How long can you stay (P) promotable?

2014-12-31T18:14:35-05:00

I know in the AF, we work on a line number or more correctly, promotion sequence number, system and all personnel are promoted after selection in a 12 month time frame. For us, we are not "promotable" until AFTER we have met the score required. Our line numbers are based on TIG, TIS, Age, DoB (in that order). This translates to those that have been at rank X for the longest will promote to rank Y ahead of those that are testing for the first or second time. It is not based on your actual WAPS score at all. You could be the #1 selectee (i.e. the highest score for your AFSC) and have to wait 12 months, while the last selectee might sew on within a few weeks of announcement.

I understand that the Army makes you "Promotable" first and then you have to met a specific score.

How long do you have to actually get promoted? Is it a time frame? Is it just till HYT for that rank?

Marines, I remember my parents talking about "cutting scores" and in some MOS's they were so high that some folks become terminal lance's (most famously) or terminal (insert rank here).

Navy, I know the Navy frocks E7's, but what is the process for all your other folks?

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 31 at 2014 6:20 PM

2014-12-31T18:20:03-05:00

Those scores are for promotion to E-5 and E-6, TSgt Joshua Copeland. If there's a time limit on how long an E-4 or E-5 can remain promotable, I don't know it. I guess the time limit would be the "HYT" or what the Army calls RCP (Retention Control Point).

For promotions to E-7 through E-9 (and most officers), it's a centralized board that is generally (though not always) exhausted within the year after it's released.

Response by SGT Chris Hill made Dec 31 at 2014 6:20 PM

2014-12-31T18:20:05-05:00

In the army it's 2 years or you lose it and have to re-board and you remain promotable until you make a certain MOS cut off score set by the big army per month. For E7+, you receive a sequence #

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Dec 31 at 2014 6:20 PM

2014-12-31T18:20:31-05:00

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member, the AF does central boards for all ranks above E4. I know on the O side of the house I have heard of officers having to wait up to 2 years from selection to sew on.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 31 at 2014 7:38 PM

2014-12-31T19:38:13-05:00

The ARNG uses a different promotion system than the regular Army. As a matter of fact it varies slightly from state to state. After one year time in grade E-4s are promotable. E-4s (specialists and corporals) are given an "E-4 eval" which is a similar form to the Army NCOER. This E-4 eval and your ERB are sent to state, who ranks you against all other promotable E-4s in your MOS. When an E-5 slot opens up, the highest ranked soldier on that list gets the promotion. If the position is not within 50 miles of that soldier's home of record, he can turn it down without penalty, and the soldier below him on the list gets it. Otherwise, if you turn down a position, or fail to respond to the offer you automatically get moved to the bottom of the list. The list renews each year, so you could have moved to number one, by the soldiers above you getting promoted, but when the next list comes out, you are back down it again.