APRIL 2026 SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE (SMCR), INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE (IRR), AND ACTIVE RESERVE (AR) CORPORAL AND SERGEANT PROMOTION AUTHORITY
MARADMIN 115/26 · March 19, 2026 · Source
Your April 2026 promotion authority just dropped. Here's what it means for Reserve LCpls and Cpls.
HQMC published the monthly promotion authority for the Reserve component.
If you're an LCpl or Corporal in the SMCR, IRR, or Active Reserve, this message directly controls whether you get promoted on April 1.
This is not a suggestion. Commands cannot promote without it.
Reference: MARADMIN 115/26, signed 18 March 2026. Underlying authority is MCO P1400.32D (Enlisted Promotion Manual) and MCO 1616.1 (JEPES).
The old problem
Every month, someone gets left behind on promotions because of a paperwork gap.
Maybe a JEPES score wasn't verified in time.
Maybe a command missed the cutoff.
Maybe nobody told the Marine what the cutting score actually was.
This MARADMIN exists to close those gaps by giving commands a hard deadline and a single source of truth.
The new rule (in one line)
April 1, 2026 is the promotion date for eligible LCpls and Cpls in the Reserve component. The command cutoff was February 28, 2026.
(If entries weren't submitted by then, they don't count toward your April score. Full stop.)
What the policy actually says
Here are the key dates and mechanics, stripped of the jargon:
Promotion dates:
- Select Corporal effective date: April 1, 2026
- Select Sergeant effective date: April 1, 2026
- Date of rank: April 1, 2026
- Effective date: April 1, 2026
The cutoff that already passed:
✦ The command cutoff for April 1 promotions was February 28, 2026.
✦ Any JEPES entries dated after February 28 will not count toward your April promotion score.
✦ If you are reading this now and your entries weren't in by then, April is likely off the table. May is your next shot.
What commands are required to do:
✦ Pull cutting scores from MCTFS after the current month's select grades post.
✦ Verify that each Marine's JEPES promotion score meets or exceeds the published cutting score before effecting the promotion.
✦ Retain the cutting scores alongside this MARADMIN for the record.
Where to find the cutting scores:
Go to manpower.marines.mil, then navigate: Divisions, Manpower Management, Performance Branch, Promotion Section, Enlisted Promotions, Sergeants and Below Promotions.
(Yes, it is that many clicks.)
Why this is a big deal
Promotions for Reserve enlisted Marines don't happen automatically.
Commands have to act. They have to verify. They have to hit the deadlines.
This MARADMIN is the legal authority that makes any of that possible for the April cycle. Without it, no one gets promoted, regardless of score.
The February 28 cutoff is the critical number here. If your command or S-1 missed that window, your JEPES entries from March do not count. Your promotion does not happen in April.
That is a real consequence, and it happens more than it should.
A smaller note for active-duty Marines
This MARADMIN is Reserve-specific. SMCR, IRR, and Active Reserve only.
Active component LCpl and Corporal promotions are handled under a separate monthly authority. Check with your S-1 if you have questions about your component's cycle.
The bottom line
If you are an LCpl or Corporal in the Reserve component, your April 1, 2026 promotion hinges on whether your JEPES score clears the cutting score and whether your command submitted entries by February 28.
If both of those happened, you should be in the system.
If either one didn't, talk to your S-1 now.
What to do with this
If you are an LCpl or Cpl who thinks you are due for promotion:
✦ Ask your S-1 or admin chief to confirm your JEPES promotion score is in MCTFS.
✦ Ask whether your entries were submitted before February 28.
✦ Ask what the cutting score is for your grade and whether you meet it.
If you are a commander or staff NCO with promotion authority:
- Pull cutting scores from MCTFS now that select grades have posted.
- Verify every select grade Marine's JEPES score meets or exceeds the cutting score.
- Effect promotions with April 1 as the date of rank.
- Retain the cutting scores and this MARADMIN together in your files.
If you have a question MCTFS or this article can't answer:
Email the Enlisted Promotions section directly: smb_manpower_enlisted_promotions@usmc.mil
Or call the points of contact at MMPB-11: Maj William Griffin at 703-784-3440, or MSgt Dathan Mills at 703-784-2765.
This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.
Need a shorter version of this? The one-paragraph summary is: April 1 promotions for Reserve LCpls and Cpls are authorized by MARADMIN 115/26. The command cutoff was February 28. If your JEPES score clears the cutting score and your entries were in on time, you should be good. If not, talk to your S-1. Want a deeper breakdown of JEPES scoring or the remedial promotion process? Ask and I can write that separately.