Allegations on the Air Force Promotion Process for Officers Working on Special Access Programs

摘要

This audit was performed in response to a DoD Hotline referral. The overall allegation was that Air Force officers working on special access and other highly classified programs were at a disadvantage during the promotion process because their performance reports could not include classified information. In addition to the overall allegation is summarized and responded to in Appendix C. Air Force officers are initially considered for promotion to the grades of captain through major general by Central Selection Boards, which select officers based on their potential to successfully serve in the next higher grade and in positions of greater responsibility. Factors considered include the officer's job performance, leadership, professional qualities, depth and breadth of experience, job responsibility, education, and specific achievements. Officers may appeal to correct or remove performance reports through either the Air Force Personnel Center or the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records. The corrected records of officers who had met a board for supplemental consideration. However, in rare cases, the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records may recommend that an officer be promoted directly instead of sending his corrected record to the Special Selecting Board. This situation usually occurs when several performance reports have been removed and, as a result, the officer cannot receive fair consideration from the Special Selection Board. Since March 1985, the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records has also made five direct promotion recommendations where the applicants claimed that, due to the classified nature of their jobs, the Central Selection Boards did not receive complete and accurate information on their duties and accomplishments. See Appendix B for a discussion of those five cases.