Promotion to Sergeant (E-5)
The Sergeant's Roles and Responsibilities
|
Army
Enlisted
Promotion Links |
|
|
The sergeant can be accurately described as "the point where the ax
meets the stone." Although not the lowest level of rank where command
is exercised, this level is the first at which enlisted soldiers are
referred to as sergeant, and of all the grades of the NCO, this one,
very possibly, has the greatest impact on the lower ranking soldiers.
It is the sergeant that the privates will look to for example.
As a sergeant, you will be responsible for your soldiers' individual training, personal appearance and cleanliness, and for insuring that:
Each member of your unit is trained to competency in their MOS as prescribed in the appropriate soldiers manual.
All the government property issued to members of your unit is properly maintained and accounted for at all times and discrepancies are promptly reported.
While on duty status, you are ready at all times to report to the location and activity of all the members of your unit.
Your unit is trained to function in its primary mission role. Your authority as the sergeant will be equal to that of any other grade or rank of the NCO.
The rank of sergeant is not a position for learning how to become a leader. As a new sergeant, you will be developing new skills, strengthening old ones and generally getting better, but you will be no less a professional than those grades of rank above you.
Information courtesy of U.S. Army
The Sergeant Promotion Process
 |
|
The sergeant can be accurately described as "the point where
the ax meets the stone."
|
|
Unlike the Privates, Specialists, (SPC) and Corporals (CPL) promotion
process, Field-grade commanders and the Department of the Army both
have a hand in the Army-wide competition for promotions to Sergeant
(SGT) and Staff Sergeant (SSG). The normal sequence from recommendation
to promotion to SGT and SSG follows.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements for Sergeant (E-5)
Time-in-service requirement is 36 months
(18 months for the secondary zone)
Time-in-grade requirement for is eight months as a CPL/SPC
(four months for those recommended in the secondary zone)
Must graduate the Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC)
Note: Soldiers in the secondary zone may appear before a promotion board with 16 months time-in-service and four months time-in-grade as of the first day of the board month.
Additionally soldiers competing for promotion to SGT or SSG must possess a:
- High School Diploma
- GED Equivalency
- An Associate or higher degree. Soldiers competing for promotion to SSG
The Command Recommendation
Your chain of command recommends for promotion. You may compete for promotion only in your career progression military occupational specialty (CPMOS), as outlined in AR 611-201.
Once recommended, you will compete Army-wide within your MOS. Your relative standing is determined by the points attained on an 800-point system.
Note: If you are in the primary zone for promotion and not selected for appearance before the board, you must be counseled in writing about why you were not selected to appear.
The Promotion Board
Once you're recommended, the battalion commander will convene a promotion board. Rules for conduct of the promotion board are found in AR 600-8-19.
The board determines if you should be recommended for promotion.
Based on your personal appearance, self-confidence, bearing, oral
expression and conversational skill, knowledge of world affairs,
awareness of military programs, and knowledge of basic soldiering
and attitude, the board may award you up to 150 promotion points.
The Promotion Points
|
Score Area
|
Source / Details
|
Maximum Points
|
|
Duty Performance
|
Unit Commander Evaluations
|
150
|
| Weapons |
Score ranges from 50 - 14, dependent
upon number of targets hit.
|
50
|
| Physical Readiness
|
Score ranges from 50 - 5 dependent on
AFPT score.
|
50
|
| Administrative Points |
400
|
| |
a. Awards
|
100 |
|
| |
b. Military Education
|
200 |
|
| |
c. Civilian Education
|
100 |
|
| Promotion Board |
150
|
| Total Possible Points |
800
|
Note: The minimum score for attaining recommended list status
for promotion to SGT is 350 points. The minimum score for attaining
recommended list status for promotion to SSG is 450.
The Selection Process
The Department of the Army (DA) sets monthly promotion points. Each month the DA establishes the total number of soldiers to be promoted based on budgetary and strength constraints. The number of promotions are allocated by primary military occupational specialty (PMOS) within these constraints. Department of the Army promotion cutoff scores are announced monthly.
After three months on the waiting list if your points meet or exceed DA established points (cutoff score), you will be promoted.
More Army Enlisted Promotions Systems
Staff Sergeant (E-6) |
  |
|
