Does an Air Assault or Airborne badge help Officers get promoted?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 08:51:22 -0500

I don't think there is any statistics on this. Does having an AA or Airborne badge give you an edge in promotion boards?

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Feb 15 at 2023 8:56 AM

LTC Eugene Chu — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 08:56:11 -0500

For officer promotions, good OERs and completing required military schooling are most important. For promotions specifically in combat arms branches, Ranger tab is more important than airborne or air assault badge.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Feb 15 at 2023 9:36 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 09:36:13 -0500

I would assume that military schools in general are a force multiplier in regards to promotion in addition to good fitness reports and all that. From my Observation it certainly helps to have those but ultimately it depends on how your package shakes out in comparison to your peers. If you don't have those schools you will need something else in there that puts you above your peers

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 15 at 2023 10:10 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:10:11 -0500

Not at all. PME completion, good OERs, and no bad paper (referred OERs, GOMORs) are what matters.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 15 at 2023 12:49 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 12:49:41 -0500

My civil Affairs Army Reserve branch offered Airborne and Air Assault depending on which unit you were in.. they also offered language school. But I can tell you that the selection rate back in 2018 was 90% for civil Affairs officers to go from Major to Lieutenant Colonel. Also, with the Army getting rid of so many officers who didn't want to get the vaccine, you have a lot more vacancies than you normally would thanks too bad leadership.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Feb 15 at 2023 2:47 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 14:47:20 -0500

It can give you a little lift- showing a hard-charging Attitude- Look as senior staff and see the results. But it will not overcome stupidity, abuse, and lack of caring for your people.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 15 at 2023 3:13 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 15:13:59 -0500

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 22 at 2023 2:34 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 14:34:42 -0500

Doesn't hurt but the most important factor is performance and senior rater input on potential at higher rank.

Response by COL Victor Hagan made Mar 15 at 2023 2:54 PM

COL Victor Hagan — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 14:54:26 -0400

It has been a few years since I retired. But manner of performance in key branch/nominated positions and central selected schools were important. However, I do recall officers that sat enlisted boards telling me those schools and awards were important to them.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2023 3:20 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 15:20:12 -0400

From my perspective, at the bottom looking up and having been around a while (both the 82nd and the 101st), these popular schools most certainly help officers get promoted, but in particular way. The good OER is truly what matters, and completing the school is a small bullet on that OER. But, completing the school is likely the expectation and sets the tone for the relationship with the rater. It absolutely effects the overall view of the officer and thus their OER. Context would stipulate the degree of the effect.

Response by LTC Stephen Franke made Mar 16 at 2023 12:29 AM

LTC Stephen Franke — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:29:45 -0400

Greetings.
Good question.
IMPO, nrither of those two mentioned qualification badges concmveys ot otherwise carries any additional weight to a DA promotion selection board. Those boards apparently look at an evaulate a candidate's overal recorod of branch-specific progression.

That observation aside, an "out of hrandh mainstream asignment as as advisor/trainer to non-US foreign military counterparts has become a diveryeror k

Response by COL Ray Arment made Apr 2 at 2023 9:57 PM

COL Ray Arment — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 21:57:40 -0400

#1 Doing your jobs, Especially those jobs that are unique or requiring fixing something that superiors are concerned about.
Examples: command of a tank PLT as an infantry officer; 3rd company cdr in 30 days the previous Two were fired; Inf IOBC Tac, BDE S2; Inf Bn S3, XO; Student then CGSC Faculty teaching Soviet Automated Decision making; mbr of 12 person team to design heavy component of the Army- allocated $400 billion in 12 months; Branch XFER to MI; Div G2; Army War College; head of Army Intelligence for theater Army; JCS J2 responsible for Bosnia War & Balkans.

I never obtained Ranger, Airborne or Air Assault badges. A BIG HOWEVER, the Army has a real and critical need for officer leaders who accumulated those qualifications and because I did not, doesn’t mean that I do not heartily encourage others to meet this need in their careers. In fact I was in a jump slot and my Deputy stepped up and fulfilled the jump requirement.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 3 at 2023 12:19 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 12:19:27 -0400

In the Air Force, it probably means the person is a graduate of the Air Force Academy. AFA Cadets have a chance to go to airborne school as one of their summer programs. AFA also has a skydiving team. They may be authorized to award parachutists wings. AFA grads already have an advantage for promotion, so I’m not sure the wings add much. Statistics show pilots do have a slightly higher promotion rate.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2023 6:14 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 18:14:37 -0400

My former civil Affairs company Commander was light infantry. He had Ranger school, airborne, air assault and Pathfinder. He may have made it to full bird colonel. As a lieutenant colonel you switched over and went to logistics. Remember that many combat arms officers go to Logistics to find a slot and get promoted. He was in the Army Reserve and he had switched from the Army National guard. I'm sure much of this may apply to the active component as well. So my point is, go for it! I didn't catch it at first that you were already Infantry.

Response by SSG Dennis R. made Apr 9 at 2023 8:22 PM

SSG Dennis R. — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 20:22:12 -0400

It's just like Scouting. The more merit badges, the quicker one advances.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2023 2:22 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 14:22:01 -0400

I have no dog in this fight, not being an officer, but I sure hope not.

It should NEVER be about what's on your chest, but what's in your heart. Having a badge never won a battle.

On the other hand, those badges which are RARE and require a serious commitment to win, like the SF or Ranger tabs, might give an indication as to what is in your heart. If your only reason for getting a tab was to get a promotion, I seriously doubt if you can complete the course. It takes a lot more than that.

Response by COL Dan Ruder made Jun 16 at 2023 1:40 AM

COL Dan Ruder — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 01:40:01 -0400

CPT Railey, I have served as a board member on MAJ and LTC Promotion Selection Boards for Operations, Operations Support, Force Sustainment, and Information Dominance officers. Airborne or AA qualifications had zero bearing on the vote. Board members consist of every branch under selection, Colonels (Brigade Cdrs or former Bde Cdrs), and General Officers participating in a board that is, by statutory, HIGHLY GOVERNED. They are attempting to quantify a vote based on reviewing the officer's entire record and the performance and potential as reflected in the narrative of the OER and the block check. A badge is NOT going to tilt the scale. It matters most that the Rater and SR narratives are consistent and that the SR states that you should be promoted. In the end, each board certifies that officers recommended for promotion are in the opinion of the MAJORITY of the members of the board, fully qualified and among the best qualified for promotion.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2023 7:35 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 19:35:00 -0400

No. My experience with the Board was this: ALL they care about is whether the last 3/5, 4/5, or 5/5 evals have ACOM. That is IT.

Response by BG Mike Rowe made Jul 8 at 2023 2:10 AM

BG Mike Rowe — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 02:10:33 -0400

Stupid question from a CPT.

Response by MAJ Stephan Hill made Mar 29 at 2024 11:31 PM

MAJ Stephan Hill — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 23:31:56 -0400

Don’t know about promotions, but we saw a concrete response to Air Assault Wings on ROTC Students requests for Air Assault School positions. When I was teaching ROTC at a State U, we couldn’t get enough slots at Jump School, but we’re turning back Air Assault slots.

I pointed out that we had six guys with Jump Wings, a couple Ranger Tabs, but no Air Assault wings, and volunteered to go to Air Assault school that summer, which solved the problem.