Is there a special system for bypassing flags to get officers promoted?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:06:51 -0400

Curious how an officer gets flagged, removed from from the selection list by DA, then gets promoted 3 years later with the promotion back-dated to 6 days AFTER the flag was imposed (still not lifted), and without ever being on a promotion selection list since then?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2019 9:45 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:45:25 -0400

It's black magic

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jul 26 at 2019 9:46 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:46:04 -0400

If by “flags” you mean adverse information in an officer’s record, then I say “No.” some adverse information has a definite life span. It may be removed from the record after a period of time. Also the SM can appeal to the Service HQ for a change to record especially if the adverse information was entered due to discriminatory behavior by a more senior officer. What flags were you thinking about?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2019 10:21 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 10:21:59 -0400

Chances are that the person was not on the same flag for three years. A three year flag is virtually unheard of unless you're awaiting court martial for fratricide. I can only think of two times I've seen someone flagged for three years or more and it was Nadal Hassan and Bozicevich. A three year flag would raise questions all the way at the HRC level.
As for the promotion, when someone is on the promotion list and becomes flagged, they receive a second flag removing them from the list. Once the first flag is resolved a board reviews the promotion and decides to grant it or not. The DOR will be the date it would have been granted had the SM not been flagged. Another possibility is that the date of the flag was changed and the day the SM would have been promoted was prior to the effective flag date. How or why that happened - I couldn't tell you without knowing more, but HRC has the power to do anything when the circumstances warrant and the chain of command supports.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2019 11:35 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 11:35:06 -0400

Only way I can think of to have this happen is if there was some form of appeal or correction to military records that was approved, with an as of date of six days after the FLAG was imposed. The most logical thing would be a pending investigation FLAG that was never lifted. Maybe one for a referred OER that got favorably concluded. That's about it.
Common FLAGs like APFT or HT/WT fail would not be treated this way.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jul 26 at 2019 9:08 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 21:08:27 -0400

Flags drop out of the system after 3 years. I had an officer flagged for 5 years awaiting outcome of (a glacially slow and inept prosecution) on a civilian matter. We had to reimpose the flag.

There is no special system I am aware of. Depending on the flags, if the reason was resolved in the officer's favor (like being cleared of the investigation), DA can hold a special promotion board and review their file for promotion.

There is way more to this story....

Response by MAJ Matthew Arnold made Jul 28 at 2019 4:27 PM

MAJ Matthew Arnold — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 16:27:47 -0400

So, there I was, after 16 years of service (RA and NG) FLAGGED! On the way to the PT test, my friend says, I'm hungry, let's stop and get some food. Not before the PT test, I say. It'll be 2 hours, he says. Hmmm, no, I say. We stop. I eat. Bad move. So I proved that I just could not finish the run in time with a beef burger, fries, and a Coke in my gut. So, flagged! The Colonel was not happy. Sir, I said, this was a one time stupid mistake. I ate a burger too soon before the PT test. I am in shape. I will take the test again tomorrow and I will pass it. I have never failed the PT test before. I will never eat a burger before the PT test again. I will never fail the PT test again. (It's much better when you are younger and have to explain these kind of stupid decisions to a Captain.) At the next weekend drill I took the test again and passed, but I was flagged for 1 month. Poor HHC personnel section, all that paper work. Sometime common sense goes out the window. Anyway, officers do get flagged.