§3740 Promotion; Recommendations of Selection Boards

Summary

Reserve officers may only be promoted when a selection board recommends them, unless another law says otherwise. The Secretary will call boards from time to time to consider one or more ranks. The board picks, from the officers sent to it, the best qualified for promotion from lieutenant (junior grade) and above, and those it finds fully qualified from ensign. Before each board, the Secretary sets a promotion zone and decides how many officers in a rank are in that zone and the maximum number the board may recommend. In setting the maximum, the Secretary must try to keep enough active Reserve officers by looking at needed positions, expected vacancies, how many are allowed to be active, and any legal limits. The Secretary can allow promotions from below the zone up to 10% of the board’s allowed recommendations, or up to 15% if needed; if that limit is less than one, the board may recommend one. Promotions from below the zone do not raise the overall maximum. Rules that govern promotion to rear admiral for Regular Coast Guard officers apply to Reserve officers too, except an officer must have at least 10 years commissioned service, with the last 5 years in the Coast Guard Reserve, to be considered for rear admiral (lower half). Other listed law provisions apply to these boards, and the Secretary sets board procedures. The board’s report goes to the Secretary and then to the President, who can remove names. The President’s approved list becomes the list of selectees. Names stay on a list until promoted or removed by the President; older approved lists get priority over newer ones. When a vacancy opens, an officer on a selectee list must be offered the higher grade as soon as possible, and running mates are promoted at the same time.