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Number of captains in Corps to rise

This year’s captain selection board picked more than 1,900 Marines for promotion — almost twice the typical number — passing over only 32 first lieutenants getting a look.

The fiscal year 2009 selection board looked at an exceptionally large pool of junior officers, including some with less than a year as first lieutenants. The board selected 1,910 Marines, or more than 98 percent of all in-zone officers, according to a May 20 message released by the Navy. Of the 1,942 Marines who received a look, only four above-zone and 28 in-zone officers were passed over.

The massive number of captains selected for promotion this year — up 73 percent from the 1,104 selected the year before — reflects the long-term plans to grow the Corps to 202,000 Marines by the end of fiscal year 2011, said Maj. Don Maraska, the Corps’ officer promotion planner.

“We’re good. We feel very confident,” Maraska said. “This is not going to be a less capable crop. It doesn’t reflect a shortage of captains.”

On average, those selected for captain this year have been first lieutenants for 1.6 years and spent a total of five years in the Corps. That’s the lowest amount of time in-grade since 2005, when Marines selected to captain averaged 1.1 years in grade, Marine Corps data shows.

Hundreds of captains will likely pin on their new rank in the next several months as the Corps backfills new slots authorized since last year’s plan to grow the force was announced. Overall, the number of captains in the Marine Corps will likely rise from about 5,300 to about 5,700 by the end of the year, Maraska said.

“We’re backfilling the hole,” Maraska said. “We’ve been waiting for this list and now that it’s out, there will be a large number of promotions.”

The Corps instructed this year’s board to consider an exceptionally large pool of Marines. First lieutenants with between nine and 33 months in grade were in the zone for consideration, a 22-month window. Typically, the window is about 10 months.

Some first lieutenants selected will not pin on their new rank until next year. Regulations require Marine officers to spend at least four years in the Corps before getting promoted to captain.

However, the Corps places no limits on the number of captains who can be “frocked,” a status that allows a Marine to wear the rank and fill the job, but not get the extra pay and benefits the rank bestows.

Marine officials earlier this year considered offering junior officers a cash retention bonus, similar to the Army’s move last year to offer of up to $35,000 to junior officers in exchange for an extended service agreement.

But the Corps has opted against a cash bonus because retention remains strong, Maraska said.