§623 Establishment of promotion zones

Summary

Before a selection board meets to consider officers for promotion above first lieutenant or lieutenant (junior grade), the Secretary of the military department involved must set up a promotion zone for each grade and competitive category (the job or specialty group) that the board will review. The Secretary must decide how many officers in each promotion zone, choosing from those who are eligible. That decision must be based on estimates for each of the next five years of: how many officers will be needed at the next higher grade in that category; how many will be serving at that higher grade; if the higher grade is covered by section 523, how many are authorized to be on active duty on the last day of each of the next five fiscal years; and how many should be placed in the promotion zone each year so officers in those years have roughly the same chance for promotion.