{"id":15034,"date":"2016-03-12T14:00:49","date_gmt":"2016-03-12T14:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2016\/03\/12\/favorable-gunny-promotions-could-be-good-news-for-junior-marines\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:39:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:39:14","slug":"favorable-gunny-promotions-could-be-good-news-for-junior-marines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/education-transition\/2016\/03\/12\/favorable-gunny-promotions-could-be-good-news-for-junior-marines\/","title":{"rendered":"Favorable gunny promotions could be good news for junior Marines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the second year in a row, enlisted Marines have a good shot at making\u00a0Your chances to make <\/span>sergeant, staff sergeant and gunny as the Corps approaches the end of its post-war\u00a0drawdown.\u00a0are not as strong as last year, but much better than recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Corps plans to promote\u00a0to give a second rocker to <\/span>1,696 Marines to gunnery sergeant\u00a0in 2016.\u00a0While the\u00a0number could increase ould go up <\/span>slightly, but <\/span>manpower officials do not expect gunny promotions\u00a0it<\/span> to exceed the pre-drawdown average of 1,750.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it’s a\u00a0n<\/span>This represents and <\/span>17-percent drop from the 2,047 Marines who made gunny last year, but <\/span>it is far better than the 1,129 promoted in 2014. During the drawdown, gunny promotions averaged around 1,400.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those roughly 1,700 promotions Promotions to gunnery sergeant <\/span>will have a trickle-down effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marine Corps plans to promote\u00a03,600 sergeants to staff sergeant this year, said\u00a0Lane Beindorf, the enlisted promotion plans officer at who heads up enlisted promotions for <\/span>Manpower and Reserve Affairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another 9,600 corporals will likely be able to make sergeant,\u00a0Beindorf added. Beginning As of <\/span>April 1, though, corporals and lance corporals must meet a new a new\u00a0<\/span>12-month time-in-grade requirement before they can add another stripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The [promotion] numbers for 2016 will be somewhat lower than 2015, especially since last year\u2019s allocations of 4,274 staff sergeants were the second highest in a decade,” said Lane <\/span>Beindorf said, who heads up enlisted promotions for Manpower and Reserve Affairs<\/span>. “There were a number of [Temporary Early Retirement Authorization] takers, which opened several of <\/span>allocations.\u00a0This year, we anticipate 3,600 allocations for staff sergeant, which will mean about 9,600 sergeant promotions.<\/span>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The promotion season kicks off with the gunnery sergeant selection board, which will convene April 20 and is expected to last about eight weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The infantry\u2019s quota of 143 promotions is by far the most of any military occupational specialty. It is followed by administrative specialist, which has 107 slots, and motor transport\u00a0operations chiefs<\/span>, which has 83.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sgt. Christopher Williams, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit motor transport operations chief and New York-native, checks the placement of a steering gear underneath a seven-ton truck at the unit’s motor pool aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., April 4, 2013. The MEU’s motor transport section provides weekly preventative and annual maintenance to all the unit’s vehicles in order to maintain a high state of unit readiness. (Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Caleb McDonald\/Released<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sgt. Christopher Williams, a motor transport operations chief, checks a steering gear underneath a 7-ton truck. There are 83 gunnery sergeant slots in that military occupational specialty this year.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo Credit: Lance Cpl. Caleb McDonald\/Marine Corps<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light armored vehicle\u00a0crewmen will see the biggest increase over last year’s quotas \u2014 17 will be promoted, as compared to just four last year. Supply administration and operations specialists are at the other end of the spectrum. Their 47\u00a0promotion slots dropped from 70 in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM \/\/ HAVE THIS IN CHART IF WOULD RATHER USE THERE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six MOSs that had no gunny promotions in 2015 have quotas this year. They include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n