Posted on Mar 24, 2023
Is there a way to get Date of Rank changed after promotion?
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Guard, 1LT in an O3 spot since 2017. I was eligible for promotion to CPT back in late 2019, my packet was dropped Feb 2020, and as we all know COVID hit. Fast forward about 6months (Aug/Sep) to give it time to run its course, I ask about the status; S1 tells me it got lost and have to resubmit. Fine, ‘Army efficiency’, fast forward another 6 months (2021) ‘it’s with BDE’. Few months later I ask again, ‘oh, it was denied’ (I’m told whoever at NGB makes the decision just blanket denied every one). Now I’m pissed, finally had to go through DA Select which convened March 2022, approved, but I’m still waiting on my Fed Rec and the last document I saw said DOR 1 DEC 2022.
I know back pay isn’t even an option but my gripe is time in grade. Many of my peers prompted late ‘21, early ‘22 when I should have already been an O3. I’m just afraid this is going to drop me on the promotion list come time for O4. Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated!
I know back pay isn’t even an option but my gripe is time in grade. Many of my peers prompted late ‘21, early ‘22 when I should have already been an O3. I’m just afraid this is going to drop me on the promotion list come time for O4. Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated!
Posted in these groups: 
Promotions
Promotions
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
Short answer for your situation: No.
Long answer: You were submitted for a vacancy promotion and it was denied. You were subsequently promoted though a centralized DA board. Your DOR is going to be the same as everyone else on the DA board, regardless of how long it takes for the FEDREC to go through.
Everything else is 'window dressing' as far as the system is concerned. Is it fair? No. However, because you had an official denial on your vacancy promotion, there isn't a recourse.
You can't claim that your DOR would have been earlier except for COVID or any other factor that will be a legitimate reason to one of the Army Review Boards other than a hypothetical (if COVID hadn't happened and they processed my packet in a timely manner, I might have been promoted earlier!).
Long answer: You were submitted for a vacancy promotion and it was denied. You were subsequently promoted though a centralized DA board. Your DOR is going to be the same as everyone else on the DA board, regardless of how long it takes for the FEDREC to go through.
Everything else is 'window dressing' as far as the system is concerned. Is it fair? No. However, because you had an official denial on your vacancy promotion, there isn't a recourse.
You can't claim that your DOR would have been earlier except for COVID or any other factor that will be a legitimate reason to one of the Army Review Boards other than a hypothetical (if COVID hadn't happened and they processed my packet in a timely manner, I might have been promoted earlier!).
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1LT (Join to see)
Thank you, Sir. I’m just at a loss that I’m 3 years behind in my career progression due to some administrative failures and I have no recourse. Maybe I misunderstand the process but I don’t see how everything, submitted electronically, gets ‘lost’ and then later someone many levels removed from my position summarily denies my promotion when, up to that point and without ego, I was serving above my grade, ahead of my peers, and without any negative marks. The latest delays due to DA Selection are just a procedural slog that I know will eventually compete but I’m out that much time and money and it’s hard to feel like it’s worth while when I’m left hanging.
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COL Randall C.
I know the words will be hollow, but you're not '3 years behind in your career progression' - you're just not years ahead of your career progression. Over 95% of officers in the reserve component are promoted though a centralized DA board.
Vacancy promotions in the reserve component (especially the Guard) used to be something that was a 'put in your packet and pin on when it comes back' - Vacancy promotion boards were pretty much a "promote unless there is a reason not to" process.
Not the case anymore. Now vacancy promotions are treated much like a below-the-zone promotion in scrutiny - in other words, just because you're in a slot doesn't mean you'll be promoted in that slot. There has to be other factors involved (performance, leadership involvement, etc) to make it though NGB/USARC.
If you had a clear ACOM profile from top-block OERs, great write-ups, etc. I would say that you would have had a good shot at a vacancy promotion. However, if it as 'good' instead of 'excellent' - then I would put that as a 'may' instead of 'a good shot' (only you know how strong your profile is ... I'm not looking for feedback, this is a conversation you have with yourself).
If the former, then you might walk away bitter about the situation - I know that if I had a rock-star packet and it was lost in "the great work upset of 2020", I would be. However, and these are cold-comfort as words, you need to 'shake it off'.
Contrary to what I said before there is a remote possibility that you could appeal to an Army board of corrections to get your DOR backdated ... but it would be on par of climbing Everest ... maybe tougher.
You would have to show that the work processes at NGB was severely disrupted for an external event (easy to do ... COVID shutdowns and minimum manning in office) and that the work-arounds that were put in place were negligent and unfair to the officers being considered (good luck with that ... you would have to basically get paperwork or sword testimony from individuals stating that they knew the process was negligent but did it anyway).
Then you would have to show that you absolutely would have been promoted at a vacancy promotion board if the above didn't happen. To do that, you would have to show a clear comparison between your board file and others that were vacancy promoted and that your file was at least as strong, if not stronger, than theirs.
So, while technically it's possible, technically it's possible that a meteor is going to wipe out your house as well ... honestly, I'm not sure which I'd give better odds on though.
From what you said, I assume you were promoted from 2LT to 1LT right around the time you were put into the O3 position (Minimum TIG for promotion from 1LT to CPT is 2 years ... if you were eligible for promotion in late 2019, then you would have pinned on 1LT in late 2017) -- that is unless you were ineligible because of PME or something else. This matches up with the FY22 RC CPT promotion board which considered people with a 1LT DOR between 1 SEP 17 and 31 AUG 18.
