MCO P1400.31C - Headquarters Marine Corps

MARCORPROMMAN, VOL 1, OFFPROM
CHAPTER 5
ADVERSE PROCESS
5000. INTRODUCTION. The officer promotion process is founded
upon the selection and promotion of the best and fully qualified
Marines. Selection boards utilize the information authorized by
law to be furnished to them in order to determine which Marines
meet the best and fully qualified standard. However,
potentially adverse information is not always available to
promotion boards. Officers who are already selected and
nominated but not yet promoted may commit acts that call into
question their suitability for promotion. In order to ensure
officers to be promoted meet the highest standards of conduct,
the CMC (MMPR), in coordination with the Staff Judge Advocate to
the Commandant of the Marine Corps (SJA to CMC), manages the
officer promotion adverse process.
5001. ADVERSE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO PROMOTION BOARDS.
DODINST 1320.14 gives specific guidance on how promotion
selection boards must treat adverse (or potentially adverse)
information. If adverse information appears in information
authorized to be furnished to a promotion board, that
information must be briefed to the board. This information can
be briefed because by virtue of its appearance in the officer’s
record, the officer has had the opportunity to rebut that
information. Information of an adverse nature not contained in
the officer’s record cannot be briefed because the officer has
not had the opportunity to rebut that information.
5002. ADVERSE SCREENING. Adverse screening for CWO thru Col
takes place on two occasions. A screening is conducted upon
adjournment of every promotion board. All the officers selected
by a promotion board are screened for potentially adverse
information. This information may or may not have appeared
before the promotion board. A subsequent screening is conducted
prior to the release of each month’s promotion MARADMIN. All
the officers scheduled to be promoted that month are screened
again to ensure no new information of an adverse nature appears.
A screening is also conducted each August for those second
lieutenants to be promoted in the following calendar year and
for those Warrant Officer-1 to be promoted in the following
calendar year (see paragraph 5007). A pre-board screening is
conducted prior to the convening of the boards to consider
officers for promotion to BGen and MajGen, in addition to the
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