On this week’s cover, the Army is looking into shaking things up in Korea. Rather than individual soldiers deploying for a year at a time, a new plan would send complete combat units for nine-month tours. Leaders say this system would improve readiness by keeping trained units together, instead of breaking them up to send a single soldier to Korea.
Also on the cover, the Army admits that many war records from the Global War on Terror have been misplaced. The statement comes following a ProPublica and Seattle Times report alleging that thousands of battlefield assessments and other records from Iraq and Afghanistan either weren’t properly written down after the fact, or have gone missing since. Army Secretary John McHugh has announced an initiative to recover the lost records and consolidate them for safekeeping.
If you’re a sergeant first class heading for the E-8 boards, take note: More than 20,000 soldiers are expected to go through the process this year, and if you don’t get promoted, you might be forced out. Some soldiers will be subject to the Qualitative Management Program, which will review official files for adverse personnel or legal action, which could lead to involuntary separation.
For more on these stories and others, pick up the July 29 issue of Army Times, on newsstands now. If you don’t want to wait, you can subscribe to our digital edition or purchase a $1 day pass.
