The board president in the promotion board is always what rank?

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The key idea is that promotion boards require leadership from the highest level of command. The president needs the authority and experience to guide deliberations, ensure consistency, and uphold the integrity of the process across the service. General Officers occupy the top tiers of leadership, bringing broad perspective and impartial oversight. That combination—high rank, broad view, and formal authority—makes a General Officer the appropriate presiding officer for promotion boards. In contrast, captains and majors lack that level of authority, and while a colonel is senior, does not carry the same level of leadership as a General Officer. So the board president is always a General Officer.