Basic-branch lieutenant colonels who were promoted to O-5 in fiscal 2012 will be in the primary zone of consideration for the annual Army Competitive Category colonel board that meets Feb. 23 to March 11 at Fort Knox, Ky.
Similar to other recent O-6 boards, the Army has extended the below-zone category for the fiscal 2016 panel to allow two cohorts of lieutenant colonels to compete for accelerated promotion to colonel.
The 24-month window serves as a retention incentive for high-potential lieutenant colonels who are at or near retirement eligibility, according to personnel officials.
As with all field-grade boards, the Army Competitive Category is composed of officers who are on the Active Duty List, and who are managed in one of three functional groups – Operations, Operations Support or Force Sustainment.
The zones of consideration encompass lieutenant colonels with the following dates of rank:
• Above the zone – Aug. 31, 2011 and earlier.
• Promotion zone – Sept. 1, 2011 through Sept. 21, 2012.
• Below the zone – Sept. 22, 2012 through Sept. 16, 2014.
Officers will not be considered for promotion if they have an approved retirement or separation that is within 90 days (May 23) of the board convening date.
Also excluded are officers who will have less than a year of continuous active service since their most recent placement on the Active Duty List, officers who are serving under the Retiree Recall Program and active-duty reservists who are serving under the sanctuary (18-year retirement lock-in) provisions of federal law (Title 10 USC, Sec 12686).
Officer evaluation reports and academic reports submitted for this board must arrive at Human Resources Command no later than Feb. 16.
Above-zone and promotion-zone officers who were passed over by the 2015 colonel board will require a Code 11 promotion report if they have not been rated since April 22.
Optional Code 9 complete-the-record reports are authorized for lieutenant colonels who meet the requirements of AR 623-3 (Evaluation Reporting System).
The required thru date for Code 9 and Code 11 reports is Jan. 24, 2016.
The online My Board File record review application will be activated for zone-eligible officers Dec. 25 and close Feb. 16.
MBF can be accessed from the "self-service" link on the Human Resources Command homepage at www.hrc.army.mil.
