The Army has expanded its temporary promotion policy to all NCOs, allowing those who are otherwise qualified to move up before completing the required professional military education.

This decision allows the Army to bridge the gap between training and promotion requirements, said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston.

“We want to make sure our best NCOs are being promoted while getting them to school as quickly as possible,” Grinston said on Twitter. “This allows us to better manage talent while we bridge the gap between training and promotion requirements.” 

Similar policies “tailored to their component” will be in place for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve, Grinston said as the Army struggles with a backlog at the various NCO schools.

“This is about talent management and promoting the best soldiers available,” Grinston reporters, according to Military.com. He added that the top reason enlisted troops are passed over for promotion is that they haven't attended the required schools, Military.com reported.

The change was effective Jan. 1 and runs through the 2022 calendar year. It is an extension of a previous announcement waiving the PME requirement for senior NCOs who had not yet graduated from the Master Leader Course, which is required for promotion to master sergeant.

That policy began Nov. 1, and it gives qualified soldiers up to a year to complete the required schooling. The same timeline will apply to other NCOs as well, and those who do not complete the required school before the one-year deadline will revert to their original rank. They will not be required to pay back any pay or allowances earned during that time, according to the Army.

The Army has had similar policies in the past as it tries to manage its enlisted population, including conditional promotions and temporary promotion for deployed troops. 

The temporary promotion policy works to ensure that no top performing soldiers will miss out on promotions for reasons beyond their control, Grinston said. It will be re-examined in September to determine if it should continue.

“Our goal is to develop every leader for promotion. The select-train-educate-promote system is the right way to do that,” Grinston said. “As we create an environment based on merit, we are going to make sure we get this right.”