How to Get Promoted as an Officer. Anything to add?

2014-06-17T20:46:14-04:00

When I visit one of my Battalions, I always give an OPD. One of my most popular is how to get promoted. Here is my wisdom on the subject for your benefit:

Getting promoted consists of three things that boards examine:
1. Education
2. Assignments
3. Experience

Of the three, education is the most important because it is a hard requirement. You don't have ILE? You don't pass go! Know the number of Majors who had their educational requirements complete and were promoted to LTC? 100 percent! That's right, even those who got terrible OERs were promoted because there were only 500 (numbers are made up) educationally qualified and over 500 slots required by the Army. Those without ILE? None promoted even though they were the best officer.

Next are assignments. You need key assignments as commander, operations officer, etc. Note that temporary assignments help here too. Were you Mission Commander for an exercise? Make sure it says those words in your OER. Boards look for officers who took risk even if they only did OK. That is much better than the officer who floated in the background and was "just there".

Lastly, experience. Mainly this means deployments in today's context, but missions and exercises count too. I get a lot of junior officers stressing that they don't have a combat patch. Don't worry about it, 90% of Lieutenants don't have that either. It all is a matter of who you are competing against on the board. You're a LT?, no problem. You're a MAJ/ LTC without a deployment? Big problem.

There is so much that I could say on this subject that doesn't fit into this space, but let me know your questions and I will answer separately.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 17 at 2014 8:50 PM

2014-06-17T20:50:47-04:00

Sir, thank you for this as I know many do not fully understand why they see some great officers not get promoted and then see who is a little less than able to perform their duties in our eyes get promoted. School by far is the best way to take control of your career.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2014 11:13 AM

2014-07-23T11:13:54-04:00

Sir, thanks for this thread. I will be interested to see how the Army manages MAJs who are coming out of a grad school related broadening assignment (USMA, fellowships, etc) and are not able to make ILE until YG+12 or 13 and then the compounding issues that causes for filling in on KD MAJ jobs. It's good to see ILE being the focus, especially on time, after what's occurred over the past few years, but I do think the focus on ILE at YG+10ish can cause some issues for top performing officers that are selected for a broadening assignment that requires a follow-on utilization.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jul 23 at 2014 12:38 PM

2014-07-23T12:38:17-04:00

This is an excellent post, BG Private RallyPoint Member -- thanks for sharing this. These insights are golden.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2014 1:03 PM

2014-07-23T13:03:39-04:00

I was selected for the rank of Chief Petty Officer in 1991. During my initiation it was drilled into me and the other 27 shipmates going through this process that we were selected because we had demonstrated extraordinary leadership. In the years between that time and my retirement in March of this year, this has changed from leadership to 'How to get promoted' by getting the right collateral duties, the right assignments, the right education, and by kissing the right ass. I firmly believe that the military is in the state it is in now, that of being more concerned with one's own career, not making mistakes, not taking reasonable risks, viewing soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen as problems complicating our lives because of the focus on how to advance one's career rather than how to lead and advance the mission. My priorities always were, and always will be 'Ship, Crew, Self'. This is how you advance your career and the careers of those you have been given the responsibility of leading.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2014 2:50 PM

2014-07-23T14:50:52-04:00

Thanks sir for the info. I'm in an OCS process right now and this sort of information is very useful.

Response by COL(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2014 3:25 PM

2014-07-23T15:25:18-04:00

Great OPD sir. Unfortunately some still don't get it. I've heard your same words many times before from senior leaders but many still not follow the advice being given. I understand timing and many other things come into play but the question I ask is how do the ones who complete the requirements manage... The answer is they have a plan. Hopefully some officers will see this and adjust fire.

Response by 1LT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2014 6:07 PM

2014-07-23T18:07:55-04:00

Sir, in response to the education requirement. At what point in an Army Officer's career does possessing a Masters Degree become a "must have"? I'm sure the mentality of the earlier the better applies here but just wondering if it will become an unwritten/unspoken rule in future O-4 boards.

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made Jul 23 at 2014 9:36 PM

2014-07-23T21:36:27-04:00

Sir, thanks for the great information that I now know to work on for my next promotion. I'm still a ways from being eligible to attend ILE and will be looking at assignments that will allow me to attend graduate school. As for experience, you will be able to see on my profile what I have done so far in my career. I will message you later on some questions that I will have on my options after this command is over for me. Once again thanks for posting this sir.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2014 4:47 PM

2014-09-22T16:47:15-04:00

Sir,

I just came across this and it's great simple advice. I hear a rangeful of advice, but your correct in regards to the requirements. As the Army continues to shrink, I believe the 3 fundamentals that you have mentioned will become more important. Due to the last CPT Sep Board, I have been surprised by the number of my peers that are pushing for CMD, KD Time, and special assignments. It has always been an ongoing process, but we are all well aware of wasting space and time in today's Army will result in building a weak board promotion/separation file.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2014 11:50 PM

2014-09-22T23:50:11-04:00

Thanks for the information. I can say that just about LTs that I know are killing for a deployment. It is important but it won't make you a better officer for just deploying. Education is very important. If one focuses on those areas I am sure a promotion would being coming your way shortly.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Sep 23 at 2014 8:41 AM

2014-09-23T08:41:30-04:00

I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to respond to this or not and decided that I had to.

