By Amy Newcomb
GUIDON staff
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

As of October 1, Soldiers who have completed Initial Entry Training will be required to further their careers and education through the completion of Structured Self Development.

The SSD program is a continual learning tool that starts with modules for Soldiers from the rank of private and continues through the rank of sergeant major, said Master Sgt. Daniel Little, Noncommissioned Officer Academy S-3 noncommissioned officer-in-charge.

SSD I is a prerequisite Soldier’s need to advance to the Warrior Leader Course and consists of general information, said 1st Sgt. Charles Collado, Warrior Leader Course chief.

“SSD I is giving Soldiers their introduction (to leadership), showing them how to give classes, showing them what is expected of them as a leader, their character, their presence, Collado said. “It’s basically showing them what right looks like.”

WLC and SSD I are not Military Occupational Specialty specific, because Soldiers are learning basic information during both courses, which gives Soldiers the tools they need to become successful leaders, Collado said.

“(SSD I) is basically comprised of things you should have already learned and it gives Soldiers a foundation of where they need to be prior to (WLC),” he said.

Collado said SSD I consists of four modules and is broken down into 20 hours per module for a total of 80 hours. Once a Soldier is enrolled into an SSD, there is a time limit of three years.

“It depends on your availability, but it could take as long as two weeks to complete, or it could take only one week,” he said. “It’s on the availability of the Soldiers.”

At this time there is not an SSD II module; however, SSD III will become a prerequisite for attending the Senior Leader Course as of Jan. 1, 2013, and is more Military Occupational Specialty specific. All sergeants and staff sergeants who graduated from the Advanced Leadership Course or Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course on or after May 19, 2011 were automatically enrolled in SSD III.

Collado said SSD III is geared toward more MOS specific tasks, which Soldiers at this level should already know.

“SSD III bridges the gap from WLC until you come to, we’ll say … (Military Police) ALC,” Little added. “Sometimes there’s a year, year and half gap in there, so what it does is it crosses that gap so you are still getting knowledge distance learning in your MOS prior to you coming to ALC. Same thing in SLC.”

SSD IV will be required upon completion of SLC, which becomes effective May 19, 2013 and is a prerequisite for attendance to the Sergeant Major Course. As of May 19, 2011, all staff sergeants (promotable), sergeants first class and master sergeants who completed SLC were automatically enrolled in SSD IV.

“SSD IV is a more upper level, corporate type training because you are in a supervisory position where you have 80, 90, 100 Soldiers underneath you, so these are more like management type classes,” Little said.

Upon completion of the Sergeant Major Course or it’s equivalent, SSD V will be a prerequisite for consideration for nominative and joint assignments. There is no effective date at this time.

SSD enrollment guidelines, policies, leader responsibility, career learning path and more can be accessed from the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy at

https://usasma.bliss.army.mil/faculty/ssd/downloads/SSDBrief.pdf.