Posthumous Promotion of Officers and Enlisted Marines

1. BACKGROUND. THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO POSTHUMOUSLY
PROMOTE A DECEASED MARINE WHO WAS OFFICIALLY RECOMMENDED FOR
PROMOTION TO THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE BUT UNABLE TO ACCEPT THE
PROMOTION BECAUSE OF DEATH IN THE LINE OF DUTY HAS ITS BASIS IN
TITLE 10, U.S. CODE. THE AUTHORITY FOR THE POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF
OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MARINES IS FOUND IN REF A, SEC 1521 AND 1522,
RESPECTIVELY. REF B AND C PROVIDE MARINE CORPS POLICY AND
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF OFFICERS AND
ENLISTED MARINES, RESPECTIVELY, AND LIST AUTHORIZED APPROVAL
AUTHORITY TO EFFECT SUCH PROMOTIONS. RECENT INQUIRIES FROM MARINE
CORPS COMMANDS AND CASUALTY ASSISTANCE CALLS OFFICERS (CACO)
REGARDING REQUESTS AND APPROVAL AUTHORITY TO EFFECT POSTHUMOUS
PROMOTIONS INDICATE A NEED FOR CLARIFICATION OF REF B AND C. 
ACCORDINGLY, THE FOLLOWING GUIDANCE IS PROVIDED TO HELP ENSURE THAT
ANY REQUEST FOR POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF A DECEASED MARINE IS
APPROPRIATELY CONSIDERED AND DECIDED BY THE PROPER AUTHORITY. 
ADHERENCE TO THIS GUIDANCE, AND REF B AND C, WILL ENSURE THE MARINE
CORPS FULLY COMPLIES WITH STATUTORY MANDATES FOR POSTHUMOUS
PROMOTIONS, WILL MINIMIZE THE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER DISTRESS OF
GRIEVING FAMILY MEMBERS, AND WILL MINIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF
EMBARRASSMENT FOR THE MARINE CORPS.
2. POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF OFFICERS. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED 
STATES (POTUS) IS THE APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR ALL OFFICER POSTHUMOUS 
PROMOTIONS. REQUESTS FOR APPROVAL MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE CMC 
(MMPR-1). CMC (MMPR-1) WILL FORWARD POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION 
RECOMMENDATIONS TO POTUS, VIA CMC, SECNAV, AND SECDEF.
 A. OFFICERS RECOMMENDED FOR PROMOTION TO THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE
BY A PROMOTION SELECTION BOARD BUT WHO ARE SUBSEQUENTLY NOT ABLE TO 
ACCEPT THE PROMOTION BECAUSE OF DEATH IN THE LINE OF DUTY MAY BE 
RECOMMENDED FOR POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION.
 B. CASES WILL BE FORWARDED TO POTUS FOR CONSIDERATION ONLY
WHERE IT IS DETERMINED THE OFFICER'S DEATH WAS NOT DUE TO THE
OFFICER'S OWN MISCONDUCT AND THAT AT THE TIME OF DEATH THE OFFICER
WAS MORALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY QUALIFIED FOR PROMOTION.
 C. POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF SECOND LIEUTENANTS OR WARRANT
OFFICERS (W1) TO THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE ARE NOT AUTHORIZED IF DEATH
OCCURRED BEFORE THE OFFICER COMPLETED THE REQUIRED TIME-IN-GRADE
PERIOD, 2 YEARS AND 18 MONTHS, RESPECTIVELY. 
3. POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF ENLISTED MARINES. THE SECRETARY OF THE 
NAVY IS THE APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR ALL ENLISTED POSTHUMOUS 
PROMOTIONS; HOWEVER, SECNAV HAS DELEGATED THIS AUTHORITY TO THE 
CMC.
 A. PROMOTION TO STAFF SERGEANT AND ABOVE. MARINES RECOMMENDED
FOR PROMOTION TO A SNCO GRADE BY A PROMOTION SELECTION BOARD BUT WHO
ARE SUBSEQUENTLY NOT ABLE TO ACCEPT THE PROMOTION BECAUSE OF DEATH
IN THE LINE OF DUTY MAY BE RECOMMENDED FOR POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION. 
REQUESTS FOR APPROVAL MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE CMC (MMPR-2). CASES
WILL BE CONSIDERED ONLY WHERE IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE MARINE'S
DEATH WAS NOT DUE TO HIS OR HER OWN MISCONDUCT. IF THE COMMANDER IS
AWARE OF ANY RESTRICTIONS THAT WOULD PRECLUDE THE PROMOTION, THE CMC
(MMPR-2) MUST BE NOTIFIED.
 B. PROMOTION TO SERGEANT AND BELOW. POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF
PVTS, PFCS, LCPLS, AND CPLS TO THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE IS NOT NORMALLY
APPLICABLE DUE TO THE MANNER IN WHICH ELIGIBILITY IS DETERMINED. 
