What can I do to help my promotion to E-5?

Under STEP, Select, Train, Educate, Promote, you must have BLC completed to be promoted, however, you will still get put on the OML or EPS list with SSD1 completed, once you have one year time in grade. If you are high enough on the list to get a sergeant slot, you will get sent to BLC and promoted.

With that in mind get SSD1 done and work on being the best soldier you can. Funding is short in the guard right now, and schools always go to soldiers who have set themselves apart from their peers. Whether you get a school or not doesn't make a lick of difference, be a compent, reliable, and self motivated soldier and you will be rewarded.

The great thing about the ranks of SGT and SSG is that it's in your hands. It's up to you on getting them. How much you study, how much work you put in to stand out, how well you perform, and how much work you put into your academics.

I'm not sure if you being in the guard makes it where you must go to BLC for promotion, I know for us active duty folks this Is now a prior requirement to promotion to SGT. But until your name comes up on the OML, you can put forth work on standing out above your peers (taking charge, volunteering, etc). Boost your promotion potential: correspondence courses, marksmanship, APFT score. Volunteer for those weekend activities or something big within your company. Sometimes those'll come with COA's and other awards. College is also a big one. It's free and you can do it online at your own pace.

But like I said, it's in your hands man. Keep up the pursuit!

Number one stop referring to it as a pay grade. Those are the worst leaders the Army has. Attend as many boards as you can to prepare yourself for the promotion board. Get enrolled into college. Most of all don't get discouraged. Promotions are hard to come by right now. It has nothing to do with your ability it's just the majority of MOS are over strength. But while you wait keep working on your PT score, weapons qualification, and adding credit hours and you will earn the rank of Sergeant.

If you recently advanced to SPC you may not be high on the priority list for BLC especially when funding is at issue. Go to college, volunteer for everything, up your IWQ and APFT scores and get a mentor.

First, apparently BLC is required for promotion effective 1 January 2016. Things you can do to increase your chance of promotion are: Score as high as you can on APFT, Qualify as high as you can, do correspondence courses, take college classes (this will really separate you from a lot of other soldiers), and do everything possible to get a quality EER.

If you can get any 40 hour courses that will also help as well as any awards you may earn.

There is some great advice on here already! I have two things to add:

1. If you spot any opportunities to step into a leadership role (team leader, acting squad leader, leading a mission), do it. Learn what you can from stepping into positions that give you the opportunity to lead troops, even if it's only one or two soldiers.

2. Find a SGT or SSG to take you under his (or her) wing. If they are already a respected NCO, that means they're doing something right (theoretically) and you can learn a lot from them.

Otherwise, SSD1, weapons qual, APFT, correspondence courses, college courses, and volunteering for military schools and boards will help you out a lot.

A lot of good advice above. A couple of things I I have to add are, that in the Guard, schools are not automatic, and promotions require a slot within your state. Each state may have their own slightly different policies but they are somewhat similar. Civilian education, PT, and ALMS/ Correspondence courses will go a long way to help you. You need BLC to be promoted but not to be placed on the OML. When you are eligible, you will submit an EPS packet. All eligible Specialists and Corporals will submit their packets at the same time. This packet will go to the board in your place. Take your time and do your packet exactly as the MOI states. Attention to detail is very important. There should be a CDR/1SG appraisal in the packet as well, these can make you or break you. To make sure it makes you, be that guy at drill, every drill, that volunteers, asks to take other schools, that is willing to do anything he's asked. If you work harder than someone else, don't complain about it, just keep on working. Your leadership will notice. This is also how you get to BLC ahead of your peers. You'll stand out. There will be a mileage election in the packet, this is how far you a willing to drive to get promoted. From current unit only to Statewide. The further you are willing to go, the faster your chances of promotion. Once the OML/EPS list is published, as slots come available in your State, the the units will call the first person on the list for the MOS of the open slot. They work their way down the list. If they call, don't turn down the promotion in hopes that you'll get a better slot later. If you turn it down, you are dropped off of the list until the next year. The bottom line is that you need to have the best military bearing you can, do everything you are told to and then ask for more, step up and take charge when you can. Show your leadership that you are ready to be a SGT. Don't be the guy that thinks he's been there for two years so he is supposed to get a pay raise.

Civilian education brother start that ASAP.

Try competing for best warrior. The competition will identify you as a hard-charger, and winning (who really goes to a contest to not win?) will identify you as one of the best and earn you accolades.
It should also get you coveted school seats, if they are truly hard to come by.

Always keep in ind that the first, and in my opinion the most important thing one can do for promotion is to fulfill your current responsibilities and do you current job well.