(a) Recommendation of Best Qualified Officers.—A promotion board convened under section 14101(a) of this title shall recommend for promotion to the next higher grade those officers considered by the board whom the board considers best qualified for promotion within each competitive category considered by the board or, in the case of a vacancy promotion board, among those officers considered to fill a vacancy. In determining those officers who are best qualified for promotion, the board shall give due consideration to the needs of the armed force concerned for officers with particular skills (as noted in the guidelines or information furnished the board under section 14107 of this title).

(b) Actions Required.—A promotion board convened under section 14101(a) of this title may not recommend an officer for promotion unless—

(1) the officer receives the recommendation of a majority of the members of the board;

(2) a majority of the members of the board finds that the officer is fully qualified for promotion; and

(3) a majority of the members of the board, after consideration by all members of the board of any adverse information about the officer that is provided to the board under section 14107 of this title, finds that the officer is among the officers best qualified for promotion to meet the needs of the armed force concerned consistent with the requirement of exemplary conduct set forth in section 7233, 8167, or 9233 of this title, as applicable.

(c) Board Recommendation Required for Promotion.—Except as otherwise provided by law, an officer on the reserve active-status list may not be promoted to a higher grade under chapter 1405 of this title unless the officer is considered and recommended for promotion to that grade by a promotion board convened under section 14101(a) of this title (or by a special selection board convened under section 14502 of this title).

(d) Disclosure of Board Recommendations.—The recommendations of a promotion board may be disclosed only in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. Those recommendations may not be disclosed to a person not a member of the board (or a member of the administrative staff designated by the Secretary concerned to assist the board) until the written report of the recommendations of the board, required by section 14109 of this title, is signed by each member of the board.

(e) Prohibition of Coercion and Unauthorized Influence of Actions of Board Members.—The Secretary convening a promotion board under section 14101(a) of this title, and an officer or other official exercising authority over any member of a selection board, may not—

(1) censure, reprimand, or admonish the selection board or any member of the board with respect to the recommendations of the board or the exercise of any lawful function within the authorized discretion of the board; or

(2) attempt to coerce or, by any unauthorized means, influence any action of a promotion board or any member of a promotion board in the formulation of the board’s recommendations.

(f) Higher Placement of Officers of Particular Merit on Promotion List.—(1) In selecting officers to be recommended for promotion, a promotion board may, when authorized by the Secretary concerned, recommend that officers of particular merit, from among those officers selected for promotion, be placed higher on the promotion list established by the Secretary under section 14308(a) of this title.

(2) A promotion board may make a recommendation under paragraph (1) only if an officer receives the recommendation of—

(A) a majority of the members of the promotion board; or

(B) an alternative requirement established by the Secretary concerned and furnished to the promotion board as part of the guidelines under section 14107 of this title.

(3) For officers who receive recommendations under paragraph (1), the board shall recommend the order in which those officers should be placed on the promotion list.