§3740 Promotion; recommendations of selection boards

Summary

Reserve officers can only get promoted when a selection board recommends them, unless another law says otherwise. The Secretary sets up these boards from time to time to look at one or more ranks and pick officers to move up. Boards choose the best-qualified officers who are lieutenant (junior grade) or higher, and those they find fully qualified who are ensigns. Before a board meets, the Secretary creates a promotion zone of officers eligible for consideration and decides how many in each rank the board may recommend. For ranks above lieutenant (junior grade), the Secretary sets a maximum number of promotions based on the Coast Guard’s needs, including how many jobs exist, how many vacancies are expected, how many officers are allowed on active status, and any legal limits. The Secretary can allow consideration of officers from below the promotion zone, but normally only up to 10% of the board’s authorized recommendations, or up to 15% if needed. If the calculated maximum is less than one, the board may recommend one officer from below the zone. Promotions from below do not raise the board’s overall cap. Rules that apply to Regular Coast Guard promotions to rear admiral (lower half) and rear admiral also apply to Reserve officers, except an officer must have 10 years of commissioned service and the last five of those years in the Coast Guard Reserve to be considered for rear admiral (lower half). The Secretary decides board procedures. Board reports go to the Secretary and then to the President, who can remove names. The President-approved recommendations become a list of selectees. Officers stay on a list until promoted unless the President removes them. Older approved lists get filled before newer ones. When a vacancy opens, an officer on a list must be offered the next higher rank as soon as practical, and paired promotions happen at the same time.