Posted on Jan 10, 2014

SSD removed from Correspondence Course

SPC(P) (Join to see)

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Any thoughts to SSD not counting towards correspondence hours and how the hours and promotion points were taken away? Thats 80 hours of courses and 16 promotion points. Why did the Army feel that SSD shouldnt count?

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Army

Posted 11 y ago

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CSM (Join to see)

Posted 11 y ago

SPC,

The SSG is correct. All SSDs are now a prerequisite to a NCOES. The only exception at the moment is SSD5. Which I do not believe is completed yet. When it is however, I have heard two different beliefs for it as well. 1st SSD5 will be a prerequisite for any SGM/CSM to attain a Nominative Slating. 2nd SSD5 will be used for all SGM/CSMs prior to attending the CAPSTONE course. This is the final NCOES course offered to SGM/CSMs. I remember Correspondence Courses allowing the motivation of a self starting Soldier to stand out from their peers. If SSD program is now a prerequisite course of NCOES then every Enlisted Member must complete them. This tells me that if everyone MUST complete them to progress than why add points to them. It defeats the purpose of self starters going the extra mile for the recognition they desire. If you're the self starter that your (P) status suggests you will not let a little obstacle like this impede your progression. Just my thoughts.

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SGT (Join to see)

Posted 11 y ago

So after having read the MILPER Message (13-343), I have come to believe that SSD1 is no longer worth promotion points because it is now considered a pre-requisite in order to be eligible for promotion to begin with. Breaking it down, if you are not even able to be looked at for promotion to SGT without having completed SSD1, then you are not going to receive promotion points for it. All levels of SSD are getting tied in with the NCOES's and are a way of further educating our Soldiers. I understand that WLC does count for points but last I checked you could be a SGT without having it. In the end, I really think it is a way of weeding out the people who actually will take the extra time to complete it versus those who just want the additional money in their paychecks. Throughout my time in the military I have definitely learned that there are SGT's and then there are E-5's. Hope this info helped some.

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SPC(P) (Join to see)

11 y

Thank you ssg!
not that having to complete another 80 hours of courses is completely horrible I just wish there would have been a suspense date or a window of time that says if you completed it before 7 jan 14 then your safe on your points. I completed mine back in 2012 and wlc last year. now I have to go back to make up those lost points. just a big inconvenience when it was no longer a worry. im sure im not the only one who can say that those 80 hours made the difference between picked up and not

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SGT (Join to see)

11 y

I definitely understand. I remember when they changed the point system in 2011. I went from having around 1200 correspondence course hours to 13. Really? 13? Granted, I had already made SSG by then by I had some Soldiers who lost massive amounts of points towards promotion. I try to go into my "Army Day" every day with the mentality that the Army is changing and the only choice we have is to change with it regardless whether we agree or not. Now that I am considered an "old timer" (don't know when I crossed that line) there are plenty of things done now that I disagree with but in the end it doesn't matter what my thoughts are because there is always going to be someone willing to do my job if i'm not. Just keep plucking away and you will get those 80 points back before you know it.

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MSG John Duchesneau

Posted >1 y ago

I think they figured that the SSD was already counted in the score you get for NCOES completion.

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SSD removed from Correspondence Course

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