Yes, Capt at 6 months, but then you will meet your Major board 5 years after you pin on Capt. Then it's 5 years to the Lt Col Board and 6 years to the Col board.Anonymous User wrote:I'm looking for some information about promotion timelines and selection percentages for AF. I've searched through the thread and am unable to find what I'm looking for, I thought I had previously seen this information but now can't find it again. I did see PB's post almost on point but I'm looking for a little more clarification.
I know the following details:
- promote to Captain after 6 months 100%
- promote to Major after ~7 years 95%.
Does anyone have the same information for Lt Col and Col? How long is it from Maj to Lt Col, what percentage of JAGs are selected (I've found the AF as a whole, but I know JAG percentages differ)? Then same for Lt Col to Col, how long and what percentage? Hopefully someone can provide this information, or at least a source where I can look.
Me:
- current 3L
- participating in OYCP, commission in May
- using this information for a brief I'm giving comparing JAG career progression to other line officer progressions
The board will meet at some point in that year, then a few months later you will get notified, and then maybe 6-18 months later you will actually pin that rank on.
Here are the promotion percentages from the most recent boards for those in the zone:
Maj - 93.6%
Lt Col - 71.7%
Col - 39.4 %
I will note there seems to be a bit of a shift to allow more people to get selected one year above the zone. For example, there was an 11.4 % selection rate above the zone for Lt Col and 17% for Col. JAX says we should expect a bit more of this in the future, but who knows.
Also, these percentages change. I believe I was briefed 85% for Lt Col and 60% for Col when I came in several years ago. But manning and other things will change how many people they have available and how many they're planning to select.
This probably goes beyond what you're looking for, but the big thing is whether you get a Definitely Promote. Here are the numbers for DP vs. Promote for the same boards above:
Lt Col DP - 20/20 selected
Lt Col P - 18/33 selected
Col DP - 10/11 selected
Col P - 3/22 selected
Whether you get a DP depends not only on how great people think you are, but possibly what assignment you're in at the time your Promotion Recommendation Form (PRF) gets signed. For example, when I hit my Maj board, I was in a MAJCOM that had so few Capts they didn't have a DP to give. I had to go fight for it from the other misfits who didn't get DPs from their MAJCOMs. Or if you end up in AFLOA, I think they basically lock you in a cage with the other few dozen people meeting the board from AFLOA and a few sharp sticks and let you fight it out.