinforces a simple but critical idea: effective leadership is not assumed with rank. It is continuously developed, tested and refined.

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