The Army will promote 22,262 Specialists and Corporals (E4s) to Buck Sergeant (E5) in 2002, compared to 29,000+ in the previous two years. Due to a shortage of junior sergeants, thousands of E4s were promoted ahead of their normal schedule to fill the gaps, even if the new E5s were less qualified than the ones they replaced. There is now a shortage of E4s, and thousands of E3s will be promoted ahead of schedule this year.--Stephen V Cole
