Is it required to do BLC before getting pinned for E5 or after?

2018-10-25T12:59:39-04:00

Is it required to do BLC before getting pinned for E5 or after? Any links would be great, I heard it was changed back roughly 3 months ago.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 1:00 PM

2018-10-25T13:00:49-04:00

Pin on requirement a/o Jan ‘18

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 1:02 PM

2018-10-25T13:02:20-04:00

Back in the day, PLDC was a requirement for E5 (back in 1998). I made E5 then later on transitioned to the Air Force, where I proudly wear my NCOPD ribbon from PLDC

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 1:05 PM

2018-10-25T13:05:14-04:00

As part of the STEP program it is a requirement for promotion.

Response by SGT Jim Ramge, MBA made Oct 25 at 2018 1:09 PM

2018-10-25T13:09:51-04:00

Has always been waiverable!

Response by CPL Dave Hoover made Oct 25 at 2018 1:11 PM

2018-10-25T13:11:21-04:00

Back in the day (1991), SPC and CPL's received 98% of the slots, today I believe it is required to pin on Sgt stripes.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 1:41 PM

2018-10-25T13:41:41-04:00

Are you referring to the Promotion Deferment? If you are, what this is about is if you are Promotable and cannot attend your required NCOES due to Medical, Compassionate, or Operational reasons, you can submit a 4187 requesting a deferment. Look in AR 350-1 Section 3-17 and on the HRC website for more information:

https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Exception%20to%20Policy%20for%20Promotion%20to%20Sergeant%20through%20Master%20Sergeant%20for%20Deferment%20of%20Professional%20Military%20Education

HRC Homepage

Toll-Free: 1-888-ARMY-HRC (1-888-276-9472) DSN: 983-9500 AskHRC

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 3:10 PM

2018-10-25T15:10:21-04:00

You need it before you pin on SGT

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 4:06 PM

2018-10-25T16:06:00-04:00

Yes it is.
And I will add, never should have been any different than that.
Train first, then promote.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 4:45 PM

2018-10-25T16:45:17-04:00

It was changed back to being a requirement. STEP isn't new, it's a reinstement of the old policy. The only thing that changed 3 months ago was an exception to allow deployed soldiers to delay it by a year.

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 8:24 PM

2018-10-25T20:24:33-04:00

With current regulations leadership school must be completed before pinning on new rank

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2018 8:56 PM

2018-10-25T20:56:26-04:00

Back in the early 70's, you had to have been identified with leadership skills before you got your E-5. No BLC

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Oct 25 at 2018 11:58 PM

2018-10-25T23:58:17-04:00

Before

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2018 9:29 AM

2018-10-26T09:29:53-04:00

Yes. Select, Train, Educate, Promote (STEP) was implemented in 2015, about six months before you entered the Guard. You may know E5's that were promoted prior to the new policy without BLC and possibly still have not attended. By this year they should have been barred or accepted a voluntary reduction back to E4 if they still have not attended BLC.
The current AR 600-8-19 was published in 2016. Table 7-1 shows the requirements to be considered for promotion in the Guard, table 7-4 shows the school you have to attend to pin on and the time limit to get it done.
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/r600-8-19_Web_FINAL.pdf
For example, an E4 in the Guard is selected for E5, he will sign a counseling statement that he understands that he has 24 months to complete BLC.
Once BLC is completed, you pin on E5. If BLC is not completed by 24 months, and there was no approved waiver, the E4 reverts back to non-promotable AND is no longer eligible to compete on a new promotion list until BLC is complete.
The good news is that BLC is only 3 weeks long and there are thousands of seats available to the Guard every year. And a Guard E4 can attend prior to being selected for promotion.

r600-8-19_Web_FINAL.pdf

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2018 10:07 AM

2018-10-27T10:07:43-04:00

I believe if you are in a deployed status, then you get be pinned without blc. Thats what ive heard

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2018 8:07 PM

2018-10-27T20:07:24-04:00

It is required, the change you heard of is an exception to policy. Only soldiers that are on deployment may be eligible, and that depends on their deployment. If they’re operationally deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq or another more kinetic environment, they would be more likely to get it than a rotation to Africa or Europe.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2018 10:40 PM

2018-10-27T22:40:33-04:00

Yes it is, as a part of the step program you will need to be selected for promotion and pinned as a CPL then you'll have to attend BLC before getting pinned as a SGT. It is possibly to go before being selected for a promotion then when you are eligible you will get your 5 right away but that all depends on your unit.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2018 8:12 AM

2018-11-02T08:12:41-04:00

You still have to attend BLC before getting picked up

Response by SGT Mark Estes made Nov 19 at 2018 12:52 PM

2018-11-19T12:52:52-05:00

When I was in it was called PLDC, I did mine before but others did after. So if it’s the same as in early 2000s you can do it after, you just can’t promote to E6 without it.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 7 at 2019 5:50 PM

2019-02-07T17:50:44-05:00

The requirement to complete BLC before getting E5 needs to be removed. That is a stupid requirement. E4 to E5 should be based on your promotion packet, but BLC should absolutely Not be required.