MCO P1400.31C - Headquarters Marine Corps

7003 MARCORPROMMAN, VOL 1, OFFPROM
contested board results were made public. Applications received
more than three years after the date the contested board results
were made public will be treated as untimely and will be denied.
1. Administrative Error. The Secretary of the Navy shall, upon
determination that an administrative error occurred, convene an
SSB to consider the record of the officer concerned. The
Commandant of the Marine Corps has been delegated the authority
to approve requests for SSBs under this category. Normally, the
CMC (MMPR) will identify administrative errors; however,
officers who believe they were not appropriately considered
should contact CMC (MMPR). Upon verification of the error, CMC
(MMPR) will notify the eligible officer. The officer must
acknowledge notification of eligibility in writing. Figure 7-1
is a sample acknowledgment letter.
2. Considered in an Unfair Manner. The Secretary of the Navy
is the approval authority for requests under this category. An
officer must have been considered by a regularly scheduled
selection board, and not selected. In the request, the officer
must detail the circumstances in which the unfair treatment
existed. Further, in cases where an officer is applying under
“Material Error of Fact” or “Absence of Material Information,”
additional justification will be required. Because officers are
personally responsible for their own record in accordance with
SECNAVINST 1420.1B, officers must include a detailed account of
the actions they took to promptly identify and correct the
problem prior to the convening of the promotion board that did
not select them. It is critical that the request explain, in
detail, how the officer demonstrated reasonable diligence in
identifying and correcting the error that caused the failure of
selection prior to the board's convening. "Reasonable
diligence" is defined as fair, proper, and due degree of care
and activity, measured with reference to the particular
circumstances; such diligence, care and attention as might be
expected from a man/woman of ordinary prudence and activity.
Requests which fail to show the officer demonstrated reasonable
diligence to identify and correct the error prior to the
promotion board will not normally be approved by the Secretary
of the Navy. Figure 7-2 is a sample request for an SSB in this
category.
3. Per SECNAVINST 1420.1B, in cases where an error existed
spanning multiple promotion boards, the officer shall normally
request an SSB for the earliest board where the error existed,
7-4