Establishment of promotion zones under running mate system

If promotion zones are determined as authorized under subsection (a), a Reserve officer shall, subject to the eligibility requirements of this subchapter, be placed in a promotion zone when that officer’s running mate is placed in a promotion zone and shall, in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter, be considered for promotion at approximately the same time as that officer’s running mate or as soon thereafter as practicable, or in the event that promotion is not determined in accordance with a running mate system, then a Reserve officer becomes eligible for consideration for promotion to the next higher grade at the beginning of the promotion year in which he or she completes the following amount of service computed from the date of rank in the grade in which he or she is serving: