Officer promotions still competitive, but no decision on 5-year window (2024)

More than two years into the Air Force’s switch to a new officer promotion system, officials are settling into wait-and-see mode while its longer-term impacts take shape.

Unlike on the enlisted side, the Air Force said it is comfortable with how its officer jobs are spread across the ranks. An officer’s chances of promotion will remain essentially the same as usual in fiscal 2023, service spokesperson Tech. Sgt. Deana Heitzman said.

Promotions to Air Force colonel and lieutenant colonel this year remained as competitive as they were in 2021, and even more so for those trying to move up later than usual. As of Aug. 18, the Air Force had not yet released the full results of its promotion boards for majors.

RELATED

Did you make lieutenant colonel or technical sergeant?

Good news for thousands of lieutenant colonels and technical sergeants-to-be.

By RachelS.Cohen

In March 2020, the Air Force split its massive single group of officers — known as the Line of the Air Force category — all of whom competed for promotion regardless of their profession, into several career-specific categories that include: air operations and special warfare; nuclear and missile operations; information warfare; combat support and force modernization.

The intent was to promote people based on how well they met the requirements for their particular line of work, rather than judging everyone on a single set of standards that favored pilots and other combat jobs.

A previous category for space-related jobs disappeared once the Space Force began handling its own promotions.

“It is too soon for any career progression and retention data to be attributed to developmental categories,” Heitzman said. “However, we anticipate that increased transparency in the promotion system and promotion opportunities … will be positive factors for retention.”

RELATED

Air Force aims for smoother, fairer performance reviews for officers

"Static closeout dates" for officers will start taking effect this year for a more predictable professional development process.

By RachelS.Cohen

See Also

Air Force Promotion Timeline for Enlisted & Officers - Operation Military Kids

This year marked the first time a promotion board has considered prospective colonels in the newest category, dubbed “cross-functional operations” or “LAF-X,” that was created in July 2021.

“The new category consists primarily of foreign area officers who now have their own Air Force specialty code,” said Col. Scott Arcuri, head of the Air Force’s selection board secretariat, in an August 2021 press release. “LAF-X consists of only majors and above.”

Foreign area officers become specialists in a particular country and region of the world through studying history, politics and culture, language immersion and by living abroad. The category also includes multi-domain warfare officers — a field created in 2018 but that began phasing out earlier this year — operational warfare planners and astronauts.

Last year, then-Air Force personnel boss Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly said data from the first round of promotions to lieutenant colonel under the new system suggested that promotions are becoming more equitable for minority airmen.

RELATED

Over 500 airmen promoted to colonel as open slots stagnate

About one-third of eligible lieutenant colonels — 555 of nearly 1,800 — were tapped to pin on the full bird.

By RachelS.Cohen

Presumably, that’s because the majority-white pilot corps is no longer competing against other career fields that are more diverse, in a system that was skewed toward aviation-related accomplishments, said Katherine Kuzminski, a military personnel expert at the Center for a New American Security, at the time.

That result — judged by whether airmen in a particular group were promoted at a higher rate than the average — in 2022 held true for Black and Hawaiian and Pacific Islander airmen looking to become colonels. It was also true for American Indian/Native Alaskan, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and biracial airmen promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Black airmen fared above average in lieutenant colonel promotions in 2021 but not the year after, according to an analysis of demographic data provided to Air Force Times from the major, lieutenant colonel and colonel promotion cycles in 2020, 2021 and 2022. All figures refer to in-the-zone promotions, or once someone hits the minimum amount of time in grade and service needed to move up.

Hispanic and Latino airmen were not promoted above average to any rank in any of the three years. In contrast, white airmen were promoted above average to all three ranks, across all three years.

RELATED

The promotion outlook: What lies ahead for Air Force officers and enlisted airmen

Personnel management updates aim to reward both good performance and time in service; give airmen with different skill sets a fairer shot at promotion; and judge people on their character and competence rather than popularity.

By RachelS.Cohen

And women have outpaced men for promotion to major and lieutenant colonel, but fell below average when seeking to become colonels in 2021 and 2022.

Another potentially major change is on hold: adopting a five-year window in which an airman could be promoted. Officials are still looking at the details of how that would work, Heitzman said.

Instead of promoting airmen either “in the zone” or “above the zone,” which is later than usual, proponents believe a five-year span would let officers focus on more personal and professional growth without worrying as much about timing.

“In the meantime, the Air Force officer promotion windows remain what they are today,” Heitzman said.

In Other News

Congress still waiting on Osprey crash, safety documents from Pentagon

Lawmakers haven't received more details on Osprey proprotor gearboxes, a component that was a factor in the 2023 crash off Japan that killed eight airmen.

VA home loan program added $4 trillion to US economy since WWII

A new study by a Missouri professor labels the 80-year-old VA home loan program 'a huge success' for the American economy.

Families balance grief with Osprey pilots’ love for the aircraft

On Wednesday, a House subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Osprey’s safety record as families grapple with the deaths of loved ones aboard the V-22.

Junior enlisted pay bump to cost as much as two new aircraft carriers

A plan to boost young troops' pay by an extra 15% next year will cost more than $24 billion over the next five years, officials said.

Patton’s Prayer: Discussing the famed general with author Alex Kershaw

Kershaw spoke about his newest book, how faith and ego intertwined that winter in 1944, and how the Battle of the Bulge became an American triumph.

Load More