Dozens of Marines are still waiting to find out if they’ll rank up in 2018, a decision that’s been delayed by what the Marine Corps calls an “irregularity” with one of its promotion selection boards.
Military.com first reported that the Corps’ E-8 and E-9 board was dismissed because of an undisclosed issue before it could consider candidates for promotion to master and first sergeants (E-8 ranks).
New members will be placed on the board, which will resume its duties on Jan. 8. But that means over 1,500 Marines worldwide will have to continue to wait for, hopefully, good news.
Those Marines — including 45 from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and 13 from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, according to the installations — are competing for a total of 1,003 spots, according to the Marine Corps times. Of those spots, 185 are for first sergeant, the remainder for master.
For Fiscal Year 2017, monthly base salary for E-8 Marines ranges from $4,136.10 to $5,998.90, depending on the Marine’s tenure of service, according to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service’s pay chart.
None of the Marines the same board already promoted to E-9 — sergeant major or master gunnery sergeant — were affected by the decision to disband it, according to the Times.
The board adjourned Dec. 12, according to Military.com. It began meeting in October.
When the new board convenes, it’s expected to take “several weeks,” according to the Times, to determine promotions.
Wade Livingston: 843-706-8153, @WadeGLivingston
___
(c)2017 The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.) — www.islandpacket.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
