The NCO corps was slowing re-establishing itself after what happened in Vietnam. By the end of the seventies a lot of the damage had been undone. I was lucky too and worked with some damn fine NCO's.
I remember signing for firing pins when we signed out our weapons from the arms room. Same for radio batteries. All of our rolling stock was dogged out, beat up leftovers from Vietnam. If we rolled out the gate to the field with 70% of our people and equipment, it was a good day. Battalions took turns borrowing each others’ soldiers and equipment to conduct their annual ARTEPs. We were damned glad when Reagan became President, although it took several years before we saw real changes in equipment, training, etc...