qualify for the rank. No one approved of him retiring as a command sergeant major, he was not qualified to retire as a CSM, ergo he is not eligible for CSM retirement pay grade.. This is not rocket science nor does it require an ability to converse in Italian although, having spent time in Italy he may be qualified in that MOS, I don't know. You are correct though that he retired honorably with approval before completing the classes to retire with the rank as a CSM. In order to complete the classes he would have been required to extend but as usual, Newton's Law would have prevailed and he would have been required to deploy with his unit. Apparently, he chose to get out rather than deploy. It was his choice, he tried to get the CSM money and not deploy, sort of like having his cake and eating it too. Or maybe he just simply wanted the rank on his resume but of course, that raises the stolen valor issue.
Stop picking at an open sore, you'll only make it worse and you may cause an infection. :}