With a shortage of active-duty sergeants, the Army is allowing 19,000 qualified corporals and specialists to automatically be placed on the promotion list for sergeant, instead of having to wait for a commander to recommend them for advancement to that rank. The Army currently needs about 1,500 more sergeants from 31 specialties. Until now, soldiers who hoped to move to the E-5 level required a commander's recommendation to go before a promotions board of senior NCOs. From now on, soldiers will automatically be placed on the E-5 promotion list as long as they meet the minimum requirements. That means 19,000...