Marine Corps Promotion System: Rewarding Merit or Seniority?
Abstract
The United States Marine Corps selects officers for promotion and command effectively, however it could incentivize performance by rewarding Marine officers through in-zone reordering. In-zone reordering is currently used by the Coast Guard to reward performance without the associated cost of below-zone selection and promotion. The Marine Corps only needs to refine its promotion process to ensure the best young officers are retained to lead the service in the future. This will be accomplished by reviewing how the Marine Corps promotion process from Second Lieutenant through Colonel works, followed by a review of U.S. Code, Title 10 promotion requirements. Then an in depth look at below-zone, 360-degree reviews, Professional Military Education (PME), In-Zone Reordering and how the other services utilize these to better recognize their best leaders. In-zone reordering is the most straightforward solution to incentivizing performance at no cost to the Marine Corps. In a time of dwindling resources and rising commitments, leadership remains a keystone in the foundation of the Marine Corps. This recommendation would send a clear message to all Marines that individual performance is recognized and every officer has the opportunity to earn the right to be advanced ahead of peers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 23, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA601719
Entities
People
- Benjamin J. Debardeleben
Organizations
- Marine Corps University