As I said in the beginning, that means you're on par with at least 95% of your peers in your career timelines.
If you had a rock-star board packet for the vacancy promotion board and 2020/2021 'got in the way', look at it as there was an obstacle on the race track and that dropped you back to the rest of the pack. However, if you don't let this discourage you and continue to perform above the rest, then you'll quickly get back out front and have other opportunities to excel.
Vacancy promotions in the reserve component (especially the Guard) used to be something that was a 'put in your packet and pin on when it comes back' - Vacancy promotion boards were pretty much a "promote unless there is a reason not to" process.
Not the case anymore. Now vacancy promotions are treated much like a below-the-zone promotion in scrutiny - in other words, just because you're in a slot doesn't mean you'll be promoted in that slot. There has to be other factors involved (performance, leadership involvement, etc) to make it though NGB/USARC.
If you had a clear ACOM profile from top-block OERs, great write-ups, etc. I would say that you would have had a good shot at a vacancy promotion. However, if it as 'good' instead of 'excellent' - then I would put that as a 'may' instead of 'a good shot' (only you know how strong your profile is ... I'm not looking for feedback, this is a conversation you have with yourself).
If the former, then you might walk away bitter about the situation - I know that if I had a rock-star packet and it was lost in "the great work upset of 2020", I would be. However, and these are cold-comfort as words, you need to 'shake it off'.
Contrary to what I said before there is a remote possibility that you could appeal to an Army board of corrections to get your DOR backdated ... but it would be on par of climbing Everest ... maybe tougher.
You would have to show that the work processes at NGB was severely disrupted for an external event (easy to do ... COVID shutdowns and minimum manning in office) and that the work-arounds that were put in place were negligent and unfair to the officers being considered (good luck with that ... you would have to basically get paperwork or sword testimony from individuals stating that they knew the process was negligent but did it anyway).
Then you would have to show that you absolutely would have been promoted at a vacancy promotion board if the above didn't happen. To do that, you would have to show a clear comparison between your board file and others that were vacancy promoted and that your file was at least as strong, if not stronger, than theirs.
So, while technically it's possible, technically it's possible that a meteor is going to wipe out your house as well ... honestly, I'm not sure which I'd give better odds on though.
From what you said, I assume you were promoted from 2LT to 1LT right around the time you were put into the O3 position (Minimum TIG for promotion from 1LT to CPT is 2 years ... if you were eligible for promotion in late 2019, then you would have pinned on 1LT in late 2017) -- that is unless you were ineligible because of PME or something else. This matches up with the FY22 RC CPT promotion board which considered people with a 1LT DOR between 1 SEP 17 and 31 AUG 18.
As I said in the beginning, that means you're on par with at least 95% of your peers in your career timelines.
If you had a rock-star board packet for the vacancy promotion board and 2020/2021 'got in the way', look at it as there was an obstacle on the race track and that dropped you back to the rest of the pack. However, if you don't let this discourage you and continue to perform above the rest, then you'll quickly get back out front and have other opportunities to excel.
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1LT Larry Bass
I retired as an 02E. Had to turn down 03E twice due to education (3 years of college, & no degree). My retired pay would be much better had I been promoted, but I was satisfied in the fact that I had 18 years under my belt at the second "no go" (they had to keep me 2 more years), and I had AV8R wings on my chest (which assisted my civilian career). I was able to finish my BS-degree 5 years after my mandatory military retirement and actually tried to get back in & try for 03E a third time. The Army wasn't interested at that point. NO BIG DEAL. Thanks for the million-dollars worth of flight training, Uncle Sam!
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Just to add; NGB does not "blanket deny" all UVPs.
However, on any DA Board, they can only select up to 10% of promotions that are below zone (BZ) or prior to their first year of eligibility in the primary zone.
Which means any UVP packet prior to primary zone should be written up as a top 10% performer.
Unfortunately, too many in the Guard fail to realize this and approach the UVP as a "check the block" exercise, believing that if they just complete the checklist, they will get it, and that kind of UVP packet will typically get denied.
FWIW, a strong UVP packet would be a 1LT with CCC complete, an OER that enumerates "1 of x" of company XOs in the BN, and maybe even a strong company command OER if they already got to that job.
A UVP that would definitely get kicked back would be OERs for just PL and/or staff time, and/or enumerated 2 or lower on an XO OER, and CCC not completed yet.
However, on any DA Board, they can only select up to 10% of promotions that are below zone (BZ) or prior to their first year of eligibility in the primary zone.
Which means any UVP packet prior to primary zone should be written up as a top 10% performer.
Unfortunately, too many in the Guard fail to realize this and approach the UVP as a "check the block" exercise, believing that if they just complete the checklist, they will get it, and that kind of UVP packet will typically get denied.
FWIW, a strong UVP packet would be a 1LT with CCC complete, an OER that enumerates "1 of x" of company XOs in the BN, and maybe even a strong company command OER if they already got to that job.
A UVP that would definitely get kicked back would be OERs for just PL and/or staff time, and/or enumerated 2 or lower on an XO OER, and CCC not completed yet.
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1LT (Join to see)
SGM McCloud, thank you for the detailed explanation. By the time it made it to NGB I had already served as XO, was in an O3 slot (BN TAC), and well within my P window, but had not completed CCC. I’d have to check my OER for the rest. Still frustrated but I can see why it might have missed the threshold.
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