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View Full Version : 5 year LCPL; No promotion in sight 0_o;



SDL
12-06-10, 08:52 PM
I am a drilling reservisit who has been a LCPL for almost 5 years and according to my current composite scores, there is no hope of picking up any time soon. Yes, I do know that the easiest answer I can get is to try to get meritoriously promoted. But that is not likely, as I am not exactly the s***hot Marine... but then again, am not a s***bag either. The reservists who I graduated with from MOS school have all picked up this past April... Two of them had comp scores lower than mine when I checked right before they moved it. So at this point, I'm trying to figure out exactly WHAT is keeping me from getting promoted. I was talking to a couple of CPLs at my unit this past weekend, and a few of them suggested that the problem MAY have been an admin error. I was wondering if anybody's ever experienced this kind of problem before. Could it really be their (or S-3) goof. My situation goes a little something like this...

I have never had a Page 11 before during the 5.5 years I've been in.
I have never had any NJPs before during the 5.5 years I've been in.
I have never gotten my rank reduced during the 5.5 years I've been in.
I have never FAILED the PFT during the 5.5 years I've been in (always been a 2nd class... never even dipped into 3rd class, amazingly enough).
I have never FAILED the CFT since it's inception into the Marine Corps (got a 3rd class last year, but a 2nd class this year).
I never unq'ed on the rifle range (though I have always been a rifle & pistol Marksman).
I was never overweight by Marine Corps standards, nor have I ever been considered a fat-body.
I was never non-rec'ed for promotion during the 5.5 years I've been in.
I have maxed out my MCIs that would count for promotion to CPL.
All my years as a drilling reservist are SAT years.

As for the fellow Marines I graduated with from MOS school... out of the 6 (myself included), one of them was active duty to start with and the last time I checked he's a SGT. The 2nd one just went onto become active duty starting as an RA. One of the reservist has a higher comp score than me. The remaining too's comp score just trailed behind what I had (I verfied that other than the RA Marine, all still hold the same MOS as me right now as their PMOS). Again, all three of them picked up CPL during April 2010.

I have ran out of possible reasons that is holding me back. During the years I've been with the unit, I have seen plenty of Marines who's gotten NJP'ed, busted down in rank, failed the PFT multiple times, considered overweight and taped out to be fat-bodies, never deployed (I've deployed once), but yet went on and picked up CPL without a hitch.

I am still a TAN BELT in MCMAP (since I was never given the opportunity to advance onto my GREY BELT). I am wondering if that's the reason. All I know is tha my chain of command never brought this up, nor sent me to get my GREY BELT when training opportunity arises.

What is most intriguing is this: Around August 2009, I went on MOL and used the RANK/MOS function that lists all Marines at a particular rank & MOS (on the RESERVE side, of course). I set the order based on the highest Comp Score to the lowest. My name was actually on the 1st page. But when I checked it agian using the same procedure as above in October 2009, my name mysteriously went from the 1st page, down to the 8th page. A few whiles back, I was on the 4th page. I checked yesterday and found out that I am now at the top of the 3rd page.

This is really leading me to believe that somewhere in S-1 or maybe even S-3 an error on my record has been made, resulting in me being "trapped" in the E-3 rank, unable to move up at the original prescribed time of April 2010.

Does any of you all think it's worth it to check with S-1, S-3, or whoever? I guess what I should ask first is... is this kind of situation unheard of, or is it not uncommon? Please keep in mind that I am a reservist... we only get two days a month to go resolve problems that are Marine Corps-related. And if it turned out to be an error (or errors) on their part, would I rate any back-pay from the time when I'm supposed to be in the E-4 paygrade? And would I get my date of rank set at the appropriate date rather than when they actually pin me?

Any help regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated! So thanks in advance!!

:usmc: Semper Fidelis

hussaf
12-06-10, 09:00 PM
Have you talked to your chain of command, MFR, or Manpower and Reserve Affairs? Manpower has a hotline you can call for this kind of information. That kind of initiative is especially important when trying to pick up Staff Sergeant (ie communicating with the selection board).

gwamo1
12-06-10, 10:00 PM
2ed class PFT? Common man.

Quinbo
12-07-10, 12:30 AM
I'm not sure if you all still have manual composite score calculators or everything is on the computer now days.

If you break it down and look at it you are losing out a few points with your pft and marksmanship. The pt and marksmanship could also be affecting you pro/cons which also come into play in your composite score.

Have you done the 7000 series MCI?

If you work up your composite score and compare it to the current cutting score and it shows that made the cut then you have a legitimate gripe. If however you did not make the cut then there is nothing to take to training or admin. You just plain didn't make it because you didn't have a high enough score.

I do not know about retroactive promotions but suggest that you collect up all your info that demonstrates you had the score yet didn't get promoted then request mast. Because your peers were promoted and you were not is not reason enough to go see the old man about it.

oldtop
12-07-10, 08:34 AM
Have a sit down talk with your NCOIC and SNCOIC FIRST...If you have been overlooked due to an admin error, they are the ones to plead your case...if there is some other reason why you have been passed over, then they are also the ones to advise you of exactly what your shortcomings are, and what you need to do to correct the problem.

Beltayn
12-07-10, 09:11 AM
I had an issue come up recently where a CFT that I did a while back wasn't ran in the system before the training cutoff. As a result, I couldn't understand why my official cutting score in MOL didn't match what I calculated that it should be.

