Timeline and Process

Where to Find Promotion Board Information:

Air Reserve Personnel Center Memorandums (ARPCMs), which include Air Reserve Component (ARC) promotion board information such as Convening Notices and Promotion Releases, are posted on myFSS (CAC required for login). 

Promotion-related details are located on myPers under the “Air Reserve” or “Air National Guard” tab, as applicable (select “OFFICER”, then select “Promotion” on the left-page side). Information is updated regularly; please review before submitting a myPers inquiry. Notable items available on myPers include:

  • All recent ARPCMs (e.g. CY Board Schedules, Convening Notices, Promotion Releases [aka Public Release], etc.) for the grades of 1st Lt through Colonel
  • Recent Board Statuses and Information by Rank (current status of promotion results routing and announcements)
  • Knowledge regarding Promotion Orders, Pre and Post Board guidance, Resources (AFIs), and more

Promotion eligible officers and servicing Military Personnel Flights (MPFs) should thoroughly review the ARPCMs prior to when the board convenes.

Milestones:
Specific dates are included in the Convening Notices for awareness and/or action. If followed, this will keep you and your unit on track for officer promotion boards. Pay particular attention to PRF due dates, MilPDS updates cutoff, and when letters to the board are due as these suspenses involve potentially significant effects if missed.

Board Types:

HQ ARPC/PB administers selection boards as convened and directed by the SecAF. There are three primary methods for ARC officer promotion:

Promotion Process – Officers eligible for promotion to the ranks of 1st Lt and Capt do not actually meet a board; instead, they are promoted via a promotion process IAW Title 10 U.S.C. 14308, SecAF, and AFI guidance. Eligible ARC officers are identified for records review and, barring any disqualifying factors, are submitted for promotion selection twice per calendar year IAW ARPCM guidance.

Mandatory Boards – Officers eligible for promotion to the ranks of Maj through Col will meet the mandatory board; in-the-promotion zone (IPZ) members will meet the board at six (6) years time-in-grade (TIG) and, if selected/approved for promotion, these members will pin-on at seven (7) years TIG. (NOTE 1: The ANG does not have a mandatory board for Colonel promotions) (NOTE 2: Eligible Non-participating USAFR members will also meet mandatory boards)

Position Vacancy (PV) Boards – Officers eligible for promotion to the ranks of Maj through Lt Col may be recommended for a PV promotion by their Senior Rater. Specific requirements for PV promotion are outlined in AFI 36-2504, Chapter 2, and ANGI 36-2504, Chapter 3 (ANG members only). (NOTE: The ANG promotes its officers to Colonel first via Federal Recognition Examination Boards conducted by each state/territory and then via Federal Recognition Review Boards, held twice per calendar year IAW ARPCM guidance)

 

Time-in-Grade (TIG) Requirements:

 

 

TIG refers to the number of years required in-grade before you are eligible for promotion consideration to the next higher grade. IPZ members meet the mandatory board prior to TIG requirements so that, if promoted, their pin-on date follows once TIG requirements are met. However, a caveat to this is if a Senior Rater elects to accelerate a promotion.

Competitive Categories (Comp Cats):

Officers compete within their Comp Cats for all promotion boards. ARC officer Comp Cats are as follows:

 

Eligible officers, especially those who have cross-trained, should diligently review their records to ensure that their Core Flag reflects their correct AFSC in order to compete within the most appropriate/applicable Comp Cat.

Timeline:

The entire promotion process for each board starts at the coordination of the eligibility criteria period, which typically begins about -225 days before the board convenes.

In the Post Board phase of the process (+7 days through +120 days) there are some differences in who approves the board results. The President has delegated approval authority down to the SecDef level for promotions to Lt Col and below. POTUS approval and U.S. Senate nomination, followed by Senate confirmation, however, must be accomplished before selected members can be promoted to Colonel.

Accelerated Promotion:

Officers on a mandatory board promotion release may be promoted at any time to fill a vacant position based upon Senior Rater request and endorsement IAW the ARPCM promotion release. Review the specific requirements in AFI 36-2504, paragraph 6.5., and ANGI 36-2504 (ANG members only). 

USAFR member requests must arrive at HQ ARPC/PBE two (2) business days before the requested Date of Rank (DOR). If this timeframe is not met, the officer’s DOR will be processed for five (5) business days after request receipt. For ANG members, Senior Raters should work through their servicing MPF and state/territory Military Personnel Management Officer (MPMO) for accelerated promotions of their members while ANG Statutory Tour members should work through their NGB-assigned chain-of-command.

