← NCO LEADER TOOLKIT
// A PLAIN-LANGUAGE WALKTHROUGH OF ARMY TRAINING AND LEADER DEVELOPMENT
2025 Overhaul Domains & Governance Leader Education Records & Admin
This regulation just had its biggest rewrite since 2017. The updated AR 350-1 published 1 June 2025 — the first major overhaul of the mandatory training program in eight years — and it deliberately cut both length and requirements. If you learned the old version, don't assume it still applies; several long-standing training programs were removed outright. Verify current chapter numbers and command supplements before relying on specifics.
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THE 2025 OVERHAUL
A deliberate cut, not a routine update — smaller document, fewer mandatory tasks, more discretion pushed down to commanders.
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Smaller, Leaner Document
Cut from 250+ pages down to roughly 130 — the first major overhaul of the mandatory training program since 2017.
  • Mandatory training tasks reduced from 24 down to 17
  • Stated goal: remove administrative burden so Soldiers can focus on essential warfighting skills
  • Driven by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George's push to cut mandatory training time, a priority since September 2023
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Programs Removed
A few long-standing requirements didn't survive the cut — check before assuming they're still mandatory.
  • Resilience training and Structured Self-Development were scrapped, described as "outdated"
  • Chapters on Culture and Language, and the Distributed Learning Program, were deleted
  • Requirements for the Home Station Master Plan, Army Training Strategy, and Army Leader Development Strategy were removed
  • Training Support System content was trimmed — the regulation now points to other publications instead of covering it in depth
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More Commander Discretion
Commanders gained more flexibility to scale certain training areas rather than following a fixed HQDA template.
  • Areas cited include CBRN, Combat Lifesaver, safety/occupational health, Law of War, and Code of Conduct training
  • Intent: free up time for unit-specific, mission-focused readiness training
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AFT Renamed Throughout
Every reference to the Army Combat Fitness Test was updated to Army Fitness Test, incorporating Army Directive 2025-06.
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TRAINING DOMAINS & GOVERNANCE
Where training happens, and who steers Army-wide training policy.
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Institutional Domain
Army centers and schools — initial training plus functional and professional military education for Soldiers, leaders, and Army Civilians.
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Operational Domain
Training that happens in units — the day-to-day readiness-building that units and commanders own directly.
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Self-Development Domain
What individual Soldiers and Army Civilians pursue on their own to grow — one of three domains working together under ADP 7-0.
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Training General Officer Steering Committee (TGOSC)
Meets quarterly to identify issues, set priorities, and make synchronized recommendations to Army senior leaders on training and leader development.
  • Councils of Colonels and subordinate workgroups/committees/boards support the TGOSC by framing issues
  • The 3-star-level TGOSC gives a back-brief to Army senior leaders on outcomes
  • Related forums: the Senior Leader Readiness Forum and the Senior Enlisted Training and Leader Development Conference
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Who Owns This Regulation
The Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7 is the proponent, with authority over HQDA-level approval of training requirements.
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Who's Responsible for Training
By law (10 USC 7013(b)(5)), the Secretary of the Army is responsible for training all Army forces, including those assigned to combatant commands. Unit commanders own their unit's training proficiency and certify readiness.
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LEADER EDUCATION SYSTEMS
The course pipeline for NCOs, officers, and warrant officers.
PopulationCourse Structure
NCO Education System (NCOES)Advanced Leaders Course (ALC) and Senior Leaders Course (SLC) — renamed from the older BNCOC/ANCOC naming
Officer Education System (OES)Basic Officer Leaders Course A and B (BOLC A/B) — restructured from the earlier BOLC I/II/III model
NCO Professional Development System (NCOPDS)Includes structured self-development, the Master Leader Course, and the Nominative Leaders Course
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Army University
Codified within this regulation, covering areas like student dismissals, deferments, and how evaluation systems interact with schooling.
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Select-Train-Educate-Promote
The enlisted career-management concept referenced here ties directly into how promotion, education, and experience are sequenced together (same concept referenced in AR 600-8-19).
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RECORDS & ADMINISTRATION
How training gets tracked, and how commands can adjust the baseline.
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Digital Training Management System (DTMS)
The system of record for training data — both individual and unit training records are maintained here.
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Command Supplementation
Army commands, Army service component commands, and direct reporting units are authorized to supplement AR 350-1 with additional command-directed requirements.
  • The goal is a single source for training/education requirements across the command
  • Establishing new local forms still requires prior approval from DCS, G-3/5/7 (DAMO-TR)
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Waivers
Commanders and senior leaders endorse waiver requests, which are forwarded up through higher headquarters to the policy proponent — see AR 25-30 for the specific process.