 Are you worried that your deployment is going to affect your next promotion? Don't be. We've got you covered. Hi, and welcome to Sitrep, Army news that affects you. Since the STEP program was implemented in 2016, soldiers have been required to complete their online structured self-development and professional military education in order to be promoted to Sergeant through Sergeant Major. This potentially penalized deployed soldiers who didn't have access to training opportunities and couldn't break away to attend school. But effective immediately, operationally deployed soldiers who are fully qualified for promotion can now receive an exception to policy to defer the previously prerequired schooling. Soldiers who receive a professional military education deferment and get promoted will then have up to two years after returning from deployment to get to school. School deferred soldiers will still have to be fully qualified for promotion, possess the skills required of the next grade, meet or exceed their announced cutoff scores, and be commander verified that they have the capacity to serve at the higher grade. All deferred promotions must also be processed through their chain of command and may be delayed up to one month, and this will not be retroactive. It also does not relieve the NCO from completing the required school and will disqualify the soldier from any future promotions until the professional military education course is completed. This new update will ensure that qualified soldiers will be placed at the positions they deserve while also giving commanders another tool they can use to build better, more effective teams. For more detailed information, application guidelines, and the DA4187 format needed to apply for the deferment, head to the website below or talk to your S1. And if you have questions or topic ideas for Sitrep, let us know on Facebook or Twitter. Sergeant Martin, out.