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Officer Promotions

dimlight85

dimlight85

bears, beets, battlestar galactica.
I've been looking around and really haven't found much information on how Officer promotions work in the Navy. I originally enlisted first before deciding to apply for OCS and learned really quickly how advancement works on the enlisted side with advancement exams and scores and whatnot. How does advancement work in the officer communities? I know I'll be an Ensign out of OCS but how long is it between promotions after that? Since I'll be an NFO, is it at all possible to make O-3 by the end of flight training? Excuse my ignorance here but I'm just curious how it all works.
 
Your first two are automatic. 2 years after commissioning - you're a JG. 2 years after that - LT.

If you're a fresh ensign now and finish flight training as a LT - you did something very wrong.
 
Start as O-1 (obviously). Two years after your date of rank you make O-2. Two years after that date of rank you make O-3. After that, it depends on your fitreps. Your record goes in front of a promotion board that considers whether or not you get to advance. 3 years after O-3 you are eligible for O-4, but it takes an average of 5-7 to make it. Not really sure exactly because I'll worry about it when I get there.

Also, not sure for aviators, but promotion in the submarine community also depends on what job you screen for. In other words, you have to screen for DH, XO, CO. Fail to screen for any one of those and your career is pretty much done, and you're not going to get promoted.

If you stay long enough to become a flag officer, your promotion has to be approved by Congress.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navypromotions/l/blofficerprom.htm
 
Spekkio said:
Start as O-1 (obviously). Two years after your date of rank you make O-2. Two years after that date of rank you make O-3. After that, it depends on your fitreps. Your record goes in front of a promotion board that considers whether or not you get to advance. 3 years after O-3 you are eligible for O-4, but it takes an average of 5-7 to make it. Not really sure exactly because I'll worry about it when I get there.

Also, not sure for aviators, but promotion in the submarine community also depends on what job you screen for. In other words, you have to screen for DH, XO, CO. Fail to screen for any one of those and your career is pretty much done, and you're not going to get promoted.

If you stay long enough to become a flag officer, your promotion has to be approved by Congress.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navypromotions/l/blofficerprom.htm
Click to expand...

All officer promotions must be approved by congress - really just the Senate. They're just not interested in dragging you down for an "interview" until you reach somewhere around the COCOM level.

Brett
 
Thanks guys...I thought it was more of a time/experience issue but I didn't know that it would take you a minimum of 4 years to make LT. That's not bad though. I like how substantial the increase is in pay from one to the next, not to mention the yearly increases for time in service and cost of living. Not too shabby!

Is it the same time frame from Lt. Commander to Commander (5-7 years)? At that point I guess you would be pushing the 20 year mark. I'll be 27 when I commission and have been kind of going over a career timeline in my head lately just for posterity or whatever. Plus, I like setting career goals. I guess when it's all said and done I'll be fine with my career when I get to call myself...Secretary of the Navy...haha..kidding...maybe.
 
dimlight85 said:
Thanks guys...I thought it was more of a time/experience issue but I didn't know that it would take you a minimum of 4 years to make LT. That's not bad though. I like how substantial the increase is in pay from one to the next, not to mention the yearly increases for time in service and cost of living. Not too shabby!

Is it the same time frame from Lt. Commander to Commander (5-7 years)? At that point I guess you would be pushing the 20 year mark. I'll be 27 when I commission and have been kind of going over a career timeline in my head lately just for posterity or whatever. Plus, I like setting career goals. I guess when it's all said and done I'll be fine with my career when I get to call myself...Secretary of the Navy...haha..kidding...maybe.
Click to expand...

It is not unheard of to see a 20 year LCDR. Certainly a 20 CDR is common. Didn't you say you were prior service? From what I've seen/heard, a lot of priors usually end up being terminal LCDRs, unless they really push for command and want to make rank.
 
dimlight85 said:
Plus, I like setting career goals. I guess when it's all said and done I'll be fine with my career when I get to call myself...Secretary of the Navy...haha..kidding...maybe.
Click to expand...

You do realize that isn't a "rank" that you can get promoted to, right? In fact, you're also aware SECNAV is a civilian, right?
 
dimlight85 said:
Thanks guys...I thought it was more of a time/experience issue but I didn't know that it would take you a minimum of 4 years to make LT. That's not bad though. I like how substantial the increase is in pay from one to the next, not to mention the yearly increases for time in service and cost of living. Not too shabby!

Is it the same time frame from Lt. Commander to Commander (5-7 years)? At that point I guess you would be pushing the 20 year mark. I'll be 27 when I commission and have been kind of going over a career timeline in my head lately just for posterity or whatever. Plus, I like setting career goals. I guess when it's all said and done I'll be fine with my career when I get to call myself...Secretary of the Navy...haha..kidding...maybe.
Click to expand...
I'm going to become a 3 star Admiral, then retire. :D Does shrimping-boat Admiral count...
 
OttoWrote8 said:
It is not unheard of to see a 20 year LCDR. Certainly a 20 CDR is common. Didn't you say you were prior service? From what I've seen/heard, a lot of priors usually end up being terminal LCDRs, unless they really push for command and want to make rank.
Click to expand...

Bad gouge. Statutory HYT restrictions are based on years of commissioned service, so that all gets reset for priors. Career paths are identical, the only limiting factor is whether someone wants to do more than 20, which is going to be a requirement to go beyond the O-5 level for anyone. EVERYONE will end up being a terminal O-4 unless they push for command and "want to make rank." Where are you getting this drivel?

Brett
 
Brett327 said:
Bad gouge. Statutory HYT restrictions are based on years of commissioned service, so that all gets reset for priors. Career paths are identical, the only limiting factor is whether someone wants to do more than 20, which is going to be a requirement to go beyond the O-5 level for anyone. EVERYONE will end up being a terminal O-4 unless they push for command and "want to make rank." Where are you getting this drivel?

Brett
Click to expand...

I didn't mean for it to come as regulatory, simply personal choice. A lot of guys just want their 20 and out, which for priors means usually LT/LCDR.

Yes prior and non-prior career paths are identical.
 
Yeah I know, it was a joke. I'm not prior service though. I enlisted and while in the DEP decided that I wanted to apply for OCS so I never shipped to RTC.
 
dimlight85 said:
Yeah I know, it was a joke. I'm not prior service though. I enlisted and while in the DEP decided that I wanted to apply for OCS so I never shipped to RTC.
Click to expand...

Understood. You know the age limit is 27, so hopefully you make it in time.
 
So, here's a promotion question:

I never got my officer pictures taken while I was in P'cola (loooong story). . .will not having them in my jacket adversely affect my automatic promotion to JG??

More importantly, anyone know if I can get them done in Corpus? Is there even a photo lab here?

BUPERS says they can be done at any civilian photo place, but all the reqs. look like a huge PITA, not to mention it costs $$.
 
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