CMC Directs Overhaul of PLA Sergeant Academies for Combat Readiness

Approved by China's Central Military Commission, the General Office of the CMC has issued a formal directive to modernize and reform the country's sergeant academies. Structured into five sections and 18 articles, the guideline seeks to align non-commissioned officer training with frontline combat requirements, clarify the institutional roles of specialized military schools, and deepen instructional reforms across the People's Liberation Army.

Sergeants and non-commissioned officers form the technical and tactical backbone of modern military formations, operating and maintaining advanced weapon systems. By issuing top-level guidelines for sergeant academies, the PLA leadership aims to professionalize enlisted talent development and bridge persistent gaps between classroom theory and real-world combat environments.

Approved by China's Central Military Commission (CMC), the General Office of the CMC has issued the "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Sergeant Academies," according to a report published by the PLA Daily. The document outlines a comprehensive framework to modernize the education and institutional positioning of non-commissioned officer (NCO) academies across the armed forces. The directive comprises 18 articles organized across five main sections. It sets forth the overall requirements for sergeant academy development, emphasizes ideological and political grounding, clarifies the precise institutional positioning of these schools, deepens pedagogical and curriculum reform, and targets enhanced training support for operational combat readiness. According to the state military publication, the document is explicitly guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military and the military educational principles for the new era. It stresses four primary operational requirements: adhering to political military building as the guiding principle, ensuring deep coupling between combat and teaching, advancing innovation-driven development, and pursuing systematic, coordinated institutional growth. The release is framed by military authorities as an essential measure to execute the Central Military Commission's broader deployment for deepening military academy reform. The guideline seeks to accelerate the training of high-caliber sergeant personnel, aiming to promote high-quality, substantive development across the PLA's enlisted training institutions. Non-commissioned officers and sergeants represent the technical foundation and tactical core of frontline units, bearing direct responsibility for operating and maintaining advanced weapons platforms. The initiative reflects an ongoing push by Beijing to address persistent mismatches between formal military classroom instruction and modern battlefield conditions. As the PLA continues to field digitized and integrated weapon systems, the role of professional sergeants has expanded from traditional squad leadership to sophisticated technical management, requiring systemic updates to foundational military education.