You Should Care About Promotion Board Precepts and Convening Orders
Whenever a promotion board starts, the members are provided two items to guide them as they decide who to promote, the board precept and the convening order. These documents are available on-line and should be used to figure out how to promote and write your fitrep.
The Board Precept
The precept is released in December and can be seen anytime afterwards. For example, if you go to the FY19 O4 Staff Corps Promotion Board page and click on the link marked with an arrow, you’ll get the board precept even though this board hasn’t started yet:
The Convening Order
The convening order for a promotion board is not released until it starts. If you monitor the board page closely, you’ll usually be able to get it within 1-2 days after the board begins. You just click the link that reads “Board Convening Order”:
Incidentally, this is how I always find out the promotion opportunity for all the boards and post it on the blog. It is in the convening order.
Why You Should Care
You should care about the precept and convening order because they tell you how to promote to the next rank. Go to this page and download them from the most recent boards of your next rank. You can see all the different boards circled in red here:
Click on the board for the next rank you’ll be competing for, and download the precept and convening order. If the board hasn’t happened yet (like the FY19 O4 board), then you’ll have to look at last year’s convening order (FY18).
Use these documents for two things. First, to figure out how to promote. For example, I deconstructed a past O6 convening order here.
Second, use them to come up with wording for your fitrep bullets, as discussed here where I showed you how to pull phrases for your block 41.
The Bottom Line
- Go to this page.
- Get the precept and convening order for your next rank. You might have to go to last year’s board for the convening order if the board hasn’t started yet.
- Use them to figure out how to get promoted and for writing your fitrep.
No More Letters of Intent Due to 6 Month Lead Time for PCS Orders
The navy released a NAVADMIN about PCS orders. In summary, it says:
- With increased orders lead time (OLT), letters of intent (LOI) are no longer as impactful and less critical for Sailors and their dependents.
- OLT is expected to remain around six months in aggregate for the foreseeable future. Sailors should receive orders with adequate time to complete the required documentation and logistical planning for both continental United States (CONUS) and overseas/remote assignments before beginning the permanent change of station (PCS) process, negating the need for the LOI.
When orders were being released less than 2 months before a PCS, officers were able to get a LOI so they could get on waiting lists for base housing or child development centers. It sounds like we won’t need those for the foreseeable future.
3rd/4th Quarter FY18 Reductions to Centrally Funded Leadership Courses
1. Navy Medicine Education, Training, and Logistics Command (NMETLC) has an unexpected $2.4 million unfunded requirement for operational training. As such, they do not expect to be able to fund any travel or per diem for courses that are centrally funded likeAdvanced Medical Department Officer Course (AMDOC) or the Tricare Financial Management Executive Program. ***This is only for the 3rd/4th Quarters of FY18***
2. For the Medical Corps (MC) specifically:
- This DOES NOT affect MC board certification related training, nor does it affect any GME related training (FTOS).
- This DOES affect CME for those medical officers in non-BSO-18 commands (70% reduction in the remaining travel funds). [a non-BSO-18 command is basically anything that is not a Navy hospital/clinic]
- For MC Officers in non-BSO-18 commands, the remaining 30% is earmarked for those who MUST have CME for licensure. Navy Medicine Professional Development Center (NMPDC) will be the final decision making authority. Of course, a given command may fund CME travel if they choose. There are limited dollars (with no clear relief on the horizon), so the priority will be given to those that truly need the CME and their command cannot fund.
3. There are no additional restrictions for normal CME related travel (i.e. travel funded by the commands or any other source).
4. Remaining FY18 classes will continue to be held for local (National Capital Area) attendees or to anyone else on a no-cost basis, if minimum class size is attained. Commands can fund their staff or members may attend while in a no-cost TAD status at their own expense. Courses primarily impacted will be:
- Advanced Medical Department Officer Course (AMDOC)
- Tricare Financial Management Executive Program (TFMEP)
BUMED hopes that this impact can be somewhat mitigated by alternate funding if available at local commands.
Section Head of Undersea Medicine, BUMED
Position: Section Head of Undersea Medicine, BUMED (M95), Falls Church, Virginia
Desired Rank: CDR (LCDR or CAPT generally will be considered)
Desired Report Date: JUL 2018
Tour Length: 3 years
If you are interested, submit your CV/BIO by 6 APR 2018 to CAPT Jeffrey McClellan (e-mail address is in the global address book)
2019 Navy Legislative Fellows Program Application Deadline Extended
WASHIGNTON (NNS) — The deadline for submitting applications for the 2019 Navy Legislative Fellows Program has been extended to April 13, 2018.
