Can my Chain of Command deny my promotion after I've already made the list?

You must be in a promotable status on the date the promotion is effective... if you are removed from the promotable status ranks - i.e. get flagged - you are done, and there's not a damned thing you can do about it. You may have been recommended/boarded by a command that just wanted to see people boarded, never expecting the DA message to come out, and this command did the lazy thing and didn't flag you to begin with to remove you from the list.

Yeah, they can pull your promotion all the way up to the date of promotion, and even administratively bust you afterward if they feel strongly enough.

That you haven't received counseling on it is on them - AND YOU!! You knew it was supposed to be done - why didn't you ask?

This is one of the reasons the Army should go back to (and the rest of the services should adopt) the Specialist tier system - tactically proficient, but not leadership material.

Good luck. I'd advise you to go talk with S-1 or a higher admin shop to get more info.

Did you make the promotion? The way the reg reads (going from memory here) they have to promote you because they did not give you counseling as to why you would not get promoted. How are you supposed to improve and do the things you need to do in order to be a good NCO if they are not telling you how to improve and documenting it? Legally, they have no leg to stand on. You get the promotion, deserved or not. They did not do their job as NCOs, so that is that.

Well Specialist... there’s your Sign ! Get studying for that board and by the way, lotsa luck !