Promotion Process — User Guide
Who This Guide Is For
Officers who want to request a promotion or rank upgrade use this guide to learn how to fill and submit the promotion form and what to do after approval or rejection.
Admins who review promotion requests use this guide to learn how to view requests, set status to in progress, and approve or reject with a new rank or notes.
Part A: Officers (Submitting a Promotion Request)
Getting to the Promotion Page
Only users with an officer profile linked to their account can submit a promotion request. Log in to the RCI Card app and go to Promotion Request (or RCI Promotion/Upgrading) from your dashboard or sidebar.
How to Submit a Promotion Request
Step 1. Open the Promotion Request page. You will see your profile summary (name, RCI number, current rank, division, email, phone) and, if configured, Accoutrement Costs and bank details for payment when your promotion is approved.
Step 2. Answer the seven justification questions. These help the review committee assess your readiness for promotion:
- 1. Major achievements or contributions in your current rank
- 2. Leadership responsibilities and how you performed them
- 3. Trainings, seminars, or professional development since your last promotion
- 4. Any disciplinary issues (if yes, explain and lessons learned)
- 5. How you have improved or supported your unit
- 6. Why you believe you are ready for promotion
- 7. Goals and plans for contributing at a higher level
Questions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 are required. Question 4 is optional but recommended if applicable.
Step 3. Tick the confirmation box: “I CONFIRM THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS CORRECT”. This is required to submit.
Step 4. Click Submit Promotion Request. You will see a success message and your request status will change to Pending.
After You Submit
Your request is sent to admins for review. You will see your current status on the same page (Pending, In progress, Approved, or Rejected). When an admin updates the status, you will receive an in-app notification and can check the promotion page for any notes (e.g. rejection reason or new rank).
What Each Status Means
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Your request has been submitted and is waiting for an admin to review it. |
| In progress | An admin is reviewing or processing your request (e.g. checking with committee). You may be contacted for more information. |
| Approved | Your promotion has been approved. Your new rank is recorded. You should update your profile (see below) to confirm your new details. |
| Rejected | Your request was not approved. Any reason or notes from the admin will be shown. You can submit a new request later if you wish. |
| Completed | Your request was approved and you have updated your profile. The process is complete. You can submit a new promotion request in the future when eligible. |
When Your Request Is Approved
When your promotion is approved:
- Your rank is updated in the system (the admin sets the new rank).
- You will see a message asking you to Update your profile with your new rank and information.
- Click Update Profile Now to go to your profile edit page. After you save your profile, your promotion request is marked as Completed.
- If accoutrement costs and bank details were shown on the form, payment is typically required after approval; follow your organization’s instructions for payment.
Part B: Admins (Reviewing Promotion Requests)
Promotion Requests Menu
If you have permission to manage promotions, you will see Promotion Requests under Applications & Requests in the sidebar. Open it to see the list of all promotion requests.
Viewing and Filtering Requests
On the Promotion Requests page you can:
- Filter by status — Pending, In progress, Approved, or Rejected.
- Paginate — Move through pages of results.
- Click a request to open the detail page, where you can view the officer’s profile and all seven answers, then set status or approve/reject.
Reviewing a Request
On a request’s detail page you will see:
- Officer information — Name, RCI number, current rank, division, contact details, photo.
- All seven justification answers — The officer’s written responses.
- Request metadata — Submitted date, current status, processed by (if updated), notes.
Use this information to decide whether to mark the request as In progress, Approved, or Rejected.
Approving or Rejecting
- In progress — Use this when the request is being reviewed (e.g. by a committee) or when you need more information. The officer is notified that the request is in progress.
- Approved — You must enter the new rank for the officer. The system will update the officer’s rank in their profile. The officer is notified and will be prompted to update their profile to complete the process. You can add optional notes (e.g. effective date or instructions).
- Rejected — You can add notes (reason for rejection). The officer will see these notes on their promotion page. They can submit a new request later.
Frequently Asked Questions
I submitted a promotion request but don’t see the form anymore. — You already have an active request (pending or in progress). Check the status message on the page. You can submit again only after the request is rejected or completed.
My request was approved. What do I do next? — Click Update Profile Now on the promotion page and save your profile with your new rank and any other updated details. This marks the request as completed.
I don’t see the Promotion Request menu. — You must be logged in and have an officer profile linked to your account. If you have only a cadet or other role, the promotion request option may not be available. Contact support if you believe you should have access.
As an admin: Do I have to set “In progress” before approving? — No. You can approve or reject directly from Pending if your process allows it. Use “In progress” when the request is still under review.
Where is the new rank set when I approve? — On the request detail page, when you choose “Approved”, you must enter the new rank (e.g. from a dropdown or text field). This rank is saved on the officer’s profile and shown to the officer in the approval notification.