Got this today:

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nominations:            Air Force Col. Kimberly A. Siniscalchi has been nominated to the grade of major general with service as chief of the Air Force Nurse Corps and assistant surgeon general for medical force development, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.

Jump right to TWO stars?  Nice!

Bunch of folks retire?

I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff?

All Officer ranks are appointed positions anyways, right?

They serve at the leisure of the President, right?

The President can promote anyone to any officer rank, demote them to any officer rank, or fire them (if they're an officer)  from what I gather.

Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff?

My guess is that she was (as a COL) performing the duty of a Brigadier General, and the position they wanted to promote her into was a Major General billet.

I think an officer can work a job one above or two below their grade.  I'm sure someone in the Officer Corps can correct me...

They are really hurting in the professional ranks like medical, dental and legal

height=8

Quoted: height=8 Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff? My guess is that she was (as a COL) performing the duty of a Brigadier General, and the position they wanted to promote her into was a Major General billet. I think an officer can work a job one above or two below their grade.  I'm sure someone in the Officer Corps can correct me...

For Air Force enlisted I know it's 1 up or 1 down.  It's generally preferred you work one up though.

Quoted: All Officer ranks are appointed positions anyways, right? They serve at the leisure of the President, right? The President can promote anyone to any officer rank, demote them to any officer rank, or fire them (if they're an officer)  from what I gather.

not true

general officers are recommended for the promo, but congress must approve.

Hopefully it was because she knows her shit and does a good job.

Good for her.

Quoted: Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff? My guess is that she was (as a COL) performing the duty of a Brigadier General, and the position they wanted to promote her into was a Major General billet. I think an officer can work a job one above or two below their grade.  I'm sure someone in the Officer Corps can correct me...

Medical corps and line officers are two very different animals in terms of rank and pay...

IIRC It's possible to enter the medical corps as a flag officer.

Medical corps is different than line, and flag officer positions are different than field or company grade.  Entirely possible and legit.

She was nominated to a two-star job; she needs to have the rank to go with it.  Pretty simple, really.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff? My guess is that she was (as a COL) performing the duty of a Brigadier General, and the position they wanted to promote her into was a Major General billet. I think an officer can work a job one above or two below their grade.  I'm sure someone in the Officer Corps can correct me... Medical corps and line officers are two very different animals in terms of rank and pay... IIRC It's possible to enter the medical corps as a flag officer.

Or as Major, as was the case with my mother  (RN)

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff? My guess is that she was (as a COL) performing the duty of a Brigadier General, and the position they wanted to promote her into was a Major General billet. I think an officer can work a job one above or two below their grade.  I'm sure someone in the Officer Corps can correct me... Medical corps and line officers are two very different animals in terms of rank and pay... IIRC It's possible to enter the medical corps as a flag officer.

I worked a car break in once, the dude was finishing up his residency at a hospital in Chicago and was going in as a Captain when he went active, so he said.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff? My guess is that she was (as a COL) performing the duty of a Brigadier General, and the position they wanted to promote her into was a Major General billet. I think an officer can work a job one above or two below their grade.  I'm sure someone in the Officer Corps can correct me... Medical corps and line officers are two very different animals in terms of rank and pay... IIRC It's possible to enter the medical corps as a flag officer. I worked a car break in once, the dude was finishing up his residency at a hospital in Chicago and was going in as a Captain when he went active, so he said.

Yep, medical corps gets rank and pay equivalent to their experience when they come in; for example, a neurosurgeon with 15 years outside experience will be direct-commissioned as a lieutenant colonel, since that's about the point he should be.  Most doctors I've met are commissioned as captains, because of the amount of time they've spent in med school counts towards rank.

the med group is a whole different airforce basically a bunch of civilians wearing the uniform.

Quoted: I worked a car break in once, the dude was finishing up his residency at a hospital in Chicago and was going in as a Captain when he went active, so he said.

New RNs start as 2LTs

New PAs & Docs the service puts thru med-school start as CPTs

A full-on Doc joining from private practice starts as MAJ to COL, depending on various factors...

And you also have permanent grade and temporary grade

For what it's worth, the general rule is you can work two up or one down, with the preference being current grade or higher.  Working two down would be the kiss of death.

Marine Brigader General Joseph Dunford has been nominated for promotion to Lieutenant General.  He has already been nominated for promotion to Major General.

Quoted: Marine Brigader General Joseph Dunford has been nominated for promotion to Lieutenant General.  He has already been nominated for promotion to Major General.

A Lieutenant General is one star above a Major General...

Quoted: Quoted: Marine Brigader General Joseph Dunford has been nominated for promotion to Lieutenant General.  He has already been nominated for promotion to Major General. A Lieutenant General is one star above a Major General...

Read that again.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Marine Brigader General Joseph Dunford has been nominated for promotion to Lieutenant General.  He has already been nominated for promotion to Major General. A Lieutenant General is one star above a Major General... Read that again.

I did.

???