The Legislative Fellows Program allows naval officers, senior enlisted and Department of the Navy civilians to broaden their understanding of the legislative process and the operation of the U.S. Congress through a year-long full-time assignment to the office of a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate.
For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/ola/legislative_fellowship1.asp.
FY19 Medical Corps Promotion Opportunity 85%
Here is the just released FY19 Active O5 Staff Corps Promotion Board Convening Order. The promotion opportunity was 85%, the highest in a long time:
| FY13 | FY14 | FY15 | FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | |
| CDR | 80% | 80% | 70% | 70% | 65% | 75% | 85% |
End-of-the-Month Personal Finance Summary
Here are all of my personal finance writings for the month of March. Enjoy!
Another Simple Way to Get Rich in the Military – Learn a Lucrative and Marketable Skill
Highlights from 2017 Physician Compensation Reports
How to Buy Life Insurance When You’re in the Military
Learn How to Retire Secure and Pay Taxes Once and Never Again – For Free!
Military Specific Impacts of Tax Reform
Saturday Critical Action – Buy a Used Car
Saturday Critical Action – Put Retirement First
Saturday Critical Action – Save Some for Your Future Self
Should You Invest in Real Estate?
Step 1 to Crush the Thrift Savings Plan – Prepare
Step 2 to Crush the Thrift Savings Plan – Decide
Step 3 to Crush the Thrift Savings Plan – Asset Allocation
Will the Government Get Rid of the “Free Lunch” of the TSP G Fund?
How to Encrypt E-mails to a Promotion Board
Many people who have tried to encrypt their e-mail message to the promotion boards have been frustrated when the encryption was denied by Outlook. Here is the process you need to follow to encrypt e-mails to the promotion board. I found it in the recently updated Officer Record Management document from PERS, which you can find here:
The email account CSCSELBOARD@navy.mil remains available to receive encrypted correspondence to selection boards. The sender must choose to encrypt the email. If the sender is unable to send encrypted email, any sensitive information or PII should be removed. To download the mailbox certificate for encrypted email, users must:
- Visit https://dod411.gds.disa.mil
- Type uasknpc@navy.mil or CSCSELBOARD@navy.mil in the “Email address” field, then click “Search”
- Click the “BUPERS” or “CSC” link under “Last Name”
- Click on the link “Download Certificate(s) as vCard”
- Click “Software Certificate for uasknpc@navy.mil” or “Software Certificate for CSCSELBOARD@navy.mil”
- Click the “Open” button on the File Download pop-up. The certificate will open. Click “Save and Close.”
- The certificate is then saved to the profile and can be used to send encrypted email.
Guest Post – Conversion to the New Pay Plan Can Adversely Impact Your TSP
by Brendon Drew
DFAS has struggled to accurately implement the new pay plan, and most physicians notice the impact on their LES. What most don’t realize, though, is that the errors may have also impacted their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) investments. If you contribute to the TSP with any of your medical specialty pays, you should thoroughly investigate your LES and your TSP statements. Here’s an example of what can happen.
I was transitioned off of the legacy pay in February 2017:
When DFAS completed the retroactive pay changes, $785.93 was removed from my 2017 TSP contribution total:
While that may not seem like much, consider that my TSP earned 27% in 2017, the money grows tax-free in a Roth account, and I plan on having that account for another 30-40 years.
Since the involuntary withdrawal occurred in calendar year 2018 but went back into calendar year 2017, I was unable to provide “catch up” contributions in 2018.
I recommend that you review your LES carefully. In the month(s) you are transitioned from the legacy system, look for a negative VSP and/or BCP entitlement. If you see one of these, go pull your TSP statements from the corresponding period and you may find that money was taken out of your retirement account and given back to you as cash.
If you have questions about this, feel free to email me on the global address book. Make sure you have access to your LES and prior TSP statements.
GAO Reports on New Joint Trauma System
A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that DoD’s plans for a new Joint Trauma Care System do not fully incorporate leading practices. You can read an article that summarizes things here:
DoD’s New Trauma Care System Plans Do Not Fully Implement Leading Practices
You can read the GAO reports here:
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 