Posted on Jun 17, 2014
How to Get Promoted as an Officer. Anything to add?
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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.
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.
Posted in these groups: 
Promotions
Officers
Promotions Officers
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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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.
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MSG(P) Michael Warrick
As a LT get a great NCO to work with and they will spin you up to, so that you will become a great officer and get promoted !
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CPT Jacob Swartout
Thank you MAJ Robert AuBuchon I'm still researching on possible assignments after this command. I have looked into functional areas and have been monitoring the MILPERs too. I could stay on and likely become the S3 next but will see how things work out in the end. Obtaining a Masters is another personal goal for me that would benefit my career even more.
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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.
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This is an excellent post, BG (Join to see) -- thanks for sharing this. These insights are golden.
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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.
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BG (Join to see)
Yes, I will guarantee that whenever you see an officer (or NCO) and wonder "How did they get promoted?" it will be because they ensured their educational requirements were squared away.
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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.
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BG (Join to see), 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*?
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BG (Join to see)
From the large number of non-JAG attorneys who get selected for COL/ BG, I would say that you are good to go!
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LTC (Join to see)
Thank you, BG (Join to see). My wife will be pleased to hear I don't have to go back to school . . . again . . . until War College.
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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.
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.
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BG (Join to see)
First of all, my message is that there is no point in going to the board if you do not have ILE at least 50% complete as there are no waivers for education.
The war is over, we are going back to the promotion standards from pre-9/11. Yes, fully qualified officers WILL be passed over. Education is a GO/ NO-GO gate while performance and KDs will be the discriminators after that. Seek KDs and do well if you want to get promoted.
The war is over, we are going back to the promotion standards from pre-9/11. Yes, fully qualified officers WILL be passed over. Education is a GO/ NO-GO gate while performance and KDs will be the discriminators after that. Seek KDs and do well if you want to get promoted.
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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.
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.
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