ADM Linda Fagan recently released her 2024 - 2025 Guidance to Special Boards. Commandants, current and former, have routinely issued guidance to Selection Boards and Panels, however this is the first Commandant’s Guidance to Special Boards.
The Personnel Service Center convenes a Special Board for an officer facing adverse administrative action who has documented misconduct, poor performance, or an inability to execute the duties prescribed. Special Boards may be convened to consider many things, including:
- involuntary separation,
- vacation of temporary appointment,
- termination of an active-duty contract for reservists,
- termination of appointment to Chief Warrant Officer,
- removal from promotion list, or
- determination of the highest grade satisfactorily held.
This new guidance is in line with the Fostering Engaged Leadership theme of the Strengthening Service Culture efforts, that includes fostering workforce trust in the institution. “This is one of the many tools we’re using to reinforce our Service culture,” ADM Fagan said. “Officers at every level must lead and foster a work environment consistent with our Core Values. When an officer fails to uphold that standard, Special Boards are instrumental in ensuring accountability and inspiring trust and confidence amongst our workforce.”
The guidance clearly states “(n)o person has a right to continue to serve as an officer” and reiterates ADM Fagan’s vision that “(e)very leader is charged to build a Core Values-based culture where every member of our workforce is safe, valued, empowered, trusted, connected and where every workplace is intolerant of harmful behaviors.”
You can read the Commandant’s Guidance to Special Boards here (CAC required).
The Service also recently increased staffing at the Officer Personnel Management (OPM) division of PSC, and updated policy and procedures to reduce the processing time and increase the adjudication of Special Boards. The result: a direct and real impact to Service culture. Because these boards are governed by law and rightfully afford an officer due process, the timelines for adjudication are situation specific and oftentimes their impacts go unseen. OPM’s improved efficiency helps to expeditiously move these Special Boards along while maintaining what they call FRED: a Fair, Repeatable, Equitable, and Defendable process.
Over the next couple months, you’ll find more on MyCG about Special Boards – who is afforded what kind of Special Board, membership of these boards, and more. Stay tuned.
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