What's the most unusual way you have seen someone receive notification of promotion?

My previous 1SG walked up to me while I was in the motorpool and cut my PFC off with a knife whilst I was PMCsing my vehicle. I was confused as all hell. Around the end of the duty day he announced we had a promotion and awards ceremony. I walked in and my whole unit was already there. They gave me a later time than everyone else. The CO called me to the front of the formation and a put my SPC rank on my chest and everyone is just laughing including myself bc I was moping all day thinking I did something wrong. They had put in a waiver at my 18 month mark without telling me. That was a really good day.

Way back when, I was assigned I&I duty in Charlotte, N.C. I had about 5 years in grade as E-4 and had been doing E-7 job because of another Marine's illness. I finally accumulated enough points to make SGT, but at the same time a Meritorious promotion signed by the Commandant came thru dated 11 days later. I opted to delay my promotion eleven days to have the Meritorious promotion. Almost sixty years later I still treasure that certificate.

I had an unusual start to my career. I went from basic and AIT to jump school to sniper school to ranger school before being told I had to report to Ft. Bragg. I went to the Repo Depot and our CSM drove up on the hood of a jeep and called us into formation. He had all Tabs fall out and reform up. He asked if anyone was sniper qualified. I was the only one. He said come with me and off he ran into the office. He got my records and looked at them for a few minutes then turned to me and said Sargent why are you wearing PFC rank? I was dumb founded. He informed me that I had been boarded in Ranger school. I looked at him stupefied and he laughed at me and said they must have treated a the honor grad board as a promotion board. He pulled off one of his rank insignia snapped off the bottom and said come on sarg we have a war to fight. That night we jumped into Grenada under fire... What a day!!!

When I was promoted to Staff Sergeant, we were redeploying from a long trip in Canada. No one liked my Platoon Sergeant so the S-1 called me out of the large hangar we were waiting for our plane and let me know. He said "I didn't want your Platoon Sergeant to be the first to congratulate you"

Via Facebook!

I was a 2LT and our company commander called me up in front of the formation and colored my butter bar in with a black sharpie. That's how I got promoted to 1LT.

While I was Army, my brother in law was a Marine - before cell phones. My sister and brother in law were coming to town to visit. He left our phone number at his work as an emergency number. While they were somewhere enroute, we received a call from one of my brother in laws NCOs who informed me that he had made Colonel. I quickly made a sign post attached to a base. I drew a Colonel's "bird" on an appropriately sized piece of poster board and under it printed "Parking Only". He saw it when he pulled into his parking place. :-) I'm sure there are better stories out there, but this was the best I had. LOL

Had someone I knew who read he was promoted in the Army Times. He set up an elaborate Promotion Party, only to find out, He was NOT promoted..Don't believe the Army Times!

When I made PFC, my Section Sergeant busted into my room, obviously upset and loudly stated "Well I couldn't stop it!" threw my rank on my bunk and stormed out.

I was notified that I made cutoff by my PSG via voicemail then group text message while I was sitting in a porta-john during a field exercise.