Warrior Class - NATO troops develop leadership skills

INNSWORTH, United Kingdom - Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps hosted Exercise ARRCADE LEADER April 24-25, a two-day leadership seminar held for multinational non-commissioned officers across the headquarters.

LEADER began at the National Army Museum in London, looking through the history of the British Army and reflecting on leadership lessons throughout the ages. After the museum was the Churchill War Rooms, a look into the life and times of one of the great leaders of WWII, Winston Churchill.

"As the leadership development committee began, our first session was to get the NCOs together and ask them how they wanted to develop their leadership in the headquarters,” said UK Staff Sergeant Amy O’Hara. "They wanted guest speakers to come in, they wanted to get out and see leadership in the real world so that’s what we thought we’d do with this two-day study period.”

The second day of LEADER was at the Imjin Briefing Centre, where the NCOs were briefed by two of the British Army Ice Maidens, the first-ever all-female team to cross Antarctica and two members of Gloucester Rugby. Day two concluded with a presentation by UK WO1 Sarah Cox, WO1 Leadership at the Centre for Army Leadership and a practical exercise, testing what the NCOs have learned over the two days.

"In the past, leadership has been seen as an officers' sport, so to get out and see soldiers doing leadership, developing their leadership skills and their knowledge of leadership, I think it's been fantastic,” she said. "What HQ ARRC have done over the last two days with its NCOs is really fantastic to hear."

Story by Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Public Affairs Office