While I understand and agree with what BG Goddard said, to some degree, the fact is that the best way to get promoted as an officer is to perform your duties, whatever they are, to the absolute best of your abilities. Seek the tough assignments and do them well.

Professional military education is a must, as is civilian education, but they are nothing more than "ticket-punching". While you certainly gain great information in professional military education, there is no education better than "on-the-job training". You can study all day about how to be a company, battalion or brigade commander, but the only way you can get good at it is to do it.

Professional officers have to seek the hard jobs and, at the same time, find time to get the required education requirements accomplished. At times, that is very difficult to do.

Which is better for our Army and our nation ... an officer with experience as a company commander, battalion commander and brigade commander who only has a bachelor's degree (but is a graduate of all the PME courses) or an officer with a Masters Degree or PhD who has served as a staff officer most of his/her career? I can tell you that my two Masters degrees have not helped me one bit in the execution of my duties in the Army and, to a large degree, neither has the Officer Basic Course, Advanced Course, Command and General Staff Course, Armed Forces Staff College or War College. What helped me succeed in the Army was the experience I got by serving in hard assignments and working with troops. That is where you get your real education for being an effective and professional leader.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 23 at 2014 8:50 AM

2014-09-23T08:50:28-04:00

Sir,

With Promotion rates to LTC at 60% last year do you foresee fully qualified officers with ILE complete being passed over?

I have no idea how many MAJs go to the LTC board without ILE complete.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 23 at 2014 9:46 AM

2014-09-23T09:46:12-04:00

Thanks for this valuable information BG Private RallyPoint Member . I can see myself in the future as an Officer and this information is a must for everybody who wants to succeed as Officer.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 23 at 2014 10:17 PM

2014-09-23T22:17:19-04:00

Sir:
I've received good advice in this area in my career. If I may piggyback on your thoughts, I'd add: 1) seek command assignments, 2) seek challenging assignments, 3) just do well in whatever assignment you are in which will be reflected in your OER, 3) complete PME in a timely manner (well before the board meets, 4) pursue all educational opportunities, and 5) for Reserve Component officers, don't homestead in the same unit/chain even if you are changing jobs internally.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Sep 23 at 2014 11:00 PM

2014-09-23T23:00:56-04:00

In reading the comments on this thread, I notice that BG Private RallyPoint Member is addressed as COL in the earlier comments.
First, Congratulations on that, Sir. Very darn few soldiers actually ever get to wear those stars.
Second, (and this one is for anyone else reading) It looks like he knows what he's talking about when it comes to how to get promoted. I'd listen.

Response by BG James Owens made Oct 29 at 2014 12:57 AM

2014-10-29T00:57:32-04:00

Concur with this great bit of advice. Unless you take the time to make sure you have the required military education it doesn't matter what jobs you hold or how many deployments / exercises you go on, you will not even get looked at for promotion - especially in the reserves.

Once you get the educational part taken care of, it's your assignments and how you did your job. Take the hard jobs. It's better to do a good job as the operations officer than as the special projects officer.

And make sure as part of your dialogue with your senior rater discuss your future. Not everyone is going to command a battalion or brigade, but you can still get promoted by doing a good job in a tough assignment.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2014 6:29 PM

2014-12-14T18:29:46-05:00

BG Private RallyPoint Member, I will graduate from law school in 2016, but I have no plans to become a JAG; that would require demotion and a return to the drawing board career-wise. Will a J.D. satisfy the Masters degree *requirement*?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 27 at 2016 4:54 PM

2016-11-27T16:54:01-05:00

Its all who you know, thing else matter. I had ILE/SAMS and three masters degrees. I had three combat tours and two operational tours. All the right nominative assignments. Still passed over because I didn't know all the right people. But I was ready to go anyways, I own my home outright, financial independent, no debt, so it was no struggle. I watch as peers struggle because staying in was their only option, divorced, verge of bankruptcy, needing spoon fed as adults.

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made Sep 6 at 2019 4:22 AM

2019-09-06T04:22:12-04:00

Listen and give respect to your NCO. Never mess with a warrant