In Praise of the Noncoms by Robert Kaplan in today's LAT:

"Whether in New Orleans or Baghdad, at home or abroad, the real workhorses of our post-9/11 military have not come from among the generals and colonels, or even the captains and lieutenants, but from the enlisted ranks of sergeants and corporals."

"As any West Pointer or Annapolis-educated officer will tell you, these noncommissioned officers — NCOs or noncoms in military lingo — are the heart and soul of the U.S. military, the repository of its culture and traditions..."