Marines Extend PME Waiver

The Marine Corps has extended its waiver of the Professional Military Education (PME) requirement for selection to staff noncommissioned officer ranks. The PME requirement had been waived previously for the fiscal 2004 gunnery sergeant and staff sergeant selection boards, and was continued for USMC and USMCR SNCO selection boards for fiscal 2005 and 2006. ALMAR 26/06 of June 27 states “Because the current high deployment tempo for Marine units and individual augmentees will likely continue into the next fiscal year, the waiver of the PME requirement for selection to the next higher grade is extended for all fiscal ’07 USMC and USMCR SNCO selection boards.” The ALMAR says, however, that selection boards will still consider PME as “one of the many factors” in a Marine’s record to determine those best qualified for promotion.