Qualified senior non-commissioned officers who want to compete for nominative command sergeant major and sergeant major assignments at the one- and two-star level again must "opt in" under rules that apply to the Centralized Selection List process for sergeants major, as well as officers competing for brigade and battalion command.
A referral list to be used to fill nominative active-component E-9 positions that become vacant in fiscal 2016 will be complied by a board that meets June 15-19.
NCOs placed on the board list will not be referred to selecting officials until they have completed at least 17 months' time in their current assignment as of the position vacancy date.
Once selected for a nominative assignment, NCOs will serve as the senior enlisted advisers to brigadier generals, major generals and Senior Executive Service officials. The standard tour for such assignments is 24 months.
However, soldiers serving in such positions incur a 30-month active duty obligation, with six of those months allowing for retirement transition if not selected for a follow-on nominative assignment. Soldiers with fewer than 32 years of service will be allowed to remain in the Army until they reach the retention control point for E9.
Under procedures introduced last year, soldiers who opt in for consideration will, if selected, be eligible for slating to all available billets, rather than select categories they have identified on a preference statement.
Command sergeants major and sergeants major who want to serve in a nominative position at the one- or two-star level must meet the following criteria:
- They must hold a professional development proficiency code of 7C (battalion-level CSM) or 7S (Initial-level CSM) when the command preference designator opens on April 27. Personnel officials recommend that NCOs update their codes no later than April 20.
- Have a basic active service date of March 30, 1985, or later, and an E9 date of rank of Dec. 16, 2012, or earlier.
- Opt in using the online command preference designator April 27-May 26. For specific details, consult MilPer Message 15-100, dated April 3.
- Command sergeant majors and sergeant majors with professional development code 7C are eligible for selection to nominative one- and two-star command sergeant major and sergeant major positions.
- Sergeants major with code 7S only are eligible for selection to one- and two-star sergeant major positions.
Soldiers who are now serving in a nominative position are eligible for selection without being boarded.
Because of projected requirements for fiscal 2016, all 7C-level command sergeants major in MOS 74D (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Specialist) and CMF 31 (Military Police) will be considered, without exception, by the June board.
In addition to compiling the position vacancy list, this board will conduct retention screenings for several hundred command sergeants major and sergeants major under the Qualitative Service Program.
The zone of vulnerability will include Regular Army and Active Guard and Reserve E-9s in select MOSs with dates of rank of June 16, 1985, and earlier, and basic dates of June 16, 2012, and later.
