AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar- In 2008 the U.S. Army announced a one-year pilot program making active army, guard and reserve Soldiers in the grades of E-1 through E-5 eligible for battlefield promotions.
The battlefield promotion program is to recognize and promote Soldiers for extraordinary performance of duties while serving in combat or under combat conditions.
United States Army Central Command recently held a battlefield promotion board with a population of deployed Soldiers within the USARCENT area of responsibility. Sgt. Sofia Duncan, a Charleston, South Carolina native and a supply sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 31st ADA Brigade was nominated and ultimately awarded a battlefield promotion to Staff Sgt.
In order to qualify for a battlefield promotion, Soldiers must be deployed serving within Afghanistan or supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
"This promotion makes me feel like anything is possible. Being in a support MOS and trying to get promoted can be challenging. This promotion has taught me that if you remain focus on the mission, and always push yourself to go one step further you can achieve so much more," said Duncan.
I would like to thank my fiancé Sgt. 1st Class LeArthur Williams. He has always motivated me to keep going, and never give up. My family has always been my backbone, but being deployed 31st ADA Brigade has been my family as well. I would also like to thank my work section and Command Sgt. Major Dominguez and Col Morrissey for recommending me for this promotion.
The program waives time-in-service and time-in-grade requirements for corporals or specialists being promoted to sergeant. It also postpones minimum military education requirements and waives promotion boards for sergeants being promoted to staff sergeant.
"I am very proud of having one of my Soldiers promoted by the Battlefield Promotion system. Staff Sgt. Duncan is absolutely deserving of the promotion and we challenged her on many levels daily without slowing down to ensure she was ready for the next level of responsibility," said Master Sgt. Loretto Gallegos, 31st ADA Brigade support operations noncommissioned officer in charge.
"She was hand selected to deploy with the S4 Section because of all her potential. SSG Duncan has grown tremendously into an outstanding NCO and an asset to the 31st Brigade by being forward deployed to learn a wider scope of Sustainment operations."
"Staff Sgt. Duncan's skills and qualifications made her deserving of the promotion long before her packet was submitted for a Battlefield promotion. She is not only technically proficient at her job; she is also a well-developed leader that seeks every opportunity to learn and develop Junior Soldiers," said Maj. Ray Fails, 31st Brigade sustainment operations officer.
"This was the first opportunity I've had to witness a battlefield promotion; I believe Staff Sgt. Duncan will excel at whatever she decides to do in the future.
Only one battlefield promotion is allowed, so a Soldier who gets a battlefield promotion to sergeant must achieve staff sergeant by the normal route.
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