Should promotion from PFC to SPC be automatic?

It is supposed to be automatic. Your S1 probably lost some paperwork.

In my opinion SPC rank should be earned as it has some added responsibility, but I'm not in charge.

No, not in my opinion. There may be an allocation issue... That is, all the positions/slots may be full... or they may not want to promote you. What has your chain of command said? Nothing is ever really automatic...

mines was when i was in and it should be your still a lower enlisted.

Mine came late, the back-pay was great. Didn't change anything about how I did my job.

Have a talk with your unit clerk, if you can between drills. I got held up a few months myself, I had 2 years active duty without being promoted early, active component was holding SPC over me as a carrot to reenlist. So when I found a home in KYARNG they held me up a couple of months waiting for my files to catch up from St. Louis to make sure I was a decent soldier and there was nothing holding me back from being promoted. When I went in to ask, they pulled my file and looked and realized not only was I overdue for promotion there were about 6 or 7 other folks who had spent their entire time in the Guard and no one had bothered to put their promotions through, so the next month, a bunch of us got promoted and the unit clerk kept up with promotions after that. I liked my chain of command, but realized they were not compelled to make sure I got promoted, that was my job. Also once you get SPC, find out exactly what you need to get SGT. In the Guard it is a bit different, you need an E-5 slot as well as WLC and whatever else may be required for your MOS. I hassled my unit for years for a slot to PLDC and when they finally got it, 6 months after my ETS I was so burned out (5.5 years of asking, begging & dealing plus doing a squad leaders job) I turned it down and left.

Ugh, almost about 8 years ago, it was automatic. The whole yessing to death, has your pay changed or anything to that nature? Heck you might be getting paid E-4 without even knowing it. And then there is just the pinning. . . Hmm, Good luck!

PFC Alex Rivers Nothing in the military is automatic. Even if you meet the minimum TIS/TIG requirements to be eligible for promotion, your CDR can circle no on the AAA-117. If you haven't received any counselings on why you are not being promoted, your CoC is failing you. I don't know your entire story, so if you feel strong enough that you should be promoted, use the open door policy and go see you BN CSM.

Ar600-8-19 chapter2

If a CDR elects not to recommend a Soldier for promotion on the automatic promotion date, the CDR must
annotate “NO” on the AAA–117 (RA) or GRA–PO1 (Advancement Eligibility Status Roster) (USAR), then the CDR
(or BN HR) must prepare a DA Form 4187 denying the promotion. A DA Form 268 will be submitted no later than the
20th day of the month preceding the month of automatic promotion. The first-line leader must counsel the Soldier,
using DA Form 4856 (Developmental Counseling Form). The DA Form 4187 and the DA Form 4856 must be attached
to the enlisted advancement report before it is forwarded to the BN S1 HR specialist.

I just went through the same fight and this is your backup straight from regulation now- use your commanders open door policy to talk to him about these documents denying your promotion and request copies... if he doesn't have it... where's the promotion??? If nothing happens... go to IG!!

Talk to your base PAC or personnel section. If you're at Bn go to Bde etc. Make different people tell you no.

The only time I’ve seen it automatic is when it is part of your enlistment contract! Mine was automatic based upon the fact I Enlisted in the Army with a BA Degree! At 601-210 Rule E -4 brought me in as an E3 with auto promotion after four months Active Duty providing I had no infractions, flags, and AR 15’s. Never saw auto promotion to E4 during my entire Active Duty career. Promotion to E4 is actually based on a percentage of soldiers in a unit or a SPC can be issued hard stripes (Corporal) if they hold a ‘command’ billet! I was offered ‘Acting Jack’ sergeant stripes in Germany because I was NCOIC of Enlisted Promotions! If you want me to appear th be an E5 NCO, then promote me and/or pay me E5 salary!!! Just my two cents with some Army refs to support my two cents!!!