Promotion in the IRR

[subreservist]

...I was pretty sure this was my board.

Now, to answer your question, it's my understanding that returning SELRES is much easier as an O-4 than as an O-5. As a CDR you need to go through the Apply process...Where as an O-4 can simply be picked up...however, there's a trade off too: if you're an O-4 and short to your 20 year mark, no one might want you since you have such a short shelf life. Real experts feel free to chime in.

When you say "pretty sure", are you sure??? NAVADMIN 317/13 put out the zones for the FY15 boards...O4's URL reserve was:

COMMANDER LINE UNRESTRICTED LINE OFFICER (11XX, 13XX)
SENIOR IN-ZONE - LCDR D. S. KIM 341073-50 1 SEP 09
JUNIOR IN-ZONE - LCDR D. M. THIELKER 343355-00 1 SEP 10

So, if your O4 DOR/precedence falls in that, then it was definitely your board. JPME is pretty much a check that everyone I know is getting; some are even starting it as O3. Masters are still good checks...also any quals your community might want (they have a community brief for reserves on the promotion area of bupers). I know for mine, they stress being TASWO and Battle Watch Captain qual'ed. I've been told by those who have sat boards that usually the last 3 FITREPS (ideally current leading into the board) is as far back as they go as far as marks and trends for briefing purposes, although your entire OSR/PSR is there on the screen. But the brief is so quick no one looks at the whole thing. There are also other small checks, like advanced officer leadership courses, that will show up in your service school section of the OSR. And all the quals/JPME will fill up the AQD/NOBC sections, making you look like a hard charger. I don't think your IRR should have had much impact, as you state you just transitioned to it; I would make sure all your Masters/NOBC/AQDs are reflected on your OSR/PSR and finish JPME prior to the next board. I know I had to send a copy of my MBA to a specific PERS # and it took a while for it to reflect on the OSR and even longer for it to be made part of my OMPF. Review your record!!!

For the other piece, as far as ease of returning, as long as they need the bodies, they will let you in. There are plenty of unfilled billets at O5 and below, so that is not the limiting factor. However, as O5, you do have to go through APPLY, but that's just playing the game to get a billet. The problem is there may not be a billet near you and you may have to travel on your own dime (if your not a commercial pilot with perks) to get to drill. As an O4 and below, even if there are no billets near you, the Navy can cross-assign you, and you can travel at their expense.

If the manning need is there for your designator, they will let you in, regardless of shelf life and you can go through the billet select process once you are back in. I look at it as being no different than when they let folks (like me) back in after long breaks in service. They allowed us to get bonuses, put us on 3 year contracts...but no one took a hard enough look to see where we stood on promotion...because of the disconnect between departments! Same thing here; the folks responsible for handling the paperwork to return you to SELRES is handled separately from the folks responsible for overseeing who goes to what billets.

 

[atmahan]

I also did not make it for FY2015. All I have going for me is JPME 1 and max Inactive Points (135) each year, but that's it. I haven't been SELRES in almost 5 years.

I am now 2XFOS since I was also up for O-5 for FY2014.

 

[m5h9]

I did not make it. I had some pretty good paper too...(numerous O3 EP's from active duty and Sel-Res. Sel-Res O4 paper to include a #1 of 8, an MBA...but NO JPME) Not trying to brag here, just offering context. There's a chance my 6 month break in service took me out of this years board, but I don't think so...I'm trying to confirm that. I think the Navy has officially crossed over from MBA preferred to JPME preferred. So, not having JPME was a big strike, being in the IRR another strike(?). At any rate, I'm still an O-4 according to the message and I was prety sure this was my board.

Thanks. I have mediocre paper and a Masters with a snazzy sub-specialty code. I don't think I'll ever make the list when in zone in a year or two, but I'm fairly content with the IRR decision citing the usual reasons of a newborn and career acceleration with a high rate of climb. To me that beats head nodding and walking around with a blue folder one weekend a month (currently outside a reasonable distance for a hardware unit). Although, I'll probably do the JPME for fun and points and if the career has a sudden loss of altitude, the blue folder shuffle may be an attractive option.

