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"Automatic" Promotions.

Dontcallmegump

Well-Known Member
pilot
Looked around, haven't found a thread on this.

From O-1 to O-2, then O-2 to O-3 are often referred to as automatic. From what I've seen and heard its 2 year durations as an Ensign then you're a JG, and same from JG to LT.

How does the promotion work? At your 2 years of rank for each promotion does one day someone tell you to "change your bars stupid" or do you wait for something to happen? Do you get paid as a JG the first month after 2 years as an ensign? Same for LT?

I only ask because I've been working on a schedule for paying off college and other debts as fast as possible and want to make benchmarks based on pay that I can gauge my progress on and keep myself accountable to, sadly no new 1200 a month Porsche at the 2 year :(.

Thanks
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Looked around, haven't found a thread on this.

From O-1 to O-2, then O-2 to O-3 are often referred to as automatic. From what I've seen and heard its 2 year durations as an Ensign then you're a JG, and same from JG to LT.

How does the promotion work? At your 2 years of rank for each promotion does one day someone tell you to "change your bars stupid" or do you wait for something to happen? Do you get paid as a JG the first month after 2 years as an ensign? Same for LT?

I only ask because I've been working on a schedule for paying off college and other debts as fast as possible and want to make benchmarks based on pay that I can gauge my progress on and keep myself accountable to, sadly no new 1200 a month Porsche at the 2 year :(.

Thanks

Yes. All of this.

Google military pay compensation chart to see your pre tax income at X years.
 

Dontcallmegump

Well-Known Member
pilot
Yes. All of this.

Google military pay compensation chart to see your pre tax income at X years.

I've looked at them for sure. I didnt wasnt to assume my pay would jump the 1100 some dollars (pre tax base pay, and the bump in BAH) if there was some sort of delayed effect situation. In fact I'm counting on the money to be able to make full payments on my loans after 2 years of partial.

Thanks
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
There will be a promotion message that comes out with your (and many others) name on it granting authority to promote at a designated month. For URL, it will be the 1st of the month following your 24 month-versary. So if you were commissioned in June 2020, you'll be paid O-2 pay on July 1 2022. Same for O-3.

(Disclaimer: It's very possible you may just be paid O-2 pay at exactly 24 months, but I've forgotten because it was a long time ago. But for O-3, how I described it above is how it works).
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
There will be a promotion message that comes out with your (and many others) name on it granting authority to promote at a designated month. For URL, it will be the 1st of the month following your 24 month-versary. So if you were commissioned in June 2020, you'll be paid O-2 pay on July 1 2022. Same for O-3.

(Disclaimer: It's very possible you may just be paid O-2 pay at exactly 24 months, but I've forgotten because it was a long time ago. But for O-3, how I described it above is how it works).

I believe for O-3 they either round up or down to the first day of the month.

So I commissioned May 22, put on LT 1 June 4 years later.
 

IKE

Nerd Whirler
pilot
For pay:
O-2 is 2 years to the day from your commissioning date.
O-3 is the 1st of the month AFTER your commission date

Everyone who commissions in May or June has their commission date set to the USNA graduation date for that year. This prevents early May ROTC/OCS grads from having a leg up on USNA grads later in life (and USNA from having a leg up on June grads). So, the vast majority of people put on LT 1 June.

Fun fact: 2 years is the Navy's long-running standard. U.S. code only requires 9 and 6 months, respectively, for your first two promotions.
 

Dontcallmegump

Well-Known Member
pilot
For pay:
O-2 is 2 years to the day from your commissioning date.
O-3 is the 1st of the month AFTER your commission date

Everyone who commissions in May or June has their commission date set to the USNA graduation date for that year. This prevents early May ROTC/OCS grads from having a leg up on USNA grads later in life (and USNA from having a leg up on June grads). So, the vast majority of people put on LT 1 June.

Fun fact: 2 years is the Navy's long-running standard. U.S. code only requires 9 and 6 months, respectively, for your first two promotions.

In that case I'll be looking for my early promotion to JG coming soon. :rolleyes: hahaha
 

IKE

Nerd Whirler
pilot
What do the other branches typically do?
I don't know, but believe the Marines go a little quicker than us to at least O-2, if not also O-3. It's a Federal/DoD minimum, which can always be adjusted for retention, wartime attrition, etc.
 

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
I don't know, but believe the Marines go a little quicker than us to at least O-2, if not also O-3. It's a Federal/DoD minimum, which can always be adjusted for retention, wartime attrition, etc.


Not the case anymore. While I was a 1st Lt 2 years to the date that I commissioned, and a Capt 4 years plus a couple weeks, these days, guys are spending almost 3 years as a 1st Lt before they put on Capt. It isn't unheard of for someone to hit 5 and a half years TIS before putting on O-3 in the Marine Corps now.
 

bucka

Member
pilot
Not the case anymore. While I was a 1st Lt 2 years to the date that I commissioned, and a Capt 4 years plus a couple weeks, these days, guys are spending almost 3 years as a 1st Lt before they put on Capt. It isn't unheard of for someone to hit 5 and a half years TIS before putting on O-3 in the Marine Corps now.

Mixed bag, based on lineal numbers and the selection board. Thanks to NOBOGS and the selection process, there have been a decent number of guys putting on Capt before winging, generally at close to 4 years; I'm one of the last ones in that pool. Some take longer due to just missing the window for a given year's board and delaying selection/promotion for nearly a full FY.
 

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
Mixed bag, based on lineal numbers and the selection board. Thanks to NOBOGS and the selection process, there have been a decent number of guys putting on Capt before winging, generally at close to 4 years; I'm one of the last ones in that pool. Some take longer due to just missing the window for a given year's board and delaying selection/promotion for nearly a full FY.
Dude in my squadron waited about a year to put on Capt from the time he was selected. YMMV
 
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