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FY26 NON-SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT (NON-SDA) MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS

MARADMIN 128/26 · March 24, 2026 · Source

You might be on this list. Here's what happens next.

The Marine Corps just released its FY26 Non-SDA Meritorious Promotion results.

If your name is on it, you have a promotion coming. But there are steps your command has to take before it becomes official. And there is a hard date attached.

Here is what you need to know.

Reference: MARADMIN 128/26, signed 24 March 2026. Underlying authority: MCO P1400.32D, Marine Corps Promotion Manual, Volume 2, Enlisted Promotions.

The old problem

Meritorious promotions outside of Special Duty Assignment have always required coordination across multiple commands. The allocations were published earlier this cycle. The individual results were not. Marines and commanders were waiting on the final list to know who was selected and when to act.

That wait is over.

The new rule (in one line)

Selected Marines will be promoted to SSgt or GySgt effective 2 April 2026, but only if they meet the obligated service requirement before that date.

The promotion list

Two ranks. Two lists. Here are the Marines selected.

Promoted to Staff Sergeant:

✦ Aguallo, A.A. ✦ Ashley, L.W. ✦ Avalosgonzalez, C.A. ✦ Brady, J.W. ✦ Carrillo, D.A. ✦ Cristobal, D.N. ✦ Curry, M.J. ✦ Diaz, J. ✦ Escotolopez, J. ✦ Franks, E.R. ✦ Gomezcastaneda, E.J. ✦ Grijalva, A.A. ✦ Harrell, S.R. ✦ Higgins, D.L. ✦ Hurford, R.J. ✦ Jennings III, J.V. ✦ Jones, N.K. ✦ King, L. ✦ Kuanoni, A.K. ✦ Lybrand, C.A. ✦ Mccabe, L.J. ✦ Moncrief, Z.D. ✦ Oleaherrera, E. ✦ Paulino, D.Z. ✦ Pilares, C. ✦ Quintero, E. ✦ Reid, C.W. ✦ Ruff, L.M. ✦ Sass, E.P. ✦ Schwartz, C.M. ✦ Stark, K.J. ✦ Stone, T.S. ✦ St. Pierre, M.A. ✦ Tatch II, M.A. ✦ Tolan, A.R. ✦ Trainor, K.J. ✦ Trombley, T.J. ✦ Vasquez, C. ✦ Waite, S.D. ✦ Watson, C.J. ✦ Wellersargis, L.A. ✦ Westfelt, C.R.

Promoted to Gunnery Sergeant:

✦ Aguilera, J.R. ✦ Backes, J.H. ✦ Bermudezcampuzano, E. ✦ Charriez, G.O. ✦ Collins, M.J. ✦ Decarlo, D.M. ✦ Dietz, J.A. ✦ Edler, E.S. ✦ Florczyk, J.P. ✦ Ledwith, E.E. ✦ Marcoe, S.M. ✦ Mcpherson, D.E. ✦ Morales, J.M. ✦ Munoz, K.M. ✦ Perry, D.M. ✦ Powell, J.V. ✦ Rojasmorel, L.J. ✦ Saikaly, E.N. ✦ Singletary, E.R. ✦ Torresrosado, S. ✦ Wadding, C.B.

How the promotion happens: the mechanics

Three things drive this.

1. The date.

No promotion can be effected before 2 April 2026. That is a hard floor. Date of rank and effective date are both 2 April 2026.

2. The obligated service requirement.

Every Marine promoted to SSgt or above must have at least 24 months of obligated service remaining on their contract as of the promotion date.

If you do not have that on the books before 2 April 2026, your promotion does not go through. It will not be entered in MCTFS until you comply.

3. If you are short on obligated service.

Your command can extend you locally. Here is how that works:

  1. Your unit Career Counselor or another unit rep completes a NAVMC 321A
  2. MARADMIN 128/26 is cited as the authority on that form
  3. Only the Commanding Officer or someone serving in an acting CO capacity signs it as the Administering Officer

(Yes, the CO has to sign it. Not the XO, not the SgtMaj acting in an admin role.)

There are exceptions. Your CO cannot locally extend you if your Draw Case Code is AF, AH, AX, or AY. If any of those apply, the extension request goes to MMEA at HQMC through the Total Force Retention System.

Also off the table for local extension: Marines on limited duty or pending a Physical Evaluation Board.

If a selected Marine refuses to extend or reenlist to meet the 24-month requirement, the commander must notify CMC (MMPB-11) of that refusal directly.

Why this is a big deal

This is a Non-SDA meritorious promotion. That means these Marines were not serving in a special duty billet. They earned this through performance in their regular assignments.

That is harder to do. The competition pool is larger and the recognition is less structured than SDA programs.

For Reserve Marines specifically, MARFORRES submitted its own nominations this cycle. Reserve component selectees are on the same list as their active counterparts, promoted on the same date, under the same authority.

The Reserve component is not a footnote here. It is a full participant.

A smaller note for active-duty Marines

The same list, the same date, the same obligated service rules apply to you. If your name is on the list and you have a DCC of AF, AH, AX, or AY, your extension cannot be handled locally. Your command needs to route it through MMEA at HQMC via Total Force Retention System before 2 April 2026.

The bottom line

If your name is on this list, you are being promoted to SSgt or GySgt on 2 April 2026. But only if your obligated service is squared away before that date. Your command handles the paperwork. You need to make sure they have what they need to do it.

Do not wait until the last week of March.

What to do with this

If your name is on the list:

  1. Confirm your current end of active service date with your S-1 or unit admin today
  2. Check whether you have 24 months of obligated service from 2 April 2026
  3. If you are short, talk to your Career Counselor immediately about the NAVMC 321A extension process
  4. If your DCC is AF, AH, AX, or AY, make sure your command knows to route through MMEA, not handle it locally

If you are a commander or S-1:

  1. Pull the list and cross-reference your Marines now
  2. Check obligated service for each selectee against the 2 April 2026 promotion date
  3. Initiate local extensions where authorized, CO signature required
  4. Report any refusals to CMC MMPB-11 directly
  5. Effect promotions on or after 2 April 2026 and cite MARADMIN 128/26 as authority

If you are a Career Counselor:

  1. Be ready to execute NAVMC 321A extensions quickly for any selectee who is short on OBS
  2. Cite MARADMIN 128/26 on the form
  3. Flag any Marines with DCC AF, AH, AX, or AY to your CO so the correct routing happens through Total Force Retention System

POC for questions:

Maj William C. Griffin, MMPB-11. 703-784-3440 or william.c.griffin@usmc.mil. MSgt Dathan T. Mills, MMPB-11. 703-784-2765 or dathan.mills@usmc.mil.

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 for a drill weekend brief, or a longer breakdown of the OBS extension process specifically? Let me know and I can tailor it.

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FY26 NON-SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT (NON-SDA) MERITORIOUS PROMOTIONS — Reservable