Under the stripes for exceptional performers program (STEP) program, no airman may be promoted more than once during any 12-month period under any combination of promotion programs except

• A. SrAs
• B. SSgts
• C. TSgts
• D. MSgts

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that STEP changes how quickly exceptional performers can move, but overall promotions in a year are still tightly controlled. Normally, an airman isn’t promoted more than once in a 12-month period across all programs. The exception is Senior Airman. That rank is the only one for which back-to-back promotions within the same year are allowed under STEP, enabling a rapid move from a lower grade up to Senior Airman and then on to the next higher grade if the airman meets the criteria. This targeted flexibility reflects STEP’s purpose: to accelerate progression for those already performing at a high level, specifically around the Senior Airman stage. For the other ranks—Staff Sergeant, Technical Sergeant, and Master Sergeant—promotions within a 12-month window remain restricted to one per year, so they’re not the exception.