Are You in the Zone for FY28 Promotion? Here's What Just Changed.

The Marine Corps just published the board dates and zone cutoffs for FY28 Reserve and Active Reserve promotions. If you're a Reserve officer in the Major through Colonel range, or a First Lieutenant approaching Captain, this affects your timeline directly.

Here's what you need to know, broken down clearly.

Reference: MARADMIN 249/26, signed 29 May 26. Underlying reference for lineal precedence is MCBUL 1400.

The old problem

Board dates and zone cutoffs used to get announced without much context for what actually changed cycle to cycle.

This one also carries a new wrinkle that caught some officers off guard in the last cycle. The body composition standard changed. Height and weight is being replaced by Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR). But the Digital Boardroom system can't pull that data automatically yet. So there's a gap between the new standard and what the board can actually see.

That gap matters. More on it below.

The new rule (in one line)

FY28 Reserve promotion boards are scheduled, zone officers are identified, and you now have an optional action to submit your WHtR data directly to the board since the system can't pull it for you.

Board Dates and Correspondence Deadlines

Here's the full schedule. The "Board Corr. Due" date is when your letter to the board president must be submitted.

| Board | Component | Corr. Due | Convenes | |---|---|---|---| | Colonel | USMCR | 23 Jul 26 | 03 Aug 26 | | Colonel and LtCol | AR | 23 Jul 26 | 03 Aug 26 | | Major | USMCR | 25 Dec 26 | 05 Jan 27 | | LtCol | USMCR | 09 Jan 27 | 20 Jan 27 | | Captain (AFQOL) | USMCR | 06 Feb 27 | 17 Feb 27 |

Two notes on that table.

First: the AR Major board and AR Captain AFQOL process are not happening this cycle. No eligible in-zone population.

Second: the AR Captain AFQOL currently has no identified eligible officers. If that changes before the convening date, those officers will be notified.

Who Is In-Zone

Each board considers officers in three categories: above-zone, in-zone, and below-zone.

The zone cutoffs are defined by Lineal Control Number (LCN) and Date of Rank (DOR). Here's who anchors each zone.

Colonel, USMCR

✦ Senior In-Zone: LtCol Southard, Christopher A. DOR 01 Feb 21

✦ Junior In-Zone: LtCol Mills, Derek A. DOR 01 Jul 22

✦ Junior Below-Zone: LtCol Nassar, Charles A. DOR 01 Aug 23

Colonel, AR

✦ Senior In-Zone: LtCol Lomasney, Joel M. DOR 01 Oct 21

✦ Junior In-Zone: LtCol Dicarlo, Richard J. DOR 01 Jul 22

✦ Junior Below-Zone: LtCol Green, Daniel S. DOR 01 Jul 23

Lieutenant Colonel, USMCR

✦ Senior In-Zone: Maj Trunk, Ryan L. DOR 01 Apr 21

✦ Junior In-Zone: Maj Radloff, Joseph W. DOR 01 Jul 22

✦ Junior Below-Zone: Maj Pozek, Devon M. DOR 01 Sep 23

Lieutenant Colonel, AR

✦ Senior In-Zone: Maj Spiritus, Kyle R. DOR 01 Jul 21

✦ Junior In-Zone: Maj Dyer, Robert S. DOR 01 Jun 22

✦ Junior Below-Zone: Maj Yamnicky, Robert W. DOR 01 Jun 23

Major, USMCR

✦ Senior In-Zone: Capt Hugin, Robert B. DOR 01 Apr 21

✦ Junior In-Zone: Capt Nicoletti, Matthew A. DOR 01 Jun 22

✦ Junior Below-Zone: Capt Conley III, John R. DOR 01 Sep 23

Captain AFQOL, USMCR

✦ Senior In-Zone: 1stLt Stann, Matthew W. DOR 15 Mar 25

✦ Junior In-Zone: 1stLt Wood, Cameron B. DOR 23 Mar 26

(If your LCN falls between the senior and junior in-zone officers for your board, you're in-zone. If your LCN precedes the senior officer's and you haven't been considered before, you're treated as in-zone. If you're not sure where you fall, ask your S-1.)

Captain Promotion Works Differently

There is no promotion board for Captain.

Instead, eligible First Lieutenants go through the All-Fully-Qualified-Officers List (AFQOL) process. Your official military record gets screened. If you're found fully qualified, you're on the list. If you're not, you're omitted and it counts as a failure of selection.

Yes, that means a records review you don't actively participate in can result in a FOS on your record.

Make sure your OMPF is clean before February 2027.

Eligibility Basics

Two things can make you ineligible even if you're in-zone.

