Senior Airman (SrA) Below-the-Zone (BTZ) is a competitive promotion program that allows exceptional Airmen First Class (A1C) to promote to SrA six months earlier than their standard fully qualified phase point.

Fully Qualified (FQ) Phase Point

According to AFI 36-2502, an Airman meets the standard fully qualified requirements for SrA at either 36 months Time-in-Service (TIS) and 20 months Time-in-Grade (TIG), OR 28 months TIG—whichever occurs first.

Board Meeting Months

Boards are held quarterly. Your board month depends directly on when your BTZ promotion would occur:

• Jan, Feb, Mar promotions: Board meets in December (Previous Year)
• Apr, May, Jun promotions: Board meets in March
• Jul, Aug, Sep promotions: Board meets in June
• Oct, Nov, Dec promotions: Board meets in September