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Chief master sergeant selection list is out

The Air Force on Wednesday released the list of 416 airmen who will be promoted to chief master sergeant in the coming year.

Did you make the list?

DISCUSS: Did virtual notification work?

The release of the chiefs list marks the debut of the Air Force’s controversial “virtual promotion announcement” — meaning senior noncommissioned officers won’t find out from their commanders they’re moving up.

Instead, they were expected to click on to the Air Force Personnel Center’s Web site to see whether they earned another stripe.

The personnel center announced that 416 NCOs were selected for promotion, one less than in 2006.

Overall, 2,476 senior master sergeants were eligible. The selection rate was 16.8 percent, nearly identical to last year’s rate of 16.85 percent

Their average score on their promotion point worksheets was 671.39 points. The airmen, on average, have spent 24 1/2 years in the Air Force and served as senior master sergeants for three years. They all had perfect enlisted performance report scores of 135.

The average points for other section of the promotion score were:

* 27.75 for time in grade.

* 23.75 for time in service.

* 24.29 for decorations.

* 66.35 for Air Force supervisory examination.

* 394.25 for board score.

The e-promotion announcement has been criticized as taking the “personal out of personnel.”

Supporters said it saves time and money for personnel offices and gets promotion news out to airmen more quickly.

Commanders can still congratulate the chief-selects, they say, even if the news is not a surprise to the airmen.