If your retirement or separation date from the RASL falls within 90 days after the board convenes, you will not be considered by that board.
If you're an AR officer and your release date from active duty in the AR program falls within 90 days after the board convenes, the same rule applies. You would roll to your respective Unrestricted Reserve board instead.

The continuous service requirement is one year on the RASL, the Active-Duty List, or a combination of both, counted from the board convening date.

Merit-Based Reordering

The Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel boards (both USMCR and AR) have the authority to reorder their promotion lists based on merit.

If a majority of board members recommend an officer be placed higher on the list, the board will specify that recommended order.

This is not new authority. It's worth knowing it applies to your board.

AR Major Continuation and Retention

If you're an AR Major who has failed selection to Lieutenant Colonel twice, this section is for you.

After the AR LtCol board wraps up, that same board reconvenes to consider AR Majors for continuation and retention.

Continuation

✦ Applies to AR Majors with two failed selections for LtCol.

✦ A majority of board members must find you best and fully qualified.

✦ If continued, you stay on the RASL until you hit 24 years of commissioned service, qualify for regular retirement under 10 U.S.C. 8323, or reach age 62. Whichever comes first.

✦ If not continued, you separate no later than the first day of the seventh month after the ALNAV announcing your second FOS.

Retention (AR Program)

✦ Only applies if you were already continued.

✦ Officers in sanctuary (18 years of active service) are not screened. Their EAS is set to their active-duty retirement eligibility date.

✦ If the board finds you best and fully qualified for retention, you stay in the AR program for 12 months, then screen again the following year.

✦ If not retained, you move to the Individual Ready Reserve on the same seventh-month timeline described above.

Contact CMC Reserve Affairs Management (RAM) to verify your eligibility.

The Body Composition Issue. This Is the One to Watch.

The Marine Corps officially shifted from height and weight to Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) as the body composition standard.

The problem: the Digital Boardroom cannot automatically pull your WHtR data yet.

So here is how the board will handle it:

✦ You will not be penalized solely because your current WHtR is not in the system.

✦ Any previous height and weight entries already in your record will still be considered.

✦ Any fitness report that included a WHtR-directed comment will also be reviewed.

✦ If you want your current WHtR measurement in front of the board, you can submit it yourself as an enclosure to your letter to the board president. It must be signed by your Command Physical Training Representative.

Submission is optional. But if you've improved since your last recorded measurement, this is your chance to show it.

Why This Is a Big Deal

Two things make this cycle different.

First, the body composition shift created a data gap. The new standard is real. The system to enforce it automatically is not ready. That means the board will have an incomplete picture unless you take action to fill it in. For officers near the line, that gap could cut either way.

Second, the Captain AFQOL process still catches people off guard. There is no board. There is no hearing. Your record speaks for itself on a date you don't control. If there is anything missing, outdated, or incorrect in your OMPF, you will not know until it's too late.

Both of these reward preparation now, not the week before the deadline.

A smaller note for active-duty Marines

The merit-based reordering authority and body composition WHtR transition described here apply to the Reserve boards specifically. Active component officers have their own board cycle. If you're transitioning from active duty to the Reserve and want to understand how these timelines interact with your lineal standing, talk to your gaining unit's S-1.

The Bottom Line

FY28 Reserve promotion boards are scheduled and running from August 2026 through February 2027. Zone cutoffs are published. The body composition system has a gap you can fix yourself. And Captain promotion is a records review, not a board. Your OMPF either speaks for you or against you.

What to Do With This

If you are in-zone for any board:

Compare your LCN and DOR to the zone cutoffs above.
Pull your OMPF now at Marines.mil or through your S-1.
Review your Master Brief Sheet for accuracy.
Decide whether to submit a letter to the board president. It is encouraged but not required. Correspondence deadlines are above.
If you want WHtR in front of the board, get it documented and signed by your Command PTR before your board's correspondence deadline.

If you are a First Lieutenant approaching Captain:

Your correspondence deadline is 06 Feb 27. Your AFQOL screening date is 17 Feb 27.
Get your OMPF reviewed now. There is no board to appeal to. Clean your record before February.

If you are an AR Major with two FOS for LtCol:

Contact CMC RAM to confirm your eligibility status.
Understand the continuation and retention timeline. Separation can follow quickly after the ALNAV drops.

If you are not sure whether any of this applies to you:

Talk to your unit S-1 or your IMA coordinator. Do not wait for someone to come find you.

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? Ask for the one-page summary. Want a deeper breakdown of the AFQOL process or the continuation board rules? That's available too.

CONVENING OF THE FY28 U.S. MARINE CORPS RESERVE AND ACTIVE RESERVE COLONEL, LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND MAJOR PROMOTION SELECTION BOARDS AND ALL-FULLY QUALIFIED CAPTAIN SELECTION PROCESS