He is still a brigadier. He is nominated for major general, but they are now nominating him for leuitanant

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Marine Brigader General Joseph Dunford has been nominated for promotion to Lieutenant General.  He has already been nominated for promotion to Major General. A Lieutenant General is one star above a Major General... Read that again. I did. ???

A 1 star nominated for promotion to 2 stars and then nominated for promotion to 3 stars is still a 1 star.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Marine Brigader General Joseph Dunford has been nominated for promotion to Lieutenant General.  He has already been nominated for promotion to Major General. A Lieutenant General is one star above a Major General... Read that again. I did. ??? A 1 star nominated for promotion to 2 stars is still a 1 star.

Uh... I dunno.

Wouldn't he be a Major General (select) or something along those lines?

nice

Quoted: Wouldn't he be a Major General (select) or something along those lines?

They are nominated for promotion by their branch of service, but are not a select until approved by Congress.  Congress has been dragging their feet so long approving officer promotions that by before they are approved for one promotion that they are being nominated for even more rank.

Quoted: Quoted: Wouldn't he be a Major General (select) or something along those lines? They are nominated for promotion by their branch of service, but are not a select until approved by Congress.

So how does it go then?

Presidential nomination
Congress approves
Senate confirms?

Quoted: And you also have permanent grade and temporary grade

It's permanent, until you get in trouble and demoted.

I didn't think they did that Brevet crap.

At least i'm almost positive they don't do that crap in the Air Force. Their position may have authority....but their rank is their rank.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Wouldn't he be a Major General (select) or something along those lines? They are nominated for promotion by their branch of service, but are not a select until approved by Congress. So how does it go then? Presidential nomination Congress approves Senate confirms?

Not sure, need one of the O's here to answer that.  This E-6 doesn't concern himself with the ends and outs of officer promotions very much.

The Army commissioned a leading cardiologist as a bird Colonel recently. Guy was in his 50's, but still completed OBC. Guy just wanted to serve.

Here he is, curtesy of google.

IIRC Alexander Haig went from maj gen (2 stars) to full gen (4 stars) in 1 step (and this is not a plug for him, just recalling what happened).    And I think Eisenhower was a Lt col in 1940 somewhere in the war plans department (where George Marshall noticed him). Less than 5 years later he's a 5 star gen of the army and supreme allied commander europe - I don't think he skipped any levels though, just went through them pretty quickly.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Wouldn't he be a Major General (select) or something along those lines? They are nominated for promotion by their branch of service, but are not a select until approved by Congress. So how does it go then? Presidential nomination Congress approves Senate confirms? Not sure, need one of the O's here to answer that.  This E-6 doesn't concern himself with the ends and outs of officer promotions very much.

SecDef recommends, President nominates, Senate confirms, SecDef approves.  True for all officer ranks.  Release of the list for my promotion to Major was delayed two months because the Senate was in recess and hadn't gotten to confirming the promotion list before leaving.

Flag officers are a little different, sometimes they have to testify before Congress before being approved; that depends on the job.  CDRUSTRATCOM, Chairman of the JCS, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, etc.

The regular Navy skipped 1 star, Commodore, until not very long ago. Commodore was a rank created only during wartime until then.

That's right, A Navy Captain went right to 2 stars as normal procedure. Used to piss off the other services.

Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff?

I'm pretty sure that when Eisenhower was wearing 3 stars, his permanent rank was Lt Col




5sub

Alexander Haig went from Colonel to 4-Star General in four years.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff? My guess is that she was (as a COL) performing the duty of a Brigadier General, and the position they wanted to promote her into was a Major General billet. I think an officer can work a job one above or two below their grade.  I'm sure someone in the Officer Corps can correct me... For Air Force enlisted I know it's 1 up or 1 down.  It's generally preferred you work one up though.

Ummm no.  For air force enlisted it's one up or anything from 1 down to all the way down.

"In a move that shocked the army establishment, President Roosevelt convinced Congress to authorize the appointment of Pershing as a brigadier general, skipping three ranks and more than 835 officers senior to him. "

Quoted: The regular Navy skipped 1 star, Commodore, until not very long ago. Commodore was a rank created only during wartime until then. That's right, A Navy Captain went right to 2 stars as normal procedure. Used to piss off the other services.

That is absolutely untrue.  Navy Flag Ranks

1 Star - Rear Admiral (Lower Half) alternatively called Commodore by position.
2 Star - Rear Admiral (Upper Half)
3 Star - Vice Admiral
4 Star - Admiral

On th officer side of things in the Regular army, Medical personnel are promeoted on a different system, and this type of thing caA happen, it can also happen on the JAG side..  It doesn't happen in the Army Competitive Category.  Once you make 1 satr, all bets are off on timelines as position dictate rank.  the Regular Army has 3 promo boards, Army Comeptitive Category (Infantry, Armor, Arty, Air defense, Aviation, SF, Aviation, Engineer, MI, transpo, AG, Finance, etc).  They also have boards for Medical and lawyers that are held seperately with different criteria.  National Guard and Army Reserve run on a very different system.

