,

2 February 2015.



b. AR 601-280 (Army Retention Program), 31 January 2006, Including

Rapid Action Revision issued 15 September 2011.



2. This directive revises Army promotion policy for enlisted Soldiers in

the Regular Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the

United States and US. Army Reserve. The development of an agile and

adaptive noncommissioned officer (NCO) requires an investment in

professional military education through a deliberate, continuous and

progressive lifelong process that synthesizes the knowledge, skills,

abilities and attributes the NCO gains through training, education and

experiences in the institutional, operational and self-development

domains. Education also provides learning experiences that are

academically, intellectually and personally challenging.



By linking structured self-development and the NCO Education System

(NCOES) to subsequent promotion, we better prepare NCOs for the

complexities of today’s operational environment while reinforcing the

benefits of a deliberate, continuous, sequential and progressive

professional development strategy. To ensure that we develop and

prepare our NCOs to fight and win in a complex world as adaptive,

agile leaders and trusted professionals, I direct the following changes.



3. Enlisted Soldiers must graduate the appropriate formal military

education course in NCOES before attaining eligibility for promotion

pin-on, as described in this directive.



a. Regular Army and US. Army Reserve Enlisted Soldiers



(1) Semi-Centralized Promotions (Sergeant and Staff Sergeant).

Beginning with the January 2016 promotion month, promotion pin-on to

sergeant requires graduation of the Basic Leader Course, and

promotion pin-on to staff sergeant requires graduation of the Advanced

Leader Course.



Soldiers on the recommended list who are not graduates of the

respective course will not be considered fully qualified for promotion

pin-on regardless of their accumulated promotion points. These

Soldiers will remain on the recommended list in a promotable status,

but they will not be selected for promotion pin-on until they become

fully qualified by completing the required course and a promotion

requirement exists.



