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E-5, E-6 promotions slated to dip in May

May will be a downer for noncommissioned officer promotions in the active component, with only 2,515 advancements being scheduled to the ranks of sergeant through sergeant major.

The May promotion plan authorized by the Army in cutoff scores and senior NCO sequence numbers, is about 500 fewer than in April, and well below the monthly average of 4,250 projected for fiscal 2009.

NCO promotions tend to vary widely throughout the year as they are based on actual and projected vacancies in career fields and specialties, and must be scheduled within the parameters off the Army's personnel budget.

All total, there will be five promotions to sergeant major, 24 to master sergeant, 343 to sergeant first class, 603 to staff sergeant, and 1,540 to sergeant.

Promotions to sergeant major will be made from the 2008 list, and will reduce that roster to 579 names. A new board meets in June.

Advancements to master sergeant will reduce the 2008 list to 2,462 names, and the February 2009 sergeant first class list to 8,125 names.

May promotions to sergeant and staff sergeant will go to soldiers in a pool of 18,735 eligible specialists and corporals, and 17,332 promotable sergeants who were placed on selection lists before April 10, and who meet or exceed the cutoff scores for May.

There would be additional promotions to both these ranks if more soldiers in chronically short-handed specialties called “STAR MOS” were on unit selection lists. As of mid-April, there were 12 STAR MOS for sergeant, and nine for staff sergeant.

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