Defense ministry drops age limits for officers seeking longer service

The defense ministry said it had removed age limits from selection criteria for short-service officers seeking longer service, citing the need to secure junior officers more smoothly.

The rules, which took effect on Aug. 4, eliminate the age criterion from selection standards and application forms for officers applying for long-term service or extensions, after the Military Personnel Act Enforcement Decree abolished the restriction.

The ministry also aligned provisions on the Marine Corps commander's authority with the revised decree. The revisions define the commander's role in deciding which noncommissioned officers can be brought before a promotion board and specify that references to the chief of staff mean the Marine Corps commander in matters concerning the Marines. Candidates must normally have reached the minimum service period by the date a promotion is announced, while the commander can set selection pools by seniority or specialty to adjust promotion ratios.

The ministry said the measure clarifies that the Navy chief of staff's promotion-related authority over the Marine Corps can be delegated to the Marine Corps commander, preserving the corps' independence and strengthening its status.

Marine Corps headquarters has independently operated officer promotion selection boards and conducted recommendations and deliberations, but unclear delegation provisions and rules assigning authority to the Navy chief of staff had limited its ability to set promotion candidate pools, projected promotion numbers, vacancies and the publication of promotion candidate lists.