The Marine Corps outdid itself on gunny promotions as about 100 more staff sergeants than first estimated are about to get their second rocker .

There will be 1,797 Marines promoted to gunnery sergeant this year, according to Marine administrative message 292/16, released Thursday . That's 101 more than the 1,696 Manpower officials estimated in March would get the nod for promotion.

A total of 1,771 staff sergeants were selected for gunny through the regular eight-week board. In addition, three students enrolled in the warrant officer program were noncompetitively selected, as were 20 in the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program and three in the Navy Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program.

Though it's 13 percent fewer than the 2,047 promoted last year, this number exceeds the pre-drawdown average of 1,750 — and it is far better than the 1,129 promoted in 2014. During the drawdown, gunny promotions averaged around 1,400.

In addition, three students enrolled in the Warrant Officer program were noncompetitively selected, as were 20 in the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program and three in the Navy Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program.

Promotions to gunnery sergeant will have a trickle-down effect on advancement to staff sergeant, sergeant and corporal — if those Marines have met new promotion requirements put in place in recent months. For example, lance corporals and corporals must now have 12 months time-in-grade before they can add another stripe.

The Corps anticipates 3,600 allocations for staff sergeant, which will mean about 9,600 sergeant promotions, Lane Beindorf, who heads enlisted promotions for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, told Marine Corps Times earlier this year. Last year's allocations of 4,274 staff sergeants were the second highest in a decade

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The infantry’s 147 gunny promotions topped all military occupational specialties, and was four more than spring estimates. Seventy more were selected from the ground-combat community : 16 from the light armored vehicle units , 18 from reconnaissance, and 36 critical skills operators. Administrative specialists saw 110 selections, and motor-transport operations chiefs had 82.

In addition, six MOSs that had no gunny promotions in 2015 had quotas this year: Middle East cryptologic linguist; Asia-Pacific cryptologic linguist; helicopter power plants mechanic, T-64; fixed-wing aircraft mechanic, F/A-18; fixed-wing aircraft power plants mechanic, J-52; and aviation electronic micro/miniature component and cable repair technician, IMA.

Supply administration and operations specialist saw the largest reduction. Its 51 promotions slots were 19 fewer than 2015.

Five MOSs had no gunny promotions for a second year: helicopter/tiltrotor dynamic components mechanic; fixed-wing aircraft mechanic, EA-6; fixed-wing aircraft airframe mechanic, F-35B; fixed-wing aircraft safety equipment mechanic, KC-130; and fixed-wing aircraft safety equipment mechanic, F-35B.

Two MOSs had no gunny promotions for a third straight year: Central-Asian cryptologic linguist and tactical systems operator/mission specialist.