Army Major Board Question

[sonofva]

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Hello All-

I am up for the Major board this year. My awards, OERs, and schooling are all up to date on HRC Records Portal. The only two things that are a little off are my ORB and DA Photo.

The only thing incorrect on the ORB is under my assignments information in "Section IX." My assignments are all on there, but it is also peppered with some random "assigned temp" type fillers. I have been back and forth with various people at the S1 for weeks, and this is the best I have gotten the ORB to look. It seems that every correction yields 2 errors in tow. My DA photo looks overall squared away, but is missing one Bronze Oak leaf cluster on my AAM.

I am TDY without access to real military services until right before the board file closes for corrections. Are these issues that will sink my application? Should I keep fighting to correct them? Thanks.

 

[dwb8p]

You’re fine. Literally the only people I know who havent been picked up for O4 are because of DUI or repeated APFT / height weight failures. Sure, all the stuff you mentioned is important for normal boards, but I have yet to see lack of a recent DA Photo or gross ORB inaccuracies trip anyone up.

 

[USArmyHPSP]

@ dwb8p is spot on. MAJ is automatic after six years as CPT unless there is some sort of flag on your record. If your S-1 can't get their act together on your ORB, you might write to the Army Board of Corrections for Military Records (ABCMR). They seemingly have the ability to wade through the BS and get things done.

 

[notdeadyet]

I’m curious how true the above advice is for O-5? I’m on reserve side but am getting advice that ILE is mandatory and don’t think I can swing it.

 

[BunsenBeaker]

I’m curious how true the above advice is for O-5? I’m on reserve side but am getting advice that ILE is mandatory and don’t think I can swing it.

ILE in residence or by correspondence?

 

[notdeadyet]

Correspondence or the hybrid. No residential option for us.

 

[Mace1370]

Active duty army. We are being told that CCC is mandatory for O-5 and ILE is mandatory for O-6. I think ILE would help you for O-5, though.

 

[notdeadyet]

Thanks.

<googling pay for LTC with 10 years TIG>

 

[pgg]

Thanks.

<googling pay for LTC with 10 years TIG>

No shame in retiring an O5 ...

What is lost compared to the O6 retirement pay is more than made up for by the preserved sanity from not charging all that machinegun fire running up the O6 hill.

/ terminal O5

 

[Gastrapathy]

Termander: best rank in the Navy. Leave with your soul intact one year earlier.

 

[absolutdokta]

I’m up for promotion too!! Woohoo!!!

Did you see the email from the branch manager lady? She spelled out some good info and gave the email address to send documents and issues to. My S1 told me that he had some issues himself getting stuff on his ORB corrected and for areas the one shop can’t fix he said you send an email to your pertinent hrc address with a scanned copy of your orb and the areas that are incorrect you draw a single red line through and then very neatly write above what it should say. I can send that email she sent out to your civ address if you would like (unless of course you’re tracking all that already)

 

[Gastrapathy]

No shame in retiring an O5 ...

What is lost compared to the O6 retirement pay is more than made up for by the preserved sanity from not charging all that machinegun fire running up the O6 hill.

/ terminal O5

Better watch out. So many people are quitting, the era of the termander might be ending. 80+% selection to O6 for three years in a row.

 

[dwb8p]

I calculated the pay difference between retiring at 20 years TIS as an O5 versus O6 to be about $200k. The difference in BAH and base pay is only about $25k for those two years, and the estimated difference in pension benefit over many years of post-retirement payout makes up the rest of it. This does not take into account the fact that most O6's stay in until 21 years TIS. I also admit that estimating differences in pension pay out is an approximation at best.

 

[pgg]

Better watch out. So many people are quitting, the era of the termander might be ending. 80+% selection to O6 for three years in a row.

Since I was passed over once for O5, I'm behind a year and below zone for this year's (FY20) board. I should be in zone for the FY21 board. Selectees from that board will put on the rank in the fiscal year beginning October 2020, with the bulk of the selectees attaining the rank in September 2021. I am eligible to retire summer 2022, which is not coincidentally exactly when the tailing obligation of my 4-year RB (aka MSP) contract is up.

