§575 Recommendations for Promotion by Selection Boards

Summary

Selection boards must pick the warrant officers they think are best for promotion to the next grade, taking into account the service’s need for specific skills. For boards considering promotion to chief warrant officer W‑3, W‑4, or W‑5, the Secretary decides how many candidates from below the promotion zone may be recommended. Those below‑zone picks do not raise the board’s total allowed promotions. Normally no more than 10 percent of the board’s recommendations can be from below the zone. The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security (when the Coast Guard is not operating as part of the Navy) may raise that to 15 percent. If the calculated number is less than one, the board may still recommend one person from below the zone. A board cannot recommend anyone unless a majority of board members recommend the officer and a majority find the officer fully qualified. Each time a board meets, every warrant officer in the promotion zone and every officer above the zone must be considered, unless rules set by the Secretary say otherwise. When allowed by the Secretary, a board may mark certain promoted officers as higher on the promotion list for special merit, following Secretary guidance. Such higher placement generally needs a majority vote unless the Secretary sets a different rule and tells the board. The board must also put those higher‑ranked officers in order. A warrant officer may ask the Secretary to be removed from consideration. The Secretary may approve that only to let the officer finish certain career assignments or advanced education, if it’s in the service’s best interest, and only if the officer has not already failed selection for that grade.