Air Force Reinstate Captain Selection Boards

[ColoradoAviator]

Link

I hear that you'll need to be masters' and PME complete to be competitive... </sarcasm>

Air Force officials reinstate captain central selection board

by Beth Gosselin

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

10/13/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Promotion opportunities for active-duty line of the Air Force first lieutenants competing for promotion to captain is being adjusted to 95 percent, Air Force officials announced Oct. 13 here.

Since the promotion opportunity to captain will now be less than 100 percent, the Air Force officials will reinstate a captain central selection board for LAF officers, officials said, citing 2002 as the last previous captain promotions board. The new change will be effective with the next captain LAF promotion board, scheduled for July 2011.

This falls in line with recent changes to the LAF promotion opportunity to major, which went from 95 percent opportunity to 90 percent opportunity, effective with the December 2010 major LAF board convening at the Air Force Personnel Center.

"These are efforts to ensure the Air Force selects only the best qualified officers for promotion to the ranks of captain and major," said Col. Julie Boit, the chief of Military Force Policy chief.

"It's important that our young officers understand that selection for promotion to the next higher rank is competitive, and promotions become increasingly competitive with each higher grade," Colonel Boit said.

The colonel added that junior officers, more than ever, must ensure their personnel records are in order.

"We've always encouraged our officers to review their personnel records at least annually; this drives the point home even more," she said. "Lieutenants and captains will now compete for fewer captain and major opportunities, resulting in a more highly competitive selection process for officers preparing to enter our field grade ranks, which typically demand much greater responsibility."

The colonel explained that as the Air Force continues to hone its force development plans and select officers to fill positions at the higher grade, the service will remain committed to selecting the best qualified officers for promotion.

New LAF promotion opportunity rates are not unusual and the new promotion opportunities will still be well within Department of Defense guidelines, the colonel said.

"These changes will better align us with the promotion rates of the other services," she said. "This is a move that makes sense in light of the increasing joint nature of the military."

[Techsan]

Hopefully af.mil doesn't get pissed like AF Times did since you posted the full article here.

[Tank]

So, it seems the Captain's promotion board is going to be just like the Major's promotion board; as long as you meet 2 of the next 3 (breathing, no DUI's and haven't had sex with an enlisted chick) you will be promoted!

[usaf36031]

These are efforts to ensure the Air Force selects only the best qualified officers for promotion to the ranks of captain and major

Seriously? 95% = the "best qualified officers"

More accurately, these efforts ensure the bottom of the effin barrel don't get promoted.

So, it seems the Captain's promotion board is going to be just like the Major's promotion board; as long as you meet 2 of the next 3 (breathing, no DUI's and haven't had sex with an enlisted chick) you will be promoted!

Quick point of order, that should read: "Haven't been CAUGHT having sex with an enlisted chick"

[aeroplanez]

Whew! Just made it!

[Ram]

aeroplanez, I want to swap my face for the ball in your avatar.

[Learjetter]

How friggen awesome to be a LT with 1500 hours and a 10 yr commitment and NOT get promoted!! & I wonder how many RPA LTs won't get promoted, regardless of potential to serve in higher grade?

[SurelySerious]

I wonder how many RPA LTs won't get promoted, regardless of potential to serve in higher grade?

Probably none, but I know of some good Do Not Promote candidates; I'll keep you posted.

[AmpXLZH]

Just read my conratulations email for being "selected" for Captain today... I guess I fit into the AF's criteria for the respectable rank of Captain!

[Skitzo]

So now we get to worry about PRFs to Capt, I'm not an exec but now I'm definitely glad to not be one.

[Ebony zer]

I'm pretty sure if you get passed over for Major twice, you have to be offered selective continuation to stay in. The ADSC you incur for UPT comes secondary to whatever law dictates we have so many officers in each grade. So does that mean passed over Captains will be able to punch with 7 years left on their UPT commitment?

[Chida]

Right! Twice non-selected for major leaves a captain with a possible offer for continuation. He doesn't have to take it. If he doesn't take continuation then he won't get involuntary separation pay. On the other hand, if he's not offered continuation then he gets involuntary separation pay.

Being twice non-selected for captain is the same type of thing. The only thing I'm not too sure about is if a 1Lt would be offered continuation. Once you're twice passed over and not offered (or don't accept) continuation you have 6 months maximum before separation.

For those that chafe at the 10 year pilot training commitment, here's your way out. In all reality they're doing this in lieu of a reduction in force board.

(ADSC's don't apply)

[Chicken]

For those that chafe at the 10 year pilot training commitment, here's your way out. In all reality they're doing this in lieu of a reduction in force board.

(ADSC's don't apply)

Or you could just fail your PT test a few times...

[Jughead]

How friggen awesome to be a LT with 1500 hours and a 10 yr commitment and NOT get promoted!! & I wonder how many RPA LTs won't get promoted, regardless of potential to serve in higher grade?

More to the point, I wonder how long it will be before a disgruntled LTs (RPA or otherwise) writes a "do not promote me" letter to the board in order to gain early separation...?

[Karl Hungus]

More to the point, I wonder how long it will be before a disgruntled LTs (RPA or otherwise) writes a "do not promote me" letter to the board in order to gain early separation...?

Several people I know were wondering what would happen if they turned down the promotion or went out of their way to not get promoted, and were then forced out prior to their 10 years. Can they still get a job with the guard or reserves....?