Quoted: Alexander Haig went from Colonel to 4-Star General in four years.

Eisenhower went from Colonel to 5 star in 3 years 9 months.

Dates of rank
Second Lieutenant, United States Army: June 12, 1915
First Lieutenant. United States Army: July 1, 1916
Captain, United States Army: May 15, 1917
Major, National Army: June 17, 1918
Lieutenant Colonel, National Army: October 14, 1918
Captain (reverted to permanent rank), Regular Army: June 30, 1920
Major, Regular Army: July 2, 1920
Lieutenant Colonel, Regular Army: July 1, 1936
Colonel, Regular Army: March 11, 1941
Brigadier General, Regular Army: September 29, 1941
Major General, Army of the United States: March 27, 1942
Lieutenant General, Army of the United States: July 7, 1942
General, Army of the United States: February 11, 1943
General of the Army, Army of the United States: December 20, 1944
General of the Army rank made permanent in the Regular Army: April 11, 1946

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_career_of_Dwight_D._Eisenhower

Quoted: Quoted: The regular Navy skipped 1 star, Commodore, until not very long ago. Commodore was a rank created only during wartime until then. That's right, A Navy Captain went right to 2 stars as normal procedure. Used to piss off the other services. That is absolutely untrue.  Navy Flag Ranks 1 Star - Rear Admiral (Lower Half) alternatively called Commodore by position. 2 Star - Rear Admiral (Upper Half) 3 Star - Vice Admiral 4 Star - Admiral

Fail


I know what the Navy Flag ranks are today. Read again what I posted.

Also read this from Wikipedia:
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Flag officer

The rank of commodore continued in the Navy until 1899, when the Naval Personnel Act made all commodores into rear admirals. The reason, according to Laws Relating to the Navy, 1919, was "... on account of international relationships, the consideration of which caused the Navy Department to regard the complications confronting it as inimical to the honor and dignity of this nation, because of the adverse effect upon its high ranking representatives in their association with foreign officers." US commodores were not being treated as flag-level officers by other navies, or given the respect the Navy Department thought was their due.

As it would have been expensive to increase the pay of all the former commodores to the level of Rear Admirals, Congress specified that the lower half of the Rear Admiral list have pay equal to Brigadier Generals of the Army. If there were an odd number of Rear Admirals, the lower half of the list was to be the larger. All Rear Admirals, upper or lower half, were equal to major generals, flew a flag instead of a broad pennant, and were entitled to a thirteen gun salute. The Supreme Court held that the rank of Commodore had been removed from the navy, leaving it without a rank equivalent to Brigadier General. This act disgruntled Brigadier Generals, who could now be outranked by officers who were their juniors in terms of service. This was a point of inter-service controversy, and in 1916 the army made its Brigadier Generals equivalent to Rear Admirals (lower half). Thus, Rear Admirals (upper half) were equal to Major Generals.

World War II

During the naval expansion during World War II, the Navy Department was concerned that the appointment of more flag officers would create a glut of admirals after the war. However, some captains were holding commands of higher responsibility, and needed to be recognized. Admiral Ernest King proposed bringing back the old rank of commodore for these officers. President Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed, though he specified that this rank be restricted to line officers. The Navy's one-star officer reappeared in April 1943. In practice, staff corps officers could also become commodores. By the end of the war, there were over one hundred commodores in service. Very few of the wartime commodores were promoted to rear admiral. Promotions to commodore ended in 1947, and all had left the navy by 1950.

1982 Commodore Admiral

The one star rank appeared again in 1982 with the title of Commodore Admiral. The next year, after numerous protests to the Chief of Naval Operations, Commodore Admiral was changed to simply Commodore. In 1985, Commodore had also begun to appear as a position title for senior Captains who commanded Destroyer Squadrons, Patrol Boat Flotillas, and Naval Aircraft Groups. To prevent confusion between the title of Commodore and the actual rank, the one star Navy admiral rank was changed to Rear Admiral (Lower Half). From that point on, Commodore remained a title and all Navy one star admirals were referred to as Rear Admiral (Lower Half).

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There was no rank in the Navy called Commodore (1 star) between 1950 and 1982. Therefore, a Navy Captain was promoted to a 2 star Rear Admiral during this period.

Quoted: Quoted: I don't think that iit isn't entirely unheard of for people to skip ranks or be promoted more rapidly during war time. Didn't they do that for a lot of the WWII General Staff? I'm pretty sure that when Eisenhower was wearing 3 stars, his permanent rank was Lt Col 5sub

So you mean like brevet rank?

A Lieutenant General is one star above a Major General...

Brig Gen Dunford hasn't not yet been promoted to Maj Gen.  If his nomination for Lieut Gen is approved by the Senate, he will have skipped the rank of Maj Gen.  If his nomination to Lieut Gen is approved and the timing works out, he would be in a position to be considered for Commandant of the USMC after the current one retires.

General Pershing was promoted to Big Gen from Captain by President Theodore Roosevelt.