The Noncommissioned Officer Guide
TC 7-22.7 is the NCO guide: the duties, responsibilities, and authority of noncommissioned officers, the NCO support channel, and the expectations at each grade. The August 2025 edition supersedes the January 2020 guide. It is required reading for anyone going before a promotion board.
Open the official record- Type
- TC
- Edition verified
- August 2025
- Used in
- LeadershipBoard Prep
What to take from it
- Describes the duties, responsibilities, and authority of NCOs at each grade.
- Explains the NCO support channel and how it parallels the chain of command.
- Covers the NCO role in training, standards enforcement, and Soldier development.
- Supersedes TC 7-22.7 dated 1 January 2020.
These points are our summary, written for recall. They are not a substitute for the publication and they will not cover everything a board can ask. Read the source.
Board questions from this publication
When was the noncommissioned officer corps born?
In 1775, with the birth of the Continental Army. The Army has had noncommissioned officers from its first day.
TC 7-22.7
What is the Blue Book and why does it matter to noncommissioned officers?
It is Baron Friedrich von Steuben's Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, published in 1779 after he drilled the Continental Army at Valley Forge. It was the Army's first standard manual and the first document to spell out the duties of noncommissioned officers.
TC 7-22.7
When was the position of Sergeant Major of the Army established, and who was the first to hold it?
The position was established in 1966. Sergeant Major of the Army William O. Wooldridge was the first, sworn in that July.
TC 7-22.7
Who wrote the NCO Creed, and when?
It was drafted in 1973 by the NCO Subcommittee of the Command and Leadership Committee at the U.S. Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. Sergeant First Class Earle Brigham is credited with starting it. It was first printed in Infantry School texts in 1974.
TC 7-22.7
What are the three types of duties an NCO performs?
Specified duties, which come from regulations, directives, and job descriptions; directed duties, which a leader assigns; and implied duties, which are not written down but must be done to support the mission and take care of Soldiers.
TC 7-22.7