Are You on the April 2026 SNCO Promotion List?

A new MARADMIN just dropped covering April 2026 SNCO promotions for Reserve Marines.

It also gives you a look ahead at what's projected for May and June.

If you're a Staff Sergeant through Master Gunnery Sergeant in the SMCR, IRR, or AR component, this one is for you.

---

Reference: MARADMIN 117/26, signed 20 March 2026. Underlying authority is MCO P1400.32D w/CH 2, the Enlisted Promotion Manual.

---

The old problem

Every month, promotion MARADMINs go out and Marines miss them.

Or they see their name on a list and assume they're good to go.

But there are quiet requirements sitting underneath that can delay your promotion by a full month.

Obligated service. PME sequencing. Contract expiration dates.

If you don't know what to check, you can get caught flat-footed.

---

The new rule (in one line)

Promotions are authorized starting 1 April 2026, but only if your contract runs through 31 March 2028 or later and you've met your obligated service requirements.

---

What the MARADMIN actually says

When promotions happen:

Commanders can execute promotions on or after 1 April 2026.

Not before. The MARADMIN itself is the promotion authority.

The contract requirement:

Your Expiration of Active Service or Reserve Expiration of Current Contract must be dated 31 March 2028 or later.

If it isn't, you are not authorized to promote. Full stop.

What happens if your OBS isn't squared away in time:

You don't lose the promotion.

But your date of rank and effective date get pushed to the 1st of the month after you come into compliance.

(One month's seniority matters more than most people realize.)

A note on projections:

The May and June numbers below are estimates only.

They can shift. Additional extensions may be required depending on how each monthly cycle runs.

---

The April 2026 promotion numbers

SMCR. FY 2025 list.

| Grade | Total Selected | Senior No. Promoted in Mar | Promoting in Apr | Last Senior No. After Apr | Projected May | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | SgtMaj / MGySgt | 48 | 24 | 4 | 28 | 4 | | 1stSgt / MSgt | 126 | 75 | 10 | 85 | 10 | | GySgt | 187 | 95 | 15 | 110 | 15 | | SSgt | 273 | 140 | 23 | 164 | 23 |

IRR. FY 2025 list.

| Grade | Total Selected | Senior No. Promoted in Mar | Promoting in Apr | Last Senior No. After Apr | Projected May | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | MGySgt | No selections | — | — | — | — | | MSgt | 6 | (list status N/A) | 1 | 4 | (list status N/A) | | GySgt | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 | List cleared | | SSgt | 36 | 19 | 3 | 22 | 3 |

AR. FY 2026 list. This is the first month of promotions off this list.

| Grade | Total Selected | Senior No. Promoted in Mar | Promoting in Apr | Last Senior No. After Apr | Projected May | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | MGySgt | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | MSgt | 26 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | GySgt | 69 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | | SSgt | 140 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 20 |

June 2026 projections.

For SMCR, the FY 2025 list continues: 4 SgtMaj/MGySgt, 11 1stSgt/MSgt, 16 GySgt, 23 SSgt.

For IRR: 1 MSgt, GySgt list is cleared, 3 SSgt.

For AR, the FY 2026 list takes over: 3 1stSgt/MSgt, 6 GySgt, 20 SSgt. SgtMaj/MGySgt shows no promotions in June due to time-in-grade requirements.

---

Why this is a big deal

The FY 2026 AR list just started moving.

April 2026 is the first month promotions come off that list. If you're AR and you've been waiting since the board results came out, the clock is now running.

For SMCR and IRR Marines, the FY 2025 list is still active and still working through its numbers.

Knowing where your seniority number falls relative to the "last senior number promoted" tells you roughly where you are in the queue.

If your number is close, now is the time to make sure your contract and OBS are clean.

Don't let an admin gap cost you a month of seniority.

---

What to do with this

If you are SMCR or IRR and selected on the FY 2025 list:

1. Find your seniority number. Your S-1 or career planner has it.
2. Compare it to the "last senior number promoted" in the April column above.
3. If your number is coming up in the next one to three months, check your contract expiration date now.
4. Confirm your obligated service is met and your PME is sequenced correctly.
5. Visit the Enlisted Promotions page at manpower.marines.mil and navigate to Divisions, Manpower Management, Performance Branch, Promotion Section, Enlisted Promotions, SNCOs, Monthly Promotion Requirements.

If you are AR and selected on the FY 2026 list:

✦ Same steps above. Your list just started moving in April.

✦ The first 20 SSgts, 6 GySgts, 3 MSgts, and 2 MGySgts come off the list this month.

✦ If you're not in that window, May and June projections show continued steady movement.

If you have questions about Reserve SNCO allocation:

Contact Reserve Affairs Policy, Plans and Programming Branch (RAP), Enlisted Plans section (RAP-2).

POC options:

✦ Maj William C. Griffin, MMPB-11: william.c.griffin@usmc.mil / 703-784-3440

✦ MSgt Dathan T. Mills, MMPB-11: dathan.mills@usmc.mil / 703-784-2765

✦ MSgt Joel S. Austin, RAP-2: joel.austin@usmc.mil / 703-784-9879

---

The bottom line

If your seniority number is coming up, check your contract and your OBS right now.

Promotions are authorized starting 1 April 2026.

A contract gap or a missed OBS requirement is the difference between promoting this month and waiting until next.

Don't wait for your command to catch it. Check it yourself.

---

A smaller note for active-duty Marines

This MARADMIN explicitly states it applies to the Marine Corps Reserve only. The AR FY 2026 list covered here is for Active Reserve billets within the Reserve component. If you are full-time active component and have questions about your SNCO promotion timeline, this is not your document.

---

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? A one-paragraph brief exists. Need a deeper breakdown of how OBS and seniority numbers interact? That can be written too. Let me know.