Three of the guys waiting outside the headquarters building for their turn in front of the promotion board (L-R Lambert, Gandy, Cunningham). To make E-5 and E-6 you have to go to the board. Based on how you do you are awarded so many promotion points plus after the board you are eligible for promotion if you have enough points to make the cutoff (the cutoff points change every month depending on your job). It can be a stressful experience.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Three of the guys waiting outside the headquarters building for their turn in front of the promotion board (L-R Lambert, Gandy, Cunningham). To make E-5 and E-6 you have to go to the board. Based on how you do you are awarded so many promotion points plus after the board you are eligible for promotion if you have enough points to make the cutoff (the cutoff points change every month depending on your job). It can be a stressful experience.
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I am assuming question/answer format? Are the questions technical? Or "what would you do if...?" disaster scenario? None of above? Does their over-all impression of you count? (As in "this guy is dumber than a post"?) Who is the promotion board in combat areas? General officers? Local guys who pass along evaluations? Does a person know right away? Pass/fail? How many more chances if a fail evaluation? Are people who are not promoted after many tries left in the military? Would anyone have an opportunity to object to what was seen as an unfair evaluation?
It is a question answer format and they are given a list of topics that will be covered. It focuses on rules, regulations, manuals, customs and courtesies, and the like. The overall impression is important - it's not just if you get the questions right but how you handle yourself (professionalism). Over here the promotion board is just senior members of our unit. Back in the rear it would be senior members of the Battalion so it is actually less stressful over here. You have to be pretty messed up to actually fail it. These guys all go to practice boards with their platoon sergeants and they won't send them if the soldier isn't ready. It is more a matter of how well you do - based on your performance you are given so many promotion points. So if you don't do well you will have to make up those points somewhere else (taking college classes, military schools, weapons score ect). So it isn't something that will get you kicked out of the military unless you don't go and therefore don't get promoted then there are time limits on how long you can stay at different ranks.
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