When were women Colonels first upgraded in rank upon retirement?

April 28, 2009 11:11 PM

Military retirement policy: When did the US Army reverse it's policy of not upgrading women who served actively as Colonels to Brigadier Generals upon retirement? (They have always have done so for men).

I know that the first woman General was 1971, but women were not automatically bumped up in rank at that time. I'm asking because my Aunt served as a Colonel, wasn't bumped up, was kind of pissed when the rules changed sometime after she retired. She's still alive, and I'm wondering if I can initiate an appeal to get her pay grade updated.

posted by StickyCarpet to law & government (4 comments total)

The Army Review Boards Agency seems like the place to start. You personally probably won't be able to initiate an appeal, but I would think she could.

Also, anyone that stays career enlisted is crazy. I have no idea how 1SGs and above even exist.
posted by kavasa at 4:16 AM on April 29 [1 favorite]

Might want to contact US Army Human Resources Command for some more answers. Though I agree with kavasa that if anyone can appeal, it would have to be your aunt.
posted by lullaby at 9:17 AM on April 29 [1 favorite]

Also, anyone that stays career enlisted is crazy

I'd have to be crazy to enlist at all, but I must say as a senior officer she is pretty well taken care of in her retirement. Her pension/SS is over $6000 per month, and she is in a retirement facilty, I think it's called Allenwood, in Washington, that is unbelievably posh.

Now she's moved into a kind of intensive care, in a large private room, decorated with all her furniture like an apartment, but her expenses exceed her income. She's 93 and can afford to go on like this for a year or two, but then might have to scale back a bit.

She still eats in the dining room with senators and 4 star generals. I'll have to say that these senior officers of that era are a pretty good looking bunch of oldsters, especially the ladies.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:33 AM on April 29

Also, I have power of attorney, perhaps that's enough to initiate something. Herself, having managed an entire department at Walter Reed, she's pretty opposed to "bothering the staff."
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:36 AM on April 29