Nearly 8,000 sergeants will be removed from the staff sergeant selection list unless they comply with a new rule that links E-6 promotion eligibility to the completion of the Structured Self Development-2 course.

SSD-2 replaced the common core phase of the Advanced Leader Course on Oct. 1.

The ALC common core course and SSD-2 ran simultaneously from June 1 through Sept. 30, and soldiers who completed the common core of ALC before Oct. 1 have met the promotion requirement.

However, sergeants only will receive promotion points in the military education section of the Promotion Point Worksheet when both the ALC common core or SSD-2 and the ALC technical resident phase are completed.

The 80-hour online SSD-2 not only is a requirement for E-6 promotion consideration, but is a prerequisite for attendance at the Advanced Leader Course, a resident training regimen that focuses on technical and specialty-specific topics appropriate for leaders in squads and platoons.

The new promotion requirement will apply to selection boards that meet in January to recommend sergeants of the Regular Army and the Army Reserve component of the Active Guard and Reserve for integration onto the E-6 lists that will apply to staff sergeant promotions in February and beyond.

During the transition to the new system, promotable sergeants — those soldiers who already have been integrated onto the E-6 list — must have credit for the common core phase of the Advanced Leader Course, or Structured Self-Development-2, no later than Jan. 8 to retain their promotable status.

Failure to comply with the new requirement by that date will result in automatic removal from the staff sergeant list.

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About 21,000 sergeants are in promotable status as of late December, according to information provided by the evaluation, promotions and selection division of the Human Resources Command.

Included in the total are 7,740 sergeants, or 37 percent of the soldiers on the E-6 list, who do not have credit for SSD-2, and who will be removed from the list Jan. 9 unless they complete the distance learning requirement by Jan. 8.

Soldiers who are removed from the list only can regain promotion eligibility by completing SSD-2, and being re-boarded and recommended for promotion by their chain of command.

The Structured Self Development system is a centrally managed set of common-core leadership and soldiering content that must be completed before attending the resident Warrior Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Senior Leader Course and Sergeants Major Course. The online courses each are 80 hours, and must be completed within two years.



The timeline for the deliberate, continuous, sequential and progressive process is:

• Upon completion of initial entry training, soldiers automatically will be enrolled in SSD-1, which is a prerequisite to attend the Warrior Leader Course. The WLC is limited to specialists and corporals. Privates first-class and below are not eligible to attend the WLC.

• Soldiers automatically are enrolled in SSD-2 upon completing WLC and promotion to sergeant. Completion of SSD-2 is a prerequisite to attend the Advanced Leader Course.

• Soldiers automatically are enrolled in SSD-3 upon completing ALC and promotion to staff sergeant.SSD-3 completion is a prerequisite to attend the Senior Leader Course.

• Soldiers automatically are enrolled in SSD-4 upon completion of SLC and promotion to sergeant first class.SSD-4 completion is a prerequisite to attend the Sergeants Major Course.

A new course, tentatively called the Master Leader Course, is under development and could be piloted in late fiscal 2015.The course would prepare soldiers for duty as master sergeants.

• Soldiers automatically are enrolled in SSD-5 upon promotion to sergeant major. SSD-5 completion is a prerequisite for assignment to nominative E-9 positions and joint duties.

The Structured Self Development courses are formally linked to promotions as follows:

SSD-1: required to be recommended for promotion to sergeant.

SSD-2: required to be recommended for promotion to staff sergeant.

SSD-3: required to be considered for promotion to sergeant first class.