A. 10 U.S.C. §14301 (Eligibility for Consideration for Promotion; general rules), 23
December 2024.
B. Memorandum, SAMR-ZA (Subject: Guidance Pertaining to the Authority for Reserve Component Officers to Opt Out of Promotion Selection Board Consideration), 3 November 2025.
C. AR 135-155 (Promotion of Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers), 12 February 2025.
D. AR 600-8-2 (Suspension of Favorable Personnel Actions (Flag)), 5 April 2021.
E. AR 600-8-104 (Army Military Human Resource Records Management), 29 June 2023.
F. DA Pamphlet 600-3 (Officer Talent Management), 14 April 2023.
G. DA Pamphlet 600-4 (Army Medical Department Officer Career Management), 27 April 2023.
H. DoDI 1320.14 (DoD Commissioned Officer Promotion Program Procedures), 16 December 2020.
I. HQDA Policy Notice 600-4 (Policies and Procedures for Reserve Component Officer Selection Boards), 13 February 2024.
1. This message will expire NLT 17 July 2027 or until superseded.
2. This message explains the required administrative procedures and the produced outcomes for Reserve Component (RC) officers who request to defer (opt out) Promotion Selection Board (PSB) consideration. Prior to each PSB, the Army Human Resources Command (HRC) will publish instructions that specifically describe the board opt out eligibility criteria for officers in either the routine board message or in a stand-alone message. An officer may only opt out two times per grade. This MILPER message pertains to United States Army Reserve (USAR) officers only.
3. Policy:
a. Pursuant reference b, under the provisions of 10 USC §14301(j), officers in the grades of first lieutenant, captain, and major may request to opt out of consideration by a promotion selection board. Such requests may only be approved if found to be in the best interest of the Army and the officer requests to be allowed to:
(1) Complete a broadening assignment.
(2) Complete an assignment of significant value to the Army. Each component will provide a list of recommended significant assignments. Commander, HRC will review prior to final vetting and ASA (M&RA) approval.
(3) Complete command directed training requirement.
(4) Complete an advanced education program, either civilian or military education.
(5) Must complete a career progression requirement that is delayed by any of the conditions outlined in paragraphs 3a(1) through 3a(4).
b. Officers who meet the following conditions are ineligible to request promotion consideration deferral:
(1) When the officer has been previously considered in zone or above zone on the promotion board and not selected to the next higher grade.
(2) An officer whose record is flagged pursuant to AR 600-8-2.
(3) An officer who has received derogatory information. Derogatory information is defined as General Officer Letters or Memoranda of Reprimand, Article 15, conviction by General Court Martial, referred Officer Evaluation Report (OER) or referred Academic Evaluation Report.
c. The approval authorities for these opt out requests are listed in paragraph 5b. As authorized in reference b, these authorities may be further delegated to a level no lower than an O- 7/first tier member of the Senior Executive Service at the discretion of the components/CG, HRC.
4. Procedures:
a. An officer who desires to submit an opt out request must submit an individual memorandum that provides the reason for the opt out request, referencing at least one of the eligible reasons listed in paragraphs 3a(1) through 3a(4). The memo should give details on how the officer meets eligibility to opt out of the promotion board. The memo will be submitted as a single Portable Document Format (PDF) file document.
b. Opt out requests will be submitted through IPPS-A as an Admin Records Correction PAR. Routing will follow the applicants’ chain of command.
c. Officers will submit requests to their talent manager identified in paragraph 6b.
d. Talent managers will submit requests to the appropriate RC Management Authority identified in paragraph 5a.
e. RC Management Authorities will return requests without action for officers that do not meet the eligibility criteria.
f. RC Management Authorities will route all valid requests to the RC Approval Authority as follows:
(1) USAR TPU and AGR requests from below the line units (USARC units), 7th and 9th Mission Support Commands, and 311th Theater Signal Command: Soldier, first O-6 commander, to MSC G-1, for MSC Commander approval.
