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NCO promotions bounce back big

NCO promotions will stage a late-summer rally in August, with 6,727 active-component soldiers slated to advance to the ranks of sergeant through sergeant major.

The monthly promotion plan reflected in cutoff scores and sequence numbers is the largest since October 2008, and nearly six times greater than the record low of only 1,137 promotions in July.

Noncommissioned officer promotions have been in a slump since February as the number of soldiers available for promotion has exceeded requirements.

Separations and retirements this summer have generated additional requirements, which is expected to improve promotion totals for August and September, the final two months of the fiscal year.

Senior NCO sequence numbers for August authorize five promotions to sergeant major from the June 2008 list; 519 to master sergeant from the August 2008 list; and 1,049 to sergeant first class from the February 2009 list.

Cutoff scores authorize 2,259 promotions to staff sergeant and 2,895 to sergeant.

These soldiers will come from a pool of 19,446 promotable sergeants and 22,431 promotable corporals and specialists.

Additional promotions for both these ranks would have been authorized if more soldiers in shortage specialties, called STAR MOSs, had been recommended and boarded for promotion by their chain of command.