In April 1997, RAND and the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy conducted a noncommissioned officer (NCO) leader development workshop. The workshop's objective was to identify the assumptions that underpin the Army's current NCO leader development mechanisms and to evaluate the robustness of those assumptions as the Army moves into the 21st century. The workshop developed a set of recommendations and areas that warrant further research. This report presents findings concerning NCO retention and other personnel policy practices.