Reserve Affairs Plans (RAP-2)

Officer Plans

Officer plans section is responsible for officer inventory, promotion, and aviation inventory planning. In addition, the section conducts policy analysis that supports officer accessions, promotions, and inventory.

Unrestricted Reserve Officer Promotion Planner

– Develops, implements and maintains manpower promotion plans for active and reserve unrestricted officers

– Develops promotion plans for brigadier general (BGen) and major general (MajGen) officers

– Calculates and submits monthly promotion allocations to Promotions Branch

– Analyzes officer manpower requirements

– Conducts detailed research and analysis to answer inquiries relating to Reserve Officer promotion activity

– Conducts analysis of Reserve Officer manpower requirements to determine if policies and practices are adequate to support officer structure requirements

– Actively supports the Restricted Officer promotion Planner in developing restricted promotion plans and policy

For current promotion projections, please visit the Officer Promotions page. Under their References section you will find a document titled “{Month Year} promotions and future monthly projections”. The file will list promotion projections by selection number, for each grade. The file is updated monthly around mid-month, by MMPR.

Restricted Reserve Officer Promotion Planner

– Develops Warrant Officer (WO) and Limited Duty Officer (LDO) Promotion Plans

– Determines Enlisted to WO Selection Numbers

– Determines Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) to LDO Selection Numbers

– Determines WO grade shape by MOS

– Determines WO and LDO promotion dates

– Determines WO and LDO appointment dates for restricted officer policy implementation and analysis

– Actively supports the Unrestricted Reserve Officer Promotion Planner in developing unrestricted promotion plans and policy

– Works closely with the OccFld sponsors to manage restricted officer community health

– Provides Restricted Reserve Officer Information Briefs to communities with an interest (OccFld symposium, OccFld working groups, commanders conferences, G-1 symposiums)

Reserve SNCO Promotions

Staff Noncommissioned Officer: Promotions to SNCO ranks are the result of selection for promotion by a SMCR/IRR/AR Selection Board which convenes in January for 6 – 8 weeks. To be eligible for consideration, a Marine must meet the promotion zones published prior to the board, and be serving in the SMCR, IRR or AR on the date the annual Reserve board convenes. Marines who effect an intercategory transfer, i.e., from Active Reserve to SMCR or from SMCR to IRR, while a Reserve SNCO selection board is in session will remain eligible for promotion in the Category in which they resided at the convening of the board. Reservists will compete with Reservists from their category only (i.e., drilling reservists with drilling reservists, IRR with IRR, and AR with AR).

* Limited Tour Marines serving on the AR program now compete within the SMCR category.

SMCR First Sergeant Selections: Reserve Gunnery Sergeants desiring consideration for promotion to First Sergeant (in addition to meeting the published promotion zone and completed PME requirements) must submit a letter to the president of the Reserve SNCO Selection board indicating which billet(s), out of a list of available SMCR First Sergeant billets (published prior to the Reserve SNCO promotion board), they would be willing and able to serve. This additional selection requirement is designed to fill the small number of the most geographically isolated and difficult to staff First Sergeant SMCR billets.

Minimum TIS/TIG Requirements: Marines must meet the below minimum TIS/TIG to be eligible for promotion. TIS is based on the Pay Entry Base Date for SMCR and IRR Marines and Armed Forces Active Duty Base Date for AR Marines.

What Selection Boards Consider:
– Career Retirement Credit Report (CRCR)
– Fitness Reports
– Reserve Qualification Summary
– Official Military Personnel File & Master Brief Sheet
– PME completion

It is the Marine's responsibility to ensure his/her records are accurate and complete.

PME is linked to promotion in the Marine Corps. Marines must complete the appropriate PME for their grade in order to be “fully qualified” for promotion. PME requirements, by grade, are found in ALMAR 339/96.

Corporal and Sergeant

The enlisted promotion system provides a procedure that lets enlisted Marines within each grade and PMOS compete among themselves for promotion to the next grade. The aim of the system is to advance the best qualified Marines to fill vacancies in the next higher grade.  PMOS vacancies will be continuously filled by Marines who are fully qualified to perform the duties and ready to assume the responsibilities of the next grade. Promotions are determined by quarterly published “cutting scores.” The cutting score indicates the composite score a Marine must meet or exceed to be promoted within his/her grade/MOS. Only Marines meeting minimum Time in Grade/Time In Service (TIG/TIS) criteria receive a composite score. A composite score is as accurate as the information available in the Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS), Marines should ensure their information is up to date and correct (MCI, PFT, Rifle, etc.). Timelines for information to be entered in MCTFS can be found in the Enlisted Marine Corps Promotion Manual. Promotion periods are January, April, July and October. A Marine is not eligible for regular promotion until the following minimum TIG/TIS is met.

Reserve Training and Education

Click on the links below for more information on the following programs.

Non Prior Service:

– Incremental Initial Active Duty (IIADT) Program

Prior Service:

– Lateral Move and Career Progression Programs

Reserve Officer Entry Level Training:

– Reserve Enlisted Commissioning Program
– Reserve Warrant Officer Program
– Inter Service Transfers

For additional information on these programs contact the Plans Section at: RAP@USMC.MIL

Section Information

Section E-mail: RAP@usmc.mil

Reserve Affairs Policy (RAP-1)
3280 Russell Road
Quantico, VA 22134-5103

Phone: (703) 784-4106
DSN: 278-4106

Reserve Affairs Plans (RAP-2)
3280 Russell Road
Quantico, VA 22134-5103

Phone: (703) 784-9879
DSN: 278-9879

Reserve Affairs Programming (RAP-3)
3280 Russell Road
Quantico, VA 22134-5103

Phone: (703) 432-9066
DSN: 278-9066