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Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-102

§623 Establishment of Promotion Zones

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 36 — PROMOTION, SEPARATION, AND INVOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS ON THE ACTIVE-DUTY LIST › SUBCHAPTER II — PROMOTIONS › § 623

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Before a promotion board meets to consider officers for ranks above first lieutenant or lieutenant (junior grade), the Secretary of the military department must set a promotion zone for each grade and competitive category. The Secretary decides how many eligible officers go into that zone using estimates for the next five years: how many will be needed in the next higher grade, how many will be serving in that higher grade, for grades with fixed authorized active‑duty limits the number authorized on the last day of each of the next five fiscal years, and how many should be put in the zone each year so officers have similar promotion opportunities.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §623

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Before convening a selection board under section 611(a) of this title to consider officers for promotion to any grade above first lieutenant or lieutenant (junior grade), the Secretary of the military department concerned shall establish a promotion zone for officers serving in each grade and competitive category to be considered by the board.
(b)The Secretary concerned shall determine the number of officers in the promotion zone for officers serving in any grade and competitive category from among officers who are eligible for promotion in that grade and competitive category. Such determination shall be made on the basis of an estimate of—
(1)the number of officers needed in that competitive category in the next higher grade in each of the next five years;
(2)the number of officers to be serving in that competitive category in the next higher grade in each of the next five years;
(3)in the case of a promotion zone for officers to be promoted to a grade to which section 523 of this title is applicable, the number of officers authorized for such grade under such section to be on active duty on the last day of each of the next five fiscal years; and
(4)the number of officers that should be placed in that promotion zone in each of the next five years to provide to officers in those years relatively similar opportunity for promotion.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Sept. 15, 1981, but the authority to prescribe

Regulations

under this section effective on Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1980 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 623

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102