During 23 years in the Army - much of it in the elite ranks of the 75th Ranger Regiment - Jeff Struecker saw combat in Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan, but nothing compared to the infamous October 1993 gunfight through the streets of Mogadishu. Soldiers determined unfit by the DES but approved for continuation on active duty or continuation in the active reserve may be recommended for promotion consideration, selection and pin-on.FORT BENNING, Ga.

While in the DES, soldiers will not be required to maintain their PT test or weapons qualification for the purpose of promotion eligibility or pin-on.

Army continues to authorize promotion consideration and pin-on for soldiers who are pending a medical fitness determination under the Physical Disability Evaluation System.Life expectancy, as determined by medical authorities, must be 12 months or less. Hospitalization for such soldiers must be based on disease/injury received in line of duty. The approval authorities for advancements to the senior NCO ranks are the commander of the Human Resources Command for RA soldiers, Regional Support Command or general officer commanders for Army Reserve soldiers, and certain senior-level commanders for National Guard soldiers. In such cases, the approval authority for advancements to sergeant and staff sergeant is the commander of the local medical facility for Regular Army and Army Reserve soldiers, the state adjutant general for federalized National Guard soldiers and the director of the Army National Guard for Title 10 Guard soldiers. Army continues to authorize the conditional promotion of terminally ill soldiers who are on standing selection lists.The STEP schooling requirements will be waived. MIA soldiers in the ranks of staff sergeant through first sergeant who meet the time-in-service and time-in-grade requirements for promotion will be included in the zones of consideration for promotion to sergeant first class through sergeant major. However, the STEP education requirements for promotion will be waived for soldiers who are declared missing. Once declared missing for a period of 60 days, soldiers in the ranks of private through sergeant will be promoted to the next higher rank upon reaching the time-in-service and time-in-grade requirement for that rank without a waiver. Army continues to authorize promotions for soldiers who are declared 'missing in action.'.Soldiers can be conditionally promoted to sergeant or staff sergeant under this policy if they have not completed the Basic Leader Course and or Advanced Leader Course. However, to retain their stripes the soldiers must complete the BLC or ALC within 270 days after redeployment to home station. The number of soldiers awarded these very special promotions ebbs and flows annually with the number of troopers deployed into combat zones.įor example, in fiscal 2015 there were 24 battlefield promotions to staff sergeant, and 55 to sergeant, for a total of 79, according to tracking data maintained by the Army.īy comparison there were 569 battlefield promotions - 182 to staff sergeant and 387 to sergeant - in 2009, a high tempo year in which 164,200 soldiers were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sergeant first class stripes