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Captains to be promoted sooner, serve longer as majors

By Cheryl Boujnida
June 16, 2005

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 16, 2005) – The Army has increased its career developmental timeline for active-duty majors by one year, while shortening time spent as a captain.

The initiative, recently approved by Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey, will reduce pin-on time to major from 10 years and seven months to 10 years. In order to implement this, two major promotion boards will be conducted in Fiscal Year 2006.

The change sets the developmental timelines in synchronization with the Army’s modularity, transformation and intermediate-level education, or ILE, requirements, said Col. Mark Patterson, chief, Officer Policy Division, G1, at the Pentagon.

“This will allow us to better manage our officers and meet the needs of an Army at war in the 21st century,” Patterson said. He explained that modularity and the new units of action have created a need for more majors in many career fields, but the real reason for the change is to allow majors time for a joint-service assignment.

“It’s key because it gives majors a joint assignment opportunity that they might not get prior to being promoted to lieutenant colonel or colonel.”

Majors currently serve five years before pinning on lieutenant colonel.

“The emphasis on joint operations is crucial – joint is the future. We need to look at joint assignment opportunities and how Soldiers get that experience,” Patterson said.

Beginning in 2007, no more waivers will be granted for joint service and colonels will need a joint assignment to be competitive for promotions, Patterson said.

The additional year requirement, initiated by the Officer Personnel Management System, or OPMS III, identified the need to further develop officers by expanding their career timeline.

“The extra year will benefit the officer and the military,” said Lt. Col. Craig Vest, branch chief, officer selection board policy branch.

“This will definitely have a positive impact within the Army and enhance our overall captain retention rate,” Patterson said.

The reduction in time spent as a captain aligns the Army with other armed services; the Air Force and Marine Corps’ pin-on time to major is 10 years and three months, and the Navy’s is nine years and 11 months.

“This is a very positive change within the Army. Not only is the earlier promotion a perk, but it’s important that we’ll have extra time as a field-grade officer to develop too,” said Capt. Hope Rampy, personnel policy integrator.

The early promotion goal will affect the current fiscal year 2005 major Army promotion board that will be released in June. Officers will pin on their rank sooner.

“The goal is to begin promoting in August and exhaust the list by March 1, 2006,” Patterson said.

There will be two separate major promotion boards in FY 2006. The first board will convene Sept. 6, and the second in April.

“Leadership wants to ensure that officers in the field have the opportunity to start preparing their file for the September board,” Patterson said.