Promotion to air rank followed shortly by retirement

[potatoe1]

I remember hearing a few years ago earlier in my career that it was regular practice for those higher up the tree than myself with better contacts to get promoted to air rank literally the day before they were due to retire to obtain an enhanced pension.

Just wondering if this still goes on? Or have I been guilty of listening to the rumour network.

[BBadanov]

I know years ago in the RAAF, some would get the next higher rank on retirement. This was stopped in the 1970s.
I don't know if that gave them the higher pension, or it was just an honorary thing in return for years of undetected crime. (PS you needed undetected crime, otherwise you could be shipped back to UK, heaven forbid !!)

[Jabba_TG12]

Yes, it used to happen in the UK. Dont think it still does.

[Whenurhappy]

This Spanish (or Italian) practise stopped many years ago and it has acquired Urban Myth status - certainly it wouldn't work under AFPS 75 or 05. It is still common amongst some new NATO members

[Roland Pulfrew]

Three years in acting rank to qualify for the pension or 2 years in substative rank. I believe that applies to all ranks holding pension earning terms of service.

[Old-Duffer]

It was the custom for a retiring CAS to be made a Marshal of the RAF on his final day. Hence he went onto 'half pay' rather than a pension 'cause a Marshal of the RAF does not retire (one notable exception - excepted).

This custom stopped in about 1990 IIRC, so Sir Keith Williamson retired as an ACM, as have others since.

Chief of Defence Staff used to be a 5 star but that also stopped at about the same time - something to do with reducing the number of ranks, I think!!

Wonder if the Defence Review will consolidate any ranks? Why 3 junior officer ranks, 3 senior officer ranks and 4 air officer grades for example.

[Easy Street]

There is also the fact that starred officers in all 3 services are not "posted" but are "appointed". This subtle distinction means that should there not be a suitable appointment for a starred officer, he can be summarily retired! Hence why there may occasionally be officers retiring after only 1 tour as a Brig / Cdre / Air Cdre.

[alfred_the_great]

Not true for Cdre's (much to the Centre's disgust). Cdre's retire at 55, unless they have been forced to sign the "blood chit" (compulsory for 2* and above). There are some rumours going round that young-ish Captains in line for a Star have made it been known that they don't wish to be considered for promotion. They've read the writing on the wall regarding Senior Officer numbers and are more than happy to accrue much more money (and pension) as a 4 ringer for 8 years.....

[philrigger]

;)

I remember hearing a few years ago earlier in my career that it was regular practice for those higher up the tree than myself with better contacts to get promoted to air rank literally the day before they were due to retire to obtain an enhanced pension.

Just wondering if this still goes on? Or have I been guilty of listening to the rumour network.

I suspect that there is more than a whiff of 'urban myth' about this thread.

[Union Jack]

I suspect that there is more than a whiff of 'urban myth' about this thread.

There may well be such a whiff of "urban myth" about the suggestion in the original post, but it does bring to mind the rumour, long since laid to rest, that some senior medical officers were suspected of recommending their peers for medical discharge, with all the attendant benefits, on less than sound medical grounds.

Jack

[GreenKnight121]

It may be an "urban myth" ("urban legend" here west of the pond) in the UK, but I can tell you with authority that it used to be a common practice here in the US.


Not only are there scores (if not hundreds) of cases documented in public sources (with specifics of name, dates, etc), but while working a temporary assignment as a clerk in the ID card/pass issuance office of the base headquarters squadron of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California from Dec. 1985 through June 1986, I saw the paperwork many times when retirees or their dependents came through to renew their ID cards or verify continued eligibility for benefits.

The practice was to retire senior officers (Lt. Colonel/Commander and up) concurrent with a promotion to the next-higher rank (effective the day of retirement, and revocable if said officer applied for reinstatement to active duty).

This practice ended sometime after the end of the Korean War, and is currently prohibited by regulation.

Was this the normal practice? No, less than half of retirees received this "perk", but the paperwork I saw & handled was common enough that it was not what I would call abnormal either.


Additionally, many senior enlisted in WW1 & WW2 who received "field promotion" to officer rank, and whose promotion was later not made permanent, reverted to their former enlisted rank... but if they qualified for retirement, they were normally retired "at the highest rank held while on active duty".

This way, there were those who were enlisted men on the date of their retirement, but who were officers on the retired list.

[GreenKnight121]

Thinking about it, that "retired at the highest rank held while on active duty" may be to blame for some* of the alleged "promotion at retirement" stories.

That is because some positions carry a temporary "mandatory rank" for anyone appointed to fill that position.

An officer appointed to the position receives an automatic promotion to that rank when confirmed, but loses that rank when leaving the position unless the promotion is confirmed as permanent.


The reason that those "mandatory rank promotions" are not permanent is, at least in the US, because the total number of Generals/Admirals is set by law, which means that there is an attempt to keep "non-board" promotions to a minimum, so as to provide an orderly promotion system.

Thus, someone can have held such a position and then reverted to a lower rank after leaving, and then be restored to that rank upon retirement.

That this does not happen frequently is due to human ego.

After being the head of your service (and out-ranking everyone in that service), would you want to go back to that service in your earlier, lower rank
and then be under the command of someone you had just been commander over?

And as the new service head, would you want the old head hanging around to provide a focus for "Joe wouldn't have done that were he still in charge" grumblings and criticisms?

No... easier for all concerned if you retire concurrent with leaving that special position.


* but not all... I've seen the paperwork, remember

[EngAl]

A notable case of the "retired at the highest rank held while on active duty" is Ginger Lacey. He retired in 1967 as a Flight Lieutenant, but retained the rank of Squadron Leader. Met him once or twice in the mess at Fylingdales where he was a member as he lived nearby.

[Jimlad1]

I seem to recall reading that during WW2 General Eishenhowers correct rank was Major (Acting General of the Army 5*).

[Union Jack]

A notable case of the "retired at the highest rank held while on active duty" is Ginger Lacey. He retired in 1967 as a Flight Lieutenant, but retained the rank of Squadron Leader.

Usually shown as "War Service Rank" in the relevant List of Retired Officers.

Jack

[Old-Duffer]

If you go back to the 1939-45 war, there is a complicated mix of substantive rank, war substantive rank, acting rank, temporary rank and this led to a complete dogs' breakfast when the war was over.

To solve this, in about 1946, both NCOs and officers who remained in the peacetime air force had their ranks reassessed. In the case of NCO aircrew, this resulted in the very unpopular ranks of (eg) Pilot I, Pilot IV, Navigator III. This was eventually changed in the '51 trade structure when NCO aircrew went back to Sgt etc. The only left over being the Master Aircrew rank and its badge.

In the case of officers, war substantive ranks ceased from 1947 and it was common, therefore, for officers to drop one or two ranks and then have to fight their way up the greasy pole once more and of course some never did.

[Shack37]

In the case of officers, war substantive ranks ceased from 1947 and it was common, therefore, for officers to drop one or two ranks and then have to fight their way up the greasy pole once more and of course some never did.


Perhaps a way of separating the warriors from the politicians.

The police service also have (had?) a similar system of promotion on retirement. An aquaintance if mine retired (some years ago now) as Inspector having been Sgt on reaching his retirement age which, at the time, was 47.

[aluminium persuader]

I knew a guy who was promoted to Sqn Ldr whilst on resettlement leave and having already started his civ job! That would have been mid-late 90's, UK.