I can see it now... people scrambling to do ASBC by correspondence to "earn" an ASBC in residence slot. I'm sure Robin Olds would be thrilled.

[disgruntledemployee]

More to the point, I wonder how long it will be before a disgruntled LTs (RPA or otherwise) writes a "do not promote me" letter to the board in order to gain early separation...?

How about being a perpetual copilot 1LT for the remainder of your committment. Just because a dude can't lead doesn't mean he gets to depart early with an expensivly acquired skill. While a Capt is usually at the end of their ADSC when the pass-over occurs, the LTs will only be 2-3 years into theirs. So I wouldn't count on the AF getting rid of passed-over Lt pilots, navs, or anyone else with a long training ADSCs. And guess who'll get the crap jobs/deployments. So if anyone out there thinks they can game the system, the people running said system can be just as devious.

Out

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

How about being a perpetual copilot 1LT for the remainder of your committment. Just because a dude can't lead doesn't mean he gets to depart early with an expensivly acquired skill. While a Capt is usually at the end of their ADSC when the pass-over occurs, the LTs will only be 2-3 years into theirs. So I wouldn't count on the AF getting rid of passed-over Lt pilots, navs, or anyone else with a long training ADSCs. And guess who'll get the crap jobs/deployments. So if anyone out there thinks they can game the system, the people running said system can be just as devious.

Out

I want to see a Lt get passed over and then offered continuance, then retire as a 20 year 1Lt. THAT would be classic, and I would buy that man a beer.

[Jughead]

Just because a dude can't lead doesn't mean he gets to depart early with an expensivly acquired skill.

Au contraire.

AFI 36-2501

3.10. Effects of Nonselection for Promotion. Generally, officers not selected for promotion to captain

through lieutenant colonel for the second time are separated in accordance with AFI 36-3207, Separating

Commissioned Officers, unless they:

3.10.1. Are retirement eligible or within 2 years of qualifying for retirement (i.e., in the sanctuary) as

of the mandatory date of separation (DOS) established for officers twice nonselected for promotion by

that board.

3.10.2. Are selected for continuation.

3.10.3. Have an earlier established DOS.

AFI 36-3207

3.4. Officers Who Aren't Selected for Promotion. The DOS for officers not selected for promotion for

the second time to the grade of captain, major, or lieutenant colonel normally falls no later than the last

day of the 6th calendar month after the month in which the report of the board that considered them is

approved. NOTE: This applies to officers twice not selected for promotion and selected for, but who

decline, continuation on active duty.

3.4.1. The officers may request an earlier DOS once they know they weren't selected.

3.4.2. The MPF discharges regular officers and releases reserve officers from active duty.

This is all based on Title 10 USC stuff--AF doesn't have much choice in the matter. They can offer continutation, but you don't have to take it. This happened (at least) once before, when there were a bunch of early separation programs going on. A bunch of captains wrote "don't promote me" letters to the board, subsequently were not promoted, then separated (per those regs & Title 10 requirements) with involuntary separation pay plus early separation pay (while keeping any bonus money they may already have gotten). That leak has since been plugged--if you read those regs you'll find verbiage that writing a "don't promote me" letter to the board renders the officer ineligible for involuntary separation pay, and the bonus language is different, too.

Now, if a significant number of LTs start ensuring their own non-selection to Captain (by virtue of writing a letter), they'll undoubtedly come up with a way to stop it. As it stands right now, though, I don't believe that's the case.... That's why I find this issue fascinating--the fallout will be very interesting.

[osulax05]

I agree with chida that this is just a way for the AF to cut manpower with out an official RIF.

Though funny, I don't think you'll see people trying to game this to become 20 yr 1Lt's or get out of ADSC's.

[disgruntledemployee]

I knew someone would find the rules and post them. Now, how many guard units out there want to hire a past-over Lt, especially with the current pool of quality applicants?

Out

[capt4fans]

Don't laugh to hard at this one. But we had a guy in our squadron that had to have a PRF written for Captain. And talk about painful....that was a bitch.

[Dupe]

Does having a board for Captains now mean that PRFs are now all required for 1LTs going to the board? That's going to produce an ass-load of work for FTUs and Ops units.

[Jughead]

we had a guy in our squadron that had to have a PRF written for Captain.

Was that on a 1Lt for promotion to Capt, or was that the "best qualified" for retention (which used the PRF form but was not actually a PRF) for the Lt RIF a couple of years ago?

Does having a board for Captains now mean that PRFs are now all required for 1LTs going to the board? That's going to produce an ass-load of work for FTUs and Ops units.

2!!!

[Hacker]

Does having a board for Captains now mean that PRFs are now all required for 1LTs going to the board? That's going to produce an ass-load of work for FTUs and Ops units.

Considering that it used to be done up until 2002, what's the difference?

I have my "Capt PRF" and it looks nothing like the meticulously thought out and wordsmithed document that my O-4 and O-5 PRFs looked like. Unless Commanders decide that they're going to put that type of effort into it (which, clearly, isn't required based on the promotion rate) then that's their own doing.

Edited October 17, 2010 by Hacker

[HuskyPilot]

The question has been asked a couple of times, but with no reply. Is there any specific guidance out there that would make those 1LT dudes ineligible to get picked up by a guard/reserve unit? Or is it still up to the hiring unit if they want to select dudes who were passed over for O-3? And for you guys out there who wear the guard or reserve hat, how unfavorable would these guys look in the application process?

Thanks!