(2) USAR TPU and AGR requests for Soldiers assigned above the line (assigned to OCAR or higher organizations): Soldier, first O-6/GS-15 supervisor in chain of command, OCAR G-1 for Deputy, Chief of Army Reserve approval.
(3) USAR TPU and AGR assigned to USARC Headquarters or USARC MSCs without a general officer commander. Soldier, first O-6 /GS-15 supervisor in chain of command, USARC G-1 (AFRC-PRP), for USARC Deputy Commanding General approval.
(4) USAR IMA and IRR requests: Soldier, first O-6/GS-15 supervisor in officer’s chain of command, Strategic Sourcing Branch Chief, Force Shaping Division Chief, Director RPMD, for CG, HRC approval.
g. The RC Approval Authority will route all approved opt out memos to HRC as an IPPS-A PAR to the following UDL: HRC_TAGD_PROM_PRE_BOARD_UDL.
h. Upon making a decision, the appropriate RC Approval Authority will contact each affected officer with their disposition for the PSB.
(1) The PSB will consider officers who did not receive an opt out approval. Officers who request to opt out should continue to prepare their board files for consideration until they receive official approval from the RC Approval Authority. Officers awaiting an opt out request determination who fail to prepare their board file for consideration will not receive an exception or extended timeline to complete their board file and cannot request a special selection board on that basis.
(2) The PSB will not consider officers who receive approval to opt out. A subsequent MILPER may prescribe additional actions or opt out eligibility criteria.
i. Officers who receive approval to opt out from the board must diligently ensure they receive all subsequent years’ board notifications. Additionally, these officers should equally watch out for board notifications from the My Board File application in Army Selection Board System (ASBS 2.0) from boards for which they opted out and contact the appropriate POC accordingly.
j. The RC Approval Authority will notify the officer and furnish the final determination to the Talent Management Team as listed in 6.b., who will notify HQDA Office of Reserve Promotions.
k. DA Pre-Board Promotions is responsible for removing a Soldier’s name from PSB consideration and for coding the officer’s records accordingly.
5. Designated RC Management and Approval Authorities:
a. RC Management Authorities:
(1) USAR TPU and AGR: MSC G-1s
(2) USAR TPU and AGR assigned to USARC HQs: USARC G-1
(3) USAR and AGR assigned to OCAR or above the line: OCAR G-1
(4) USAR AGR/IMA/IRR: RMPD, HRC
b. RC Approval Authorities:
(1) USAR TPU and AGR requests from below the line units (USARC units), 7th and 9th Mission Support Commands, and 311th Theater Signal Command: MSC Commander in the grade of general officer.
(2) USAR TPU and AGR requests for Soldiers assigned above the line (assigned to OCAR or higher organizations): Deputy Chief of Army Reserve.
(3) USAR TPU and AGR officers assigned to USARC Headquarters or USARC MSCs without a general officer commander: USARC Deputy Commanding General.
(4) USAR IMA and IRR requests: Commanding General, HRC.
6. For more information about this opportunity, please contact your Talent Manager.
a. USAR: Army Promotion List (APL) officers:
b. AGR: https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Army%20Reserve%20Officer%20Directory
c. TPU: https://www.usar.army.mil/ARCG/ARCG-CMO/
d. IMA/IRR: usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.rpmd-omd-irr-ima-branch@army.mil
e. USAR Army Medical Department (AMEDD) AGR, IMA, IRR, TPU
officers: https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/RPMD%20HSD%20Talent%20Management
%20Branch
f. USAR Chaplain Corps (CH) AGR, IMA, IRR, TPU
officers: https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Army%20Reserve%20Officer%20Directory
g. USAR Judge Advocate General Corps (JAGC) AGR, IMA, IRR, TPU officers: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-otjag.mbx.reserve-component@army.mil
7. The Point of Contact for this MILPER is HRC Promotions Branch Pre-Board Operations, (AHRC-PDV-P) at email