In situations like that, all you need to do is see your admin section, and they will double check the computer system for date accuracy and to ensure you do not have any zeroed fields. At that point you can request they do a manual cutting score calculation for you right then and there in front of you, and they will pull out a worksheet and write it all out so you can see the math.


All that said, that doesn't sound to me like your problem is an administrative one. To me, based on what you said, it sounds like you just feel that your cutting score is low and are dissatisfied with the fact that you are not meeting the requirement to pick up rank.

Let me break it down to you as gently as I can.
By your own statement you have done pretty much just the minimum. Your physical fitness test scores are low, and your marksmanship scores are the bare minimum. And since they have been low for your whole time in zone for promotion, your cutting score will likewise be low. You didn't mention your pros and cons but I can't imagine that you can project the whole Marine concept very convincingly to your reporting seniors with your credentials the way you describe them.

You also have to understand that the scores for promotion as a reservist are significantly higher than active duty scores, often by a hundred points or more, because you as a reservist get the same number of points credited to your cutting score for time in grade and time in service as someone on active duty who does their job every day, where you only do it one weekend a month.

Corporal is not a "gimme" rank. It is the first step on the path as an NCO, who is supposed to be a leader of Marines, entrusted with great responsibility. Many active duty Marines go their entire enlistments without earning their blood stripes.

Whether a reservist or on active duty, your promotion is in nobodies hands but your own. If you feel you want it, reach out and grab it. That requires individual initiative on your part.
Particularly as someone whose shortfalls are so clear, you should know what you need to do. Get out there and start getting in shape. Try to run at least two to three times per week. Do a set of pull ups every morning as part of your wake up routine. It's amazing how big a difference that extra half an hour every day can make.
Innyour unit, you should have se kind of mentor, or leader that you can look up to and go to for advice and motivation. Use the resource your fellow Marines represent.

It is clear to me that you are unhappy with the effects of the choices you have made. It is not clear to me that you have demonstrated the commitment to being a Marine and living up to that expectation of self direction and drive every day of the week, not just on drilling weekends.

You unhappy with your rank? Start acting like a Corporal.

gungygal48
12-07-10, 10:52 AM
I had an issue come up recently where a CFT that I did a while back wasn't ran in the system before the training cutoff. As a result, I couldn't understand why my official cutting score in MOL didn't match what I calculated that it should be.

In situations like that, all you need to do is see your admin section, and they will double check the computer system for date accuracy and to ensure you do not have any zeroed fields. At that point you can request they do a manual cutting score calculation for you right then and there in front of you, and they will pull out a worksheet and write it all out so you can see the math.


All that said, that doesn't sound to me like your problem is an administrative one. To me, based on what you said, it sounds like you just feel that your cutting score is low and are dissatisfied with the fact that you are not meeting the requirement to pick up rank.

Let me break it down to you as gently as I can.
By your own statement you have done pretty much just the minimum. Your physical fitness test scores are low, and your marksmanship scores are the bare minimum. And since they have been low for your whole time in zone for promotion, your cutting score will likewise be low. You didn't mention your pros and cons but I can't imagine that you can project the whole Marine concept very convincingly to your reporting seniors with your credentials the way you describe them.

You also have to understand that the scores for promotion as a reservist are significantly higher than active duty scores, often by a hundred points or more, because you as a reservist get the same number of points credited to your cutting score for time in grade and time in service as someone on active duty who does their job every day, where you only do it one weekend a month.

Corporal is not a "gimme" rank. It is the first step on the path as an NCO, who is supposed to be a leader of Marines, entrusted with great responsibility. Many active duty Marines go their entire enlistments without earning their blood stripes.

Whether a reservist or on active duty, your promotion is in nobodies hands but your own. If you feel you want it, reach out and grab it. That requires individual initiative on your part.
Particularly as someone whose shortfalls are so clear, you should know what you need to do. Get out there and start getting in shape. Try to run at least two to three times per week. Do a set of pull ups every morning as part of your wake up routine. It's amazing how big a difference that extra half an hour every day can make.
Innyour unit, you should have se kind of mentor, or leader that you can look up to and go to for advice and motivation. Use the resource your fellow Marines represent.

It is clear to me that you are unhappy with the effects of the choices you have made. It is not clear to me that you have demonstrated the commitment to being a Marine and living up to that expectation of self direction and drive every day of the week, not just on drilling weekends.

You unhappy with your rank? Start acting like a Corporal.


^this

Wood5831
12-07-10, 12:17 PM
+1.

When I was a Corporal I needed an x amount of points from my PFT to help pickup Sergeant. Well I fell short by 5 or 6 seconds on the run( I always maxed pu and su). I pleaded to take the PFT again the next morning and I did and dropped 11 seconds on the run and maxed everything else and got what I needed.

Sometimes it takes more effort than normal or the bare minimum to get where you need to go.

ggyoung
12-07-10, 12:42 PM
I had a friend who was a pro. E-3. 4 years in the army got out as a E-3, came in the Marines for 4 years as a E-3, went back in the army and after another 4 years was still a E-3. Oh he had several Cpl. promotions but the night before promotion he would go out and get drunk and not show up for a day or two.

FistFu68
12-07-10, 01:05 PM
:beer: :thumbup: :beer: