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       Why Army recruitment is down in 2023 Middle East Forum Chief Editor Jim Hanson joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to explain why the U.S. Army numbers reached their lowest since 1940.

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       The U.S. Army has promoted over 10,000 noncommissioned officers (NCO) over the last two years who have yet to complete the required military education and training academies, according to a report.

       Since enacting a temporary pandemic-era policy in 2021 that allowed NCOs to be promoted without the courses, the Army has promoted about 52,000 NCOs, but about 20%, or 10,588, have yet to complete their courses to retain their new rank, according to Army data obtained by Military.com.

       If the courses were not completed within a year of being promoted, the NCOs were supposed to lose their rank. But the outlet reported that the Army did not want to issue such a large number of demotions at one time.

       The Army told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that it is conducting a review of the matter.

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       Soldiers, including those in the National Guard, face difficulties in scheduling time for the required courses, according to the outlet. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Hassani Ribera)

       "We are conducting a review of all Soldiers with exceptions to the STEP [Select, Train, Educate and Promote Policy] policy prior to suspension," the statement said. "As we align policies we will ensure that we are taking care of Soldiers, informing commanders, units and Soldiers of the changes and correcting any actions that are counter to the suspension of the STEP policy."

       NCOs have faced significant difficulties in scheduling time for the required schools, where courses can last at least a month, due to limited slots and constant deployments, according to the outlet.

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       In September, the Army issued a news release detailing how it will reinstate its "Select, Train, Educate and Promote" policy for the following January, again requiring NCOs to complete professional military education training courses before they can be promoted.

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       The decision, however, was reversed in December. The Army told the outlet that there was no timeline for the policy’s reinstatement.

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       "Our goal is to ensure our soldiers' careers do not suffer from factors outside of their control," Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer told the outlet at the time.