I will be an e-3 when I arrive at BCT, due to my college credits. But I am wondering how promotions work. What do I need to do to make Corporal or Specialist (and what's the difference). What do I need to do to make Sergeant. I keep hearing terms like "promotion points" and "waivers" being thrown around, but I haven't really been able to sum it all up into a cohesive picture to where I could say that I really understand it.

You will be promoted to SPC automatically with 24-months time in service.

To get promoted sooner would require a waiver by your Commander. These are reserved for some of the best Soldiers ... based on current unit strengths.

A Corporal is a NCO who is in charge of Soldiers.

This site should be able to explain exactly how promotions work for SGT and SSG (where points come from) http://armyawards.com/promo.shtml

Like AR said, once you’ve been in the army for 24 months and remain a PFC, you will automatically be promoted to SPC (as long as you are not flagged).

You can still get promoted to SPC after only 18 months, but with a waiver, which is your commander authorizing you to be promoted early. Every month your battalion may be authorized a few to be promoted early. I noticed if you kiss a lot of ass you will be the one to get promoted early. LOL. Seriously, that’s how it is in my battalion. You don’t even have to be all “high-speed.” Just kiss ass.

To make Sergeant:
Once you’ve been in the army for 34 months and have been a SPC for at least 8 months, you may attend a promotion board. Just think of it as a quick session where you answer a few questions and prove that you are ready to take on the responsibilities of an NCO. But again, if you are given a waiver, you can attend a promotion board after 16 months of being in the army and having been a SPC for at least 4 months.

After your promotion board, all your promotion points are totaled up. The most amount of points that you can receive is 800. You receive promotion points based on your PT score, weapons qualification, awards you’ve received, military training certificates, correspondence courses, college credits, your promotion board, and your commanders evaluation on how well you perform (commanders points). Each MOS requires you to attain a certain number of promotion points in order to make SGT. Some MOS’s require only 350 points to make SGT, while other MOS’s may require up to 798 points.

Well I hope all that helped, if not, then by the time you become eligible to be a SGT, you should have a MUCH better understanding on how everything works. lol

Thanks guys, as always you have been most helpful and informative.