Member Responsibilities

  • Know your DOR and when you are eligible for promotion consideration
  • Read the ARPCMs
  • Review your Officer Preselection Brief (OPB) which is a one-page snapshot of your career; contact your servicing MPF if you don’t receive your OPB by the ARPCM prescribed time period
    • NOTE: OPBs become the Officer Selection Brief (OSB); the OSB is what the promotion board will see
  • Review your electronic Officer Selection Record (eOSR), which lists any system-identified discrepancies found in your record
  • Make sure your records are correct and take immediate action through your servicing MPF to resolve issues


Records Verification:
Confirm that your records reflect accurately, to include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Developmental Education (DE)
  • Foreign Language
  • Board Certifications
  • Decorations
  • Performance Reports
  • Participation Points
  • Duty History and Duty Titles
  • Advanced Academic Degree (O-6 board only)


Letters to the Board:
Officers meeting a board may submit written communication addressing any matter they want the board to consider while their record is being reviewed. Some items that may be addressed include:

  • Record Gaps (e.g. breaks-in-service)
  • Missing OPRs/Decorations
  • Unsatisfactory Year(s) of Service
  • Specific achievements not otherwise captured in your records

Review the ARPCM to ensure that your letter meets board requirements and that it is submitted properly.

Post Board Non-selection Counseling:
This is only available to officers who were not selected for promotion during a specific promotion board. Counseling requests should be submitted through the vPC Dashboard as described on myPers under the Post Promotion Board Information section.

Officers should review their eOSR and Personnel Records Display Application (PRDA) to identify errors or omissions that may have contributed to their non-selection. Errors or omissions can be discussed during the personal feedback session, however counselors cannot provide definitive reasons for non-selection.

Under certain circumstances, non-select counseling may lead to initiating an AF Board for Correction of Military Records (AFBCMR) or Evaluations Reports Appeals Board (ERAB) application and/or a Special Board (SB)/Special Selection Board (SSB) request. Notably, officers will not be considered for SB/SSB if, by exercising reasonable diligence, they should have discovered an error or omission in their record and could have taken timely corrective action (see AFI 36-2504, paragraph 9.2.3.2).

Senior Rater (SR) Responsibilities

ARPCM Convening Notices are published approximately six (6) months prior to when the board convenes. SRs should review their Master Eligibility List (MEL) weekly before the board convenes as well as the ARPCM to ensure all requirements are met and deliverables are submitted on time in support of their promotion eligible officers.

Additionally, to aid officers eligible for promotion consideration, SRs should promptly complete awards and decorations in recognition of their members’ meritorious or outstanding service, as applicable.

AF Form 709 – Promotion Recommendation Forms (PRFs):

  • Required for Lt Col (USAFR/ANG) and Colonel (USAFR) Mandatory Boards
  • Required for ANG Federal Recognition Review Boards
  • Required for Maj and Lt Col (USAFR) PV Boards
  • Required for Do Not Promote (DNP) recommendations, regardless of promotion board or process
  • Provide a copy to the eligible officer approximately 30 calendar days before the board convenes
  • Submit PRFs to HQ ARPC/PBE by no later than the date listed within the applicable ARPCM

PRF Requirements:

  • Use the current AF 709, dated 20210521 and found on e-PUBs; outdated forms will be rejected
  • Utilize proper bullet and wording format IAW the ARPCM and AFI 36-2406
  • Provide comments within Section IV, Promotion Recommendation
    • NOTE: Comments are mandatory for all ARC officer PRFs
  • Must be signed by SR

MISCELLANEOUS

Volunteer for ARC Officer Promotion Boards:
Board volunteers are welcome! To serve on the board, members must be at least an O-6 (Colonel) Active Duty or ARC member. Please reference the “RESOURCES” section in the upper right corner of this page for more information. This can also be found in myPers by selecting the “ARPC Promotion Board Volunteer Information” link.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Please reference the “RESOURCES” section (upper right corner) or the FAQ banner at the top of the page for answers to common questions and requests received by HQ ARPC/PB.

Frequently Used/Referenced Sources:

  • Officer Promotion page on myPers and ARPCMs
  • AFI 36-2406, Officer and Enlisted Evaluations Systems
  • AFI 36-2504, Officer Promotion, Continuation, and Select Early Removal in the Reserve of the Air Force
  • AFI 36-2603, Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records
  • AFMAN 36-2604, Service Dates and Dates of Rank
  • ANGI 36-2504, Federal Recognition of Promotion in the ANG and as Reserve of the Air Force Below the Grade of General Officer
  • DAFPM2021-36-03, Adverse Information for Total Force Officer Selection Boards

NEED HELP?

MyVector - Used for all Promotion actions, questions, inquires and applications. 

myFSS - Used for promotion knowledge and information only