There is no time requirement to complete the course for your new paygrade. You simply will not be considered for advancement until you do (without a waiver which should only be granted in extraordinary circumstances). With the possibility of getting a Time-in-Rate waiver should you earn an Early Promote on your evaluation/fitrep, you should consider taking the appropriate course as soon as you can.
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I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.