§14108 Recommendations by promotion boards

Summary

Promotion boards called under section 14101(a) must pick the officers they think are best qualified for promotion in each category or to fill a vacancy. The board must consider the service’s need for officers with particular skills shown in the guidelines under section 14107. A board cannot recommend an officer unless a majority of members vote for the recommendation, a majority finds the officer fully qualified, and a majority — after looking at any bad information given under section 14107 — finds the officer among the best qualified and meeting the required standard of exemplary conduct in sections 7233, 8167, or 9233. Officers on the reserve active‑status list cannot be promoted under chapter 1405 unless a promotion board under section 14101(a) or a special board under section 14502 considers and recommends them. Board recommendations are confidential under rules set by the Secretary of Defense and cannot be shared outside the board until the written report required by section 14109 is signed by every member. The person who calls the board and any official over a board member may not punish, rebuke, or try to coerce or improperly influence the board or its members about their recommendations. When the Secretary allows it, a promotion board may mark some promoted officers as being of particular merit so they are placed higher on the promotion list the Secretary makes under section 14308(a). That special placement only works if a majority of the board agrees or if another rule given in the section 14107 guidelines applies. The board must also say the order those specially placed officers should appear on the list.