To be frank, I find the way the promotion system works in the Marine pretty interesting.
You see, I graduated boot camp as a Private First Class, or E-2, primarily because of my contract in the music program. If a Marine recruit has a certain number of college credits, JROTC/prior military experience, or helped recruit a certain number of people while in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), that recruit can graduate boot camp at a slightly higher rank than his or her peers. I'm sure there are other enlistment programs that guarantee slightly faster promotions...the Musician Enlistment Option Program (MEOP) is just one of them.
The way the Marine Corps sees it, in order to be good enough to make it as a professional military musician, it takes skill, which is only gained through time -- lots of time. In essence, I've been preparing for this job for almost 10 years. Ever since I started playing the saxophone at age 10, I've basically been learning how to do the job I'm doing now. I've spent 10 gaining experience in my field...10 years of concerts, rehearsals, sectionals, auditions, private lessons, competitions, practicing, and classes. Ask any musician, and they will tell you that in order to get better at your instrument, it takes long-term dedication. Excluding the young prodigies you see on "America's Got Talent", it would be impossible to make a living without all those years of experience. That is what makes the musical field different from most other jobs in the military. Not everyone can decide after graduating high school that they will just join a military band -- they must have years of job experience under their belt.
Anyway, back to my original topic: the enlisted promotion system in the Marine Corps. There are two big requirements that remain consistent with every rank: TIME, and RECOMMENDATION. The two parts to the TIME requirements are TIME-IN-GRADE, and TIME-IN-SERVICE. Before getting promoted, the Marine must be in the Marine Corps for a certain amount of time (TIS), and have held their current rank for a certain amount of time (TIG). For recommendation, no Marine will get promoted if they don't have full recommendation in their chain of command. I will now discuss the normal promotion procedures for the first few enlisted ranks, the non-non-commissioned officers (or non-NCOs).
Private (E-1): The lowest rank at which a Marine starts their career.
Private First Class (E-2): Awarded after six months TIG and TIS.
Lance Corporal (E-3): Awarded after eight months TIS and nine months TIG.
Non-Commissioned Officers, or NCOs:
Corporal (E-4): Eight months TIG, One year TIS.
*Of course, with meritorious promotions (which are only awarded to a few stellar Marines), the usual time requirements are waived.
For the non-NCO ranks, a Marine must simply meet the time-in-grade/service requirements (and receive recommendation from their superiors) to be promoted. However, to be promoted to the NCO ranks, things change. To be promoted to Corporal (the first of the NCO ranks), the Marine has to compete against everyone in their field, which is done via a points system, otherwise known as "Composition Scores." The comp score is a final number that computes how well a Marine performs all around: on the rifle range, on Physical/Combat Fitness Tests, and so on (you also get points for education and for TIG/TIS). The better you shoot, the faster you run, and the longer you are in the military...the higher score the Marine will have. Having a higher score makes the Marine that much more competitive for promotion.
Composition scores are only updated a couple weeks before the beginning of each quarter. Cutting scores are released every month, so the Marines who don't meet the cutting score for the first month of the quarter, still have a chance to get promoted in months 2, 3, and 4. This system is to ensure only the most qualified Marines are promoted earlier. Getting promoted just one month earlier can mean higher pay for two pay checks, and an extra month "Time-in-Grade" (which means more points for promotion to Sergeant).
Pretty soon (maybe this week my friend tells me), Headquarters Marine Corps will be releasing the "cutting scores" required for each MOS (military occupational specialty, or job). When they release the score, all Marines who meet or exceed the score will get promoted, assuming they get recommendation from their chain of command.
Here's hoping I meet the cutting score!
