Should I Tell My Colleague Shes Not Getting Promoted?

This one is awkward in the most Air Force way possible. OP is up for the promotion cycle, and their colleague is acting like she’s already clocked the rank change, including the part about that sweet pay bump.

The complication? OP knows the truth. They’re not the one making the decision, and they also don’t want to be the person who steals someone’s hope right before the supervisors deliver the news. But when OP talks to her, she sounds convinced she’s ranking up, and the guilt hits hard because the promotion might not go the way she thinks.

Now OP has to decide whether to keep quiet and let her supervisors handle it, or step in first and risk becoming the villain.

Original Post

Hi, all. I'm in the Air Force, and I'm slated for a promotion. I'm hesitant to say anything because it's not my place, but I spoke to her recently and she's clearly under the impression she's ranking up.

She told me she's looking forward to the pay bump, which makes me feel guilty that I know it's not coming. WIBTA if I say nothing and let her supervisors give her the bad news, or should I give her forewarning that she's not putting on rank?

Thanks in advance.

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This echoes the years of family ostracization, including the AITA call on whether to skip a grandmother’s funeral in Family Ostracized Me for Years.

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OP’s colleague keeps talking about the pay bump like it’s already approved, and that’s where the guilt really starts to gnaw at them.

After OP admits she’s clearly under the impression she’s ranking up, the question becomes whether that assumption should be corrected gently or left for her supervisors to break.

The tension spikes because OP is stuck between “not my place” and the very real moment her supervisors give her the bad news.

Right as the promotion is on the horizon, OP has to choose whether to warn her early or let the chain of command do the damage.

How would you handle this situation? Let us know in the comments.

Nobody wants to be the one who ruins a promotion dream, but letting her find out from her supervisors might be worse.

For another loyalty versus personal beliefs clash, read what happened when a sibling’s artistic dream met family pressure in Struggling with Family Expectations.