Should a 4-year degree be a requirement for selection to E-9?

To answer the OP. YES. But I think the armed forces will have more success by offering more than a school option upon reenlist at least for soldiers who really want to pursue a degree while in service.

If you get a degree in underwater basket weaving it means just that... Jack and shit, I have had LT's with degrees in fashion and they were shit.

points guy. 998 points is a degree. smartass.

I think it should be a requirement. If one has over 20 years and with online degrees earning a degree should not be a problem and would help in their retirement as well if they are to work somewhere else. If college is not a predictor of leadership to a senior enlisted than it should not be a predictor for new officer. However to an NCO with good leadership record and college would raise the quality of the NCO Corps as well. Ask yourself, how many NCOs still have trouble writing up counseling, EERs or awards?

No. It's one thing to be in an administrative position (regular hours) and get a bachelors but it's altogether different if you're in a highly deployable position as I was. I started my Nursing Bachelors in 2001 (before 9/11; got my AA Nursing in '97) and couldn't finish it until after I retired in 2013.
BTW, who's the cutey in the middle?

Yes, absolutely this is the 21st century.

In industry, they "praise" performance and "promote" potential. Performance is your every-day good job...POTENTIAL is what ELSE you can do on top of that. It is a reasonable expectation that an E8-going-for-E9 would be furthering their education to demonstrate "potential" ... but the expectation that a degree should be in hand at that point takes away from the broad leadership refinement necessary for solid performance at the E9 grade level.

It never hurts to get more education. With the future of warfare in a Joint, Interagency, Multinational environment I see more of a need to think more broadly even at the NCO level. A four year degree or equivalent helps develop the thought processes to operate more effectively in those sensitive situations. What American Soldiers basically do has not changed a lot in the last 2238 years. How they are expected to do it, especially at Senior levels, has changed considerably in the last 20 years.

I don't know if a degree is the answer, but some college education should absolutely be required. The dumbest person I ever had to work for was a SGM in a Corp Support Command. He was the poster child for affirmative action. He had absolutely no talent and completely lacking in leadership. I would bet money he's one of the dumbest people to ever serve. I'm not slamming him, and I'm not berating him, just telling the truth. He's the result of a Cajun upbringing in Louisiana and a quasi-public education (he got through 9th grade). Louisiana is known to have the worst public schools in the country. Education isn't the “be all” that everyone gives it credit for. It will never replace experience, but it does give you a foundation to build on that you wouldn’t be able to without it. In my day, they were just starting to give consideration to people who had more education than others, but NCO's were NCO's, not Officers, and it was our job to get the work done and lead the troops, we weren’t political, except the SMA position. But SGM’s in a Corps level office who deal primarily with officers, should be able to hold his own intellectually. I earned my Associates before I pinned on E7, but then just didn’t have the time to continue my education in the Army, but as soon as I got out I finished my Bachelors, and went on to earn a Masters. Does it make me smarter, I think so, my average salary is in the 6 figures and I know that’s because of the education, and not because of my military experience.

I don't think it should. I do not think having an academic degree is any indication on a person's ability of being a good leader. I even question the requirement for commissions officers to have a 4-year degree.