PROMOTIONS IN THESE GRADES ARE IMMEDIATELY EFFECTED ONCE THE MARINE
MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PROMOTION AND HAS A SEL GRADE ENTRY ON
THE UNIT'S DIARY FEEDBACK REPORT; THEREFORE, POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF
MARINES IN THESE GRADES IS NOT COMMON. POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION IS ONLY
AUTHORIZED IN CASES WHERE A MARINE IN THE GRADE OF PVT-CPL ALREADY
HAS A SEL GRADE ENTRY RESIDENT ON THE UNIT'S DIARY FEEDBACK REPORT
AND THEIR DEATH OCCURS AFTER THE DATE AUTHORIZED FOR PROMOTION, BUT
PRIOR TO AN ACTUAL PROMOTION CEREMONY. IN CASES SPECIFICALLY
MEETING THESE REQUIREMENTS, THE COMMANDER MAY EFFECT THE PROMOTION
POSTHUMOUSLY WITHOUT REFERENCE TO HEADQUARTERS, U. S. MARINE CORPS. 
HOWEVER, REQUESTS FOR POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF PVTS THROUGH CPLS IN
CASES NOT SPECIFICALLY OUTLINED ABOVE AND IN REF C MUST BE SUBMITTED
TO THE CMC (MMPR-2) FOR APPROVAL. 
4. THE FOLLOWING POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION GUIDELINES ARE APPLICABLE TO 
BOTH OFFICER AND ENLISTED MARINES:
 A. THERE IS NO AUTHORITY TO RETROACTIVELY AWARD A PROMOTION TO
A MARINE WHO, PRIOR TO DEATH, HAD NOT MET THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR 
PROMOTION TO THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE.
 B. POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION PROVISIONS ONLY APPLY TO DECEASED
MARINES. A MARINE DECLARED DEATH IMMINENT BY MEDICAL OFFICERS DUE
TO ILLNESS, INJURIES, OR WOUNDS CANNOT BE RECOMMENDED/APPROVED FOR 
POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION UNTIL DECEASED.
 C. COMMANDERS, THEIR STAFFS, AND CACOS MUST BE ESPECIALLY
CAREFUL IN RESPONDING TO POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION REQUESTS OF GRIEVING
FAMILY MEMBERS. NO MARINE CORPS COMMAND REPRESENTATIVE OR CACO IS 
AUTHORIZED TO APPROVE BURIAL OF A DECEASED MARINE WITH THE INSIGNIA 
OF THE NEXT HIGHER GRADE WITHOUT OFFICIAL APPROVAL BEING GRANTED BY 
THE APPROPRIATE APPROVAL AUTHORITY. IN SOME CASES, AUTHORITY TO 
EFFECT THE POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION MAY BE DENIED OR, IF APPROVED, MAY 
NOT BE APPROVED UNTIL AFTER THE MARINE HAS ALREADY BEEN INTERRED. 
IF SUCH REQUESTS ARE RECEIVED FROM FAMILY MEMBERS OF A DECEASED 
MARINE, IMMEDIATE GUIDANCE SHOULD BE SOUGHT FROM THE CMC (MMPR-1) OR
(MMPR-2), AS APPLICABLE. IN NO INSTANCE SHOULD APPROVAL BE IMPLIED
UNLESS SPECIFICALLY NOTIFIED BY CMC (MMPR-1) OR (MMPR-2) THAT THE
DESIGNATED APPROVAL AUTHORITY HAS AUTHORIZED THE POSTHUMOUS
PROMOTION.
 D. REQUESTS VIA NAVAL MESSAGE ARE THE MOST EXPEDIENT AND
PREFERRED METHOD OF SUBMISSION. 
5. COMMANDS MUST SEEK IMMEDIATE GUIDANCE FROM THE CMC (MMPR-1) OR 
(MMPR-2), AS APPLICABLE, FOR ALL POTENTIAL POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION 
CASES, EXCEPT THOSE CASES INVOLVING THE POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION OF 
MARINES TO THE GRADES OF SGT AND BELOW THAT SPECIFICALLY MEET THE 
CRITERIA OUTLINED IN PAR 4302 AND 4303 OF REF C AND FURTHER 
CLARIFIED IN PAR 3.B. ABOVE.
6. POC FOR THE OFFICER PROMOTION SECTION (MMPR-1) IS MAJ P. L.
GILLIS, DSN 278-9703 COMM (703) 784-9703 OR EMAIL: 
 PETER.L.GILLIS@USMC.MIL. 
POC FOR THE ENLISTED PROMOTION SECTION (MMPR-2) IS MRS. L. A. ECKER,
DSN 278-9711 COMM (703) 784-9711 OR EMAIL:
 LESLEY.ECKER@USMC.MIL.