Even if selected I would decline the promotion, as the 3 year time-in-grade requirement would go to the fall of 2024. Moreover, I'd take a pay cut to stay since I could only do a 2-year RB contract for that 2022-2024 window. It's hard to conjure a scenario in which I'd voluntarily push back retirement.

 

[Gastrapathy]

Gotcha. Still probably will see @pgg on the list but getting passed over for O5 once will save you the temptation for sure.

 

[pgg]

Gotcha. Still probably will see @pgg on the list but getting passed over for O5 once will save you the temptation for sure.

It's a little funny to think the die was cast so long ago, but my non-selection to commander back in June 2013 was really a selection for termander. 🙂

 

[pgg]

I calculated the pay difference between retiring at 20 years TIS as an O5 versus O6 to be about $200k. The difference in BAH and base pay is only about $25k for those two years, and the estimated difference in pension benefit over many years of post-retirement payout makes up the rest of it. This does not take into account the fact that most O6's stay in until 21 years TIS. I also admit that estimating differences in pension pay out is an approximation at best.

In addition to that, you have to remember that the O5/20 retiree collects $50K or thereabouts of pension income during the extra year the O6/21 retiree is still on active duty. The O5/20 retiree also gets one more year of civilian career income.

And as you say, the pension difference is realized over many years. Since money now is worth more than money later, the $50K + one-year pay differential more than exceeds the higher value of the O6/21 pension.

It's different for the line, of course, as they typically can't trip into a job that pays far better than O6-over-20 pay. For them, making O6 and staying beyond 20 is a pot of gold. Every physician has a standing offer in every city in every state for a higher paying job though, and every day spent on active duty beyond retirement eligibility is a clear financial loss. For a physician to stay beyond 20, he or she needs either a compelling non-financial reason, or poor math skills.

 

[sonofva]

I’m up for promotion too!! Woohoo!!!

Did you see the email from the branch manager lady? She spelled out some good info and gave the email address to send documents and issues to. My S1 told me that he had some issues himself getting stuff on his ORB corrected and for areas the one shop can’t fix he said you send an email to your pertinent hrc address with a scanned copy of your orb and the areas that are incorrect you draw a single red line through and then very neatly write above what it should say. I can send that email she sent out to your civ address if you would like (unless of course you’re tracking all that already)

Hey thanks! Would you mind pm me that email? Must’ve lost it in the shuffle.

 

[Gastrapathy]

@pgg usually it’s just skill rot and an unwillingness to work hard after years of cushy senior gigs. The long term O6s are rarely the best clinicians.

 

[pgg]

Well -

There are a lot who enjoy the so-called administrative track, and as a 40-something year old doctor, the military certainly offers more opportunities for leadership and responsibility running a hospital than the civilian world. If that's what you want the tail end of your lifelong career to look like, it makes sense.

Institution-size GME positions. Operational stuff. Direct service to those in harm's way. Humanitarian and global health initiatives.

There are good reasons to stay, beyond being Shawshank-style institutionalized. I've had a good time in the Navy, definitely more positive than negative, but the reasons I have to stay don't outweigh the biggest reason of all to retire - so I can move to a town my wife can help choose and just stay there a while. The financial math just makes the decision all that much clearer.

 

[absolutdokta]

Hey thanks! Would you mind pm me that email? Must’ve lost it in the shuffle.

i sent what i think is a PM (I havent PM'ed on here in years). let me know if you got it along with the attachments.

 

[Gastrapathy]

@pgg the ones who enjoy admin are who I’m talking about. They all stay and the clinical docs leave. Then the top level leadership cycles so fast it’s like they have priority ADHD and that next tier becomes ineffective. The GME leadership is probably the only meaningful exception to this but those jobs are lower tier academic jobs in the civilian world and readily attained if desired.