Commissioned officers: promotion to colonel

§ 3305. Commissioned officers: promotion to colonel (a) Having in view the number of actual and anticipated vacancies in any promotion list in the regular grade of colonel and the number of officers desired in that grade on that promotion list, the Secretary of the Army shall furnish to selection boards lists of officers in the regular grade of lieutenant colonel, in order of seniority in regular grade, to be considered by those boards. The Secretary may not furnish the name of any officer to the board unless he furnishes to it the names of all officers above that officer on that promotion list who are190 not on a recommended list. He shall direct the boards to recommend a number prescribed by him for promotion to the grade of colonel. The list furnished may not contain the name of any officer who is on a recommended list for promotion to that grade. The board shall recommend the prescribed number of those officers whom it considers to be the best qualified. (b) Whenever the Secretary considers that the number of officers in the regular grade of colonel in any of the branches on the Army promotion list is or may become seriously unbalanced, he may direct that, of the officers recommended, prescribed numbers be recommended for service in specified branches. (c) The names of officers recommended for promotion to the regular grade of colonel shall be entered at the foot of, and carried on, the appropriate permanent recommended list for promotion to that grade in the same order among themselves as on the applicable promotion list. Officers shall be promoted in that order when there is a vacancy in that grade for that list. A vacancy in that grade may be filled at any time. It is not mandatory that the authorized numbers be maintained in the grade of colonel on any promotion list. (d) The ratio of the number of officers on any promotion list who are named for consideration for promotion to the regular grade of colonel, to the number directed to be recommended, may be prescribed by the Secretary. (e) No officer may be considered for promotion to the regular grade of colonel more than two years before the date on which it is anticipated that he will be promoted if recommended. (f) An officer must complete at least one year of service in the regular grade of lieutenant colonel before being nominated for promotion to the regular grade of colonel.