# 2020-160 Careers, Entry into the promotion zone, Special Commissioning Plan

Case summary

F&R Date: 2021-06-23

The grievor relinquished his officer's commission after failing his occupational training, but continued serving as a non-commissioned member. Six years later, the grievor was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in another military occupation. One year later, he was promoted to Lieutenant (Lt). The grievor's effective date of promotion was set one year earlier (i.e., to the date of commission) and his entry into the promotion zone (EPZ) date for Captain (Capt) was set for three years after the date of commission. The grievor challenged the EPZ date to Capt. He argued that his previous service as an officer should count towards his promotion and that his EPZ date to Capt should be two years after his date of commission, not three years. 

The grievor's career manager stated that the grievor's promotion to Lt should not have been backdated. The Director Military Careers Policy and Grievances 2-7 agreed, noting that backdating the promotion was an error and that the grievor's time as an officer, before he relinquished his first commission, does not count towards EPZ dates following his second commissioning. 

After analysing the applicable policy, the Committee found that the grievor's service as an officer, before relinquishing his commission, had no bearing on his EPZ dates after his second commissioning, and that backdating his promotion to Lt was an error. Consequently, the grievor's EPZ date to Capt was correct.  

The Committee recommended that the Final Authority issue an amended promotion message to correct the effective date of the grievor's promotion to Lt.