 

[Sam I am]

When you say "pretty sure", are you sure??? NAVADMIN 317/13 put out the zones for the FY15 boards...O4's URL reserve was:

COMMANDER LINE UNRESTRICTED LINE OFFICER (11XX, 13XX)
SENIOR IN-ZONE - LCDR D. S. KIM 341073-50 1 SEP 09
JUNIOR IN-ZONE - LCDR D. M. THIELKER 343355-00 1 SEP 10

Well slap my ass and call me Sally! I just tracked down the message on line and I missed it by 2 months! I'm 1 DEC 10 date of rank. I was going by last year's estimation in my own head and hadn't confirmed with the message until today. Not sure if I'm happy or sad about this new info...now I feel like I HAVE to do JPME...argh!

What's that saying about ASSuming...

 

[Gatordev]

I can't speak to IRR, but I know several SELRES on last year's list that didn't have JPME and still picked up O-5. There were several of us on the FTS side, as well. It's not a make or break item. For IRR, I could see it might being a little more important, but at the end of the day, if you're comparing an IRR guy next to a guy who showed up monthly (or more for a hardware unit) and did more than carry the blue folder around, it's no contest, no matter what level of JPME. And there's only so many spots.

 

[Sam I am]

Yep. Thats a great point. When it comes down to it, an IRR promotion is essentially expecting "something" for basically "nothing" or at the very least, less than the minimum...

I'm still a little surprised at not being on this year's board. I didn't think the delay was enough to knock me out of my year group...I was wrong.

 

[vxc961]

Nope, but I only have ONE O-4 fitrep. I updated my photo, finished JPME-1, wrote a letter about how life circumstances made me get out of SELRES, but I'm still active and trying to go SELRES. I'm doing Blue and Gold duties and funeral honors, had letters of rec from NOSC CO (for funeral honors), and retired O-6's (previous and current BGO Area Coordinators). One was written like a fitrep, grading me on each of the fitrep traits, and I had the BGO ones go from "doing great even though he was a new O-4" to "He's #1 of XX O4's in my area." I saw last year's numbers (like 70% promotion rate) and thought I had a shot, but when I was an asst recorder on a board anybody who was active status pool (IRR) was automatically passed over. Yes, I know the literature says IRR is still considered for promotion.

So, probably a good idea to have a few fitreps in there, and to at least join the VTU prior to the board. Oh well, I can live with finishing up as an O-4....

 

[vxc961]

I know its a long shot, but just wanted to know if any IRR folks make the O-5 list? Or if you had a few years in the IRR and came back to SELRES?

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/ALNAVS/ALN2014/ALN14043.txt

I have a co-worker who's a SEAL and made O-5 from the IRR, but he'd done a bunch of... ADT I guess, and had some fitreps in his record.

 

[subreservist]

I can't speak to IRR, but I know several SELRES on last year's list that didn't have JPME and still picked up O-5. There were several of us on the FTS side, as well. It's not a make or break item. For IRR, I could see it might being a little more important, but at the end of the day, if you're comparing an IRR guy next to a guy who showed up monthly (or more for a hardware unit) and did more than carry the blue folder around, it's no contest, no matter what level of JPME. And there's only so many spots.

I agree with this; it's not a make or break item, but the other way of looking at it is: I haven't known for anyone actively drilling who had JPME not make O5 (keyword: active). It is a big check that will balance or even negate something else if you are lacking somewhere. They really don't take the time to note who is SELRES/IRR on each record. The only indication of it is on the OSR; in remarks there is a section with initials for pay status (mine says "DP"). But it is not highlighted and most would not move their eyes to anything not highlighted by the briefer. However, as they go through the highlighted portions, they can look at the most current FITREP trend and would know you are not actively drilling.

For Sam's case, I think he is/was good, if he had went to this board, since his transition to IRR is recent and he has a relatively current FITREP; the small gap to IRR can be sold with a letter stating he was pursuing JPME and it would make sense and most likely get him over the hump. With the next board, the gap is now bigger and those FITREPs move a little further back.

