• Promotion Information

  Administrative Checks

  Overview

  Starting in Promotion Year 2024, pre-board administrative checks will no longer occur. Administrative checks will only be conducted post-board. Any officer who fails the post-board administrative checks will not be promoted and may face further consequences, regardless of scoring above or below the success line. The administrative checks are outlined in Personnel Operations Memorandum (POM) 821.87. 

  Readiness

  An officer fails the readiness post-board administrative check if they are deemed:

  • “Not Qualified” for 2 or more times in the 12 months prior to the month in which the Director, Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ), submits to the Surgeon General (SG) the promotion approval list (e.g., if the Director, CCHQ, submits officers to the SG on 10 May 2024, the dates checked will be 1 May 2023 through and including 1 April 2024)
  • “Not Qualified” more than 6 times in the 5 years prior to the month in which the Director, CCHQ, submits to the SG the promotion approval list. If the officer has been on duty in the USPHS Commissioned Corps for 4 years, then they must not be marked as “Not Qualified” more than 5 times since their appointment to the USPHS Commissioned Corps (or no more than 4 times if they have been on duty between 3 and 4 years, 3 times if on duty between 2 and 3 years, and 2 times if on duty between 1 and 2 years)

  Officers are individually responsible for ensuring that each readiness requirement is met, maintained, and updated before the current requirement expires. Please direct all questions and concerns about readiness-related matters directly to PHSReadiness@hhs.gov.

  Commissioned Officers’ Effectiveness Report (COER)

  An officer fails the COER post-board administrative check if:

  • Most recent COER is unsatisfactory
  • An Annual or required Interim COER from the past 5 years is missing from their electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) (e.g., for PY 2025 must have an Annual COER for 2020 through 2024)

  Active Administrative (AA) Action

  An officer fails the AA post-board administrative check if they have any of the below:

  • Letter of Reprimand (LOR). LOR in their record with an effective date or end date that is after the date that officers must upload documents to their eOPF
  • Absence Without Leave (AWOL). AWOL order for one or more days that was issued on or after the date that officers must upload documents to their eOPF or within the 6 months preceding the date that officers must upload documents to their eOPF
  • Pending Non-Medical Board. The USPHS Commissioned Corps has initiated or convened an involuntary separation or retirement process/board, whether the process/board has concluded/met, to determine the officer’s continuation on active duty

  Pending Separation

  An officer fails the pending separation post-board administrative check if:

  • The officer has a pending separation or retirement (except for a mandatory retirement that is more than 120 days after the anticipated promotion effective date) from active status during the Promotion Year that is involuntary
  • An officer has submitted a request for a voluntary separation or retirement regardless of the effective date that the officer requests

  Promotion Instructions are available on the Commissioned Corps Issuance System (CCIS).

  • Select "Commissioned Corps Issuance System" from the link bar at the top of this page.
  • Click on "Table of Contents."
  • Click on the "+" next to "Book 3: Personnel Management."
  • Click on Chapter 3: Promotions and Reductions.
  • Click the "+" next to the topic of interest related to promotions. The section title will turn blue.
  • Double click the blue section title and refer to the policy governing this process.

  Last Updated: 8/1/2024
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