How do you get a promotion in the army/navy/air force?

Question

Is it by serving for a long time? Or managing to kill a lot of enemies (say, in Iraq)? Or managing to save a leader? How does it work?

Answer 1

The promotion systems are different between the branches but very fare and correct for the times we live in today. It has nothing to do with how many people you kill in combat or serving along time. You can serve a long period of time, not get recommended for promotion and eventually be forced out of service for failing to progress.

I can not speak accurately for the air force, Marines and navy but I did manage to get promoted a few times in the army. Now, I was not a warrant officer of commissioned officer.

For enlisted personnel in the army, there are three methods of promotion. For example pay grades E-1 to E-4, it is done internally within the unit. The commander will have some many promotions each month available each month and recommendations are given by the platoon sergeant and platoon leader. Leaders at all levels, especially at the junior levels are required to counsel their subordinates regularly and advice them about their performance, promotion potential and other matters. If you are above standard or stand out above your peers, you will more then likely receive a promotion. Now, there are requirements for promotions, such as time in service, time you have held your current rank and so forth.

For pay grades E-5 and E-6, there is a different procedure and it is a board, sort of like a job interview. You are recommended for promotion and required to appear before a panel or promotion board which consist of Senior Non-Commissioned Officers from your unit, usually the First Sergeants and the Command Sergeant Major. They will evaluate you and you will receive a score. After three months, you will compete against the rest of your MOS or people within your job specialty across the army. Each month, the department of the army will announce a score for promotions for each specialty, otherwise known as a cut off score and that is the minimum amount of points a person must have to be promoted.

The last promotion system for pay grades E-7 – E-9 is a centralized board where a panel of Sergeants Majors will review your record and a photo, they will make a recommendation based on criteria they receive before the board convenes which is once a year. If recommended, you will receive a sequence number and wait until that number is announced. Each month after the board convenes sequence numbers are announced for that month.

The system may seem unfair to some people, however, it is a good system. At the lower levels or within the actual workforce, there are a lot of individuals and promotions must be conducted at the company level. As you progress through the ranks, especially the senior level ranks, the chances for promotion decrease because of the competitive level and amount of vacancies. The amount of responsibilities change and increase with each promotion.

Answer 2

None of the above. You get promoted by proving you can be a leader and a manager.

Answer 3

in the navy, from e1-e2 you auto advance after 9 months, e2-e3 auto after 6 months, e3-e6 takes a test every 6 months delaing with your job, from e6-e7 you take a test once a year, from e7-e8 based on your performance, e8-e9 based on your performance

Answer 4

Good God. Try by doing your job well and demonstrating that you are ready for increased responsibility.

Answer 5

On-going wars are necessary for lavish promotions.

Answer 6

grow up. promotions are not based on body count or heroics

there are tests to be taken as well as time spent in the previous paygrade before a person is eligible to be promoted. These tests are based on the job they are trained to do as well as Service Wide aspects.

Answer 7

You earn points for various things: time in service, time in grade,schools attended, test scores, awards recieved. Points are totaled and listed against everyone in your rank, brance of service, and job field.
For example you are in the Army, your job is Intell Clerk and you are a Buck Sgt. You have enough time in service and grande to make Staff Sgt. Dept of the Army publishes the list of all the Sgt Intell clerks in the army and how many points they have. The promotion cutoff is say 550 points. You have 562, so you make saff Sgt.