 

[subreservist]

I saw last year's numbers (like 70% promotion rate) and thought I had a shot, but when I was an asst recorder on a board anybody who was active status pool (IRR) was automatically passed over. Yes, I know the literature says IRR is still considered for promotion.

Yep...the promotion % will always throw you off...you think 70-75% is 3 out of 4 guys getting promoted, but NPC uses that fuzzy math where they don't count the above zone (or below...but that rarely comes into play) records in the percentage count. Why they do it this way is beyond me, but when you do the "real" math vice the NPC fuzzy math, it's closer to 25%...LOL!!

 

[Sam I am]

Thanks for the insight, Gents. I'm soul searching right now. I think my chances of remaining in the IRR and still making O-5 just went to zero. I'm trying to decide if I should go back to a drill status, get another FITREP...although I'd be risking a declining trend...and go for the gold..or silver in this case.

I'd definitely try to fly again if I did leave...so I'd have to go through the HITU or FITU again. Anyone know if coming off the IRR offers any type of MOB deferment or does being the FNG rocket me straight to the top of the list that doesn't exist? Bonus potential off IRR? I'm inclined to think "negative" on both counts.

 

[Flash]

Anyone know if coming off the IRR offers any type of MOB deferment or does being the FNG rocket me straight to the top of the list that doesn't exist? Bonus potential off IRR? I'm inclined to think "negative" on both counts.

Involuntary mobs are rapidly becoming very rare, if you mob nowadays you almost have to have volunteered. I only know one person who is really 'involuntarily' mob'd right now, the rest are all volunteers except on paper.

 

[vxc961]

Yep...the promotion % will always throw you off...you think 70-75% is 3 out of 4 guys getting promoted, but NPC uses that fuzzy math where they don't count the above zone (or below...but that rarely comes into play) records in the percentage count. Why they do it this way is beyond me, but when you do the "real" math vice the NPC fuzzy math, it's closer to 25%...LOL!!

Yup, 70% (of the in-zone) still seems pretty good. FYI, this is a pretty good brief on promotion boards for anybody who's interested(might make more sense if you've served on one, but still helpful): navyfitrep.com/files/APPLY_and_FITREPS.ppt

 

[BrianL76]

I apologize for asking here, but this thread seems to have the most relevance (that I've seen) to my question regarding retirement via the reserves.

I was a SNA attrite in 2004 and was involuntarily separated after approximately 15 months of AD (commissioned via OCS in 2002). Afterwhich, I returned to the private sector and carried on with life. On the way out the door I had nobody educating me on anything reserve related, much less IRR. Thus, every couple of years I'd get a letter from Millington (?) telling me I'd been promoted to LTJG and eventually to LT. At the 8 year mark (2010), I resigned my commission and that was that.

Fast forward to today. I'm putting together an application for a direct commission reserve Information Dominance Corps slot (IW, INTEL, or IP). If I were (hypothetically) to get selected, would my 10 year break in service and IRR time work against me for attainting retirement? Basically, if this works out, do I have any chance of attaining a reserve retirement?

Any help, guidance, or clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[subreservist]

If I were (hypothetically) to get selected, would my 10 year break in service and IRR time work against me for attainting retirement? Basically, if this works out, do I have any chance of attaining a reserve retirement?

The break in service alone could be worked around, but based on the info you supplied, the issue will be you didn't have any qualifying years while you were in IRR status. If you separated active in 2004 and resigned outright in 2010, that would be 6 "bad" years toward retirement. It could make promoting to O4 difficult; even if you make O4, you may have a tough time getting to 18yrs and reaching sanctuary to finish retirement as an officer. You could work around that by enlisting to finish up, though.

Everybody has a different take on breaks in service and they confuse what that really means. A break in service starts from when you discharge (or resign) and then return...the gap between those periods. Your time between attrition and resignation is not a break in service. You were still IRR, just not getting qualifying years toward retirement. The break in service is bad because you are not doing anything military at all and it has to be explained when it comes time for promotion.

However, I would not let this deter me from making the attempt to put in a package and seeing what happens. If reaching retirement as an officer becomes a problem, you can enlist and still receive the retirement rate based on your highest rank achieved.