Yup, that's what I'm afraid of. How on earth do they keep this such a secret until it is about to screw you?
Why don't they send a notice that says something like, "You will be meeting your second promotion board for Major in 12 months. You probably don't realize it because you aren't active and also not in a reserve or guard unit. Yes, we conduct promotion boards in the IRR and you CAN'T be promoted off of them. No way, no how. Be advised that if you don't join an actual unit at least 6 months (because the hiring takes that long) before your promotion board in x month, you will get passed over for the second time and kicked out. A guard or reserve unit from any branch of the service can't take you if that happens."
That's the first issue, next is why on earth do they conduct IRR promotion boards? Why would they want to make perfectly qualified people ineligible to rejoin.
Ok, next question...any ideas on how I can get out of the IRR tomorrow morning so that I never meet the board? Hey, shot in the dark that somebody can tell me how to instantly get myself removed tomorrow.