By 1st Lt. Ashley N. Pflug
Standing on the makeshift basketball court admiring his new rank, Staff Sgt. Joseph R. Guerrero began his promotion speech by thanking his chain of command, for without their recommendation, he would never have been eligible for promotion. Guerrero, a soldier with the 572nd Mobility Augmentation Company, 8th Engineer Battalion out of Fort Hood, Texas, experiencing a promotion which was very much out of the ordinary—it was a battlefield promotion.
The ‘battlefield promotion’ was a fairly common practice during the WWI, WWII and through the Vietnam War. After Vietnam, the Army discontinued the practice, which allowed soldiers to be promoted or commissioned outside of the normal criteria for promotion. It was reinstated in 2009, but soldiers must meet very specific criteria in order to be eligible.
Soldiers must be the rank of private (E-1) through sergeant (E-5). They must be deployed, serving in combat or under combat conditions. The soldier must be presently serving in a position that is slotted for a rank at least one rank higher. The soldier must be recommended by their chain of command as a result of extraordinary performance—a crucial step in the process.
Guerrero is one of two soldiers in the 8th Engineer Battalion, consisting of more than 750 Soldiers, to be selected for battlefield promotion. It is extremely rare for a sergeant to receive the honor of a battlefield promotion to staff sergeant. Upon hearing the news, Guerrero said he was extremely surprised.
“I was ecstatic, even though I thought I was in trouble when they called to tell me the news,” he said. “But, the only reason I was even considered for this promotion was because of the amazing soldiers I work with.”
Guerrero not only meets all of the criteria, but he also serves as 572nd MAC’s motor sergeant—a position that is typically slotted for a Soldier two pay grades above his own. He has served in this position for eighteen months and he is not only responsible for the company’s maintenance, but he bears the burden of being the only non-commissioned officer in his section. His unit is currently deployed to Afghanistan with a primary mission of route clearance for the perilous Arghandab Valley.
Soldiers of the 572nd MAC, known as the Spartans, are the first people out on the roads, ensuring that routes are safe for civilian traffic, Afghan security forces, and coalition troops. The unit’s hulking vehicles, bristling with sensors and weapons, travel at a walking pace while searching for any improvised explosive devices the enemy may have placed. Their mission not only protects the Afghan people, but makes the roads safe for the transportation of food, water, ammunition, fuel, and other goods they need to get from farm to market.
These solders are rugged and have one of the most dangerous missions on the battlefield. As such, the Army has equipped them with route clearance vehicles and equipment that are remarkably durable and safe. The 572nd MAC has suffered two major IED strikes in the past three months while sustaining zero injuries. Guerrero is responsible for the maintenance of these vehicles, ensuring that his fellow soldiers can depend on them when they are out looking for IEDs.
After thanking his chain of command, Guerrero thanked his family and fellow soldiers for their support throughout his deployment.