Florida Soldier Killed in Iraq Promoted
How often does this happen? When, and why? Is it simply the result of an already processed notification wending its way through channels after the man died, or do some officers get an increase in rank because of the circumstances of their death? Does the promotion have any practical effect on the man’s survivors?
Someone actually acquainted with military practice will be able to essay a better answer, but my impression over the years is that it is often a “the least we could do, given what he gave for his country” sort of gesture to the memory of the deceased serviceman and to his family.
It probably increases any pension that his widow receives from the Army pension fund.
During WWII Japanese soldiers who died in combat were automatically promoted to the next highest rank.
Interesting. Other versions of the story say this:
When you submit your package to the review board that decides whether or not you get promoted, it can take several months before the list becomes public, even if the promotion board has already met – the list of names needs to go all the way up the chain and be signed off by someone at the Pentagon. The board for O-6 takes quite a while, just because every half-decent light colonel out there is going to try for colonel – it’s a prestige rank and considered a solid way to finish a career. A good friend of mine put a package in for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in early summer, and just found out he had made the cut in September. Enough anecdotes; have some facts.
Check out this chart which shows the Air Force’s upcoming boards for O-5 and O-6. Each column is one board, so if you are eligible for promotion at the 13 Mar 06 board (leftmost column) your Promotion Recommendation File (PRF, or “package”) must be submitted by 6 Feb 06. In order to submit your PRF, however, your senior rater (your boss’s boss) must sign off on it. Which means your boss must sign off on it first. Notice that they notify senior raters two weeks from now that this board is coming up.
I suspect that his package was being worked, and someone from his command asked the board the following question: “Hey, LTC Jones had a package in work, and we’re filling out his death certificate and pension paperwork. Do you know if he made the list?”
Since I’ve been in, I’ve only heard of one Coast Guardsman who was posthumously advanced (and, incidently, I happened to know him personally). He was killed during a SAR response and was at the time an ‘SNBM’. Basically, he was a Seaman (E3) who had completed all requirements to advance to Boatstwain’s Mate Third Class, but was just waiting for his turn to advance off a list. The CG advanced him posthumously and he was buried as a BM3.
More recently, the CG saw it’s first wartime KIA since Vietnam when a joint Navy/CG small boat crew intercepted a suicide bomber in a boat in Iraq. This was very big news for the small service at the time. The CG Petty Officer who was killed was not posthumously advanced, making me believe that perhaps that action is reserved for those who were due to advance or be promoted anyway.
The most famous posthumous promotion, of course, was likely George Washington’s promotion to General of the Armies of the United States in 1976. It is a rank that is supposed to be a six-star general – that’s twice the number of stars he wore while leading the Continental Army.
Thanks all. You’ve added some mechanism to the apparent miracle described in the article. Next time I’ll know, even if the journalist doesn’t bother to tell me.