Preparation key to acing promotion boards - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Preparation key to acing promotion boards

Tension oozed from the foyer of 4th Battalion headquarters at Fort Myer, Va.

Enlisted soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Regiment were pacing about, their eyes wide with anticipation. Controlling their nerves was a must, and some were struggling.

Any second these members of the Old Guard would begin entering the board room, one at a time, to face a line of senior noncommissioned officers. The NCOs planned to test these soldiers’ mettle and determine if they were truly ready for promotion.

Every month, all over the Army, soldiers go before enlisted promotion selection boards as part of the process for becoming a sergeant or staff sergeant. Many of them don’t make the cut.

Whether the ordeal is a success or failure often turns on how well soldiers prepare themselves for the challenge. A failure before the panel is an automatic failure for promotion.

A standard board interview proceeds like this: A soldier knocks on the door to the board room, walks in and stands before the members of the board. The panel inspects the soldier’s uniform, orders the soldier to perform some drill movements and then has the soldier take a seat. Board members question the soldier on a variety of Army subjects.

After it’s all over, the board recommends whether the soldier should be placed on the selection list for promotion. The board can award soldiers up to 150 points on their promotion point worksheet.

Soldiers who are dressed properly, exude confidence and demonstrate a grasp of Army knowledge typically have no problem. But those who fail in these areas must walk out of that board and start practicing again.

The process is intentionally unsettling. It is, after all, a way to weed out those who aren’t ready.

Army Times was allowed to sit in on boards at Fort Myer and Fort Eustis, Va., to see how board interviews proceed.

At Fort Eustis, a board in the spring prepared to test seven soldiers vying for selection. Before the interviews began, Command Sgt. Major Dexter Speights, the board president, stressed the significance of the event.

“You are selecting the future leaders of the Army,” Speights said to his board. “This is not just a ‘check the box’ [assignment]. This is a serious business you’ve been asked to perform.”

But there is also evidence of tough love and a sense that the board is ushering soldiers through a right of passage. The senior NCOs have been through the board, and now it’s their turn to put other soldiers in the hot seat.

Dress for success

Deep down, the board members are rooting for the soldiers, explained Command Sgt. Maj. Maurice Jackson, who served as board president in February at 4th Battalion Headquarters at Fort Myer.

“We always want the soldier to succeed, and we mean it,” he said.

The first soldier to enter Jackson’s boardroom failed within seconds after walking in.

His uniform was not up to snuff, Jackson later explained. It had apparently not been taken to the cleaners, and uniforms must be perfect, especially in the Old Guard.

The soldier exited the board room quietly, with a blank stare. His lips quivered.

The abrupt failure, meanwhile, unsettled the other soldiers. Jackson’s board members weren’t fooling around.

Soldiers walked in one at a time, and the board proceeded to grill:

“Execute an about face. Execute a right face,” the board members ordered. “… Recite the NCO creed. … What are the three types of bleeding? ... Take a breath … You’re making me nervous.”

Soon another soldier was sent packing. His hair, while not shaggy, was too long for Old Guard standards.

These kinds of mistakes were shocking, Jackson later said.

“A lot of guys that come to the board today don’t know how to present themselves … The way I was brought up, that was a given,” he said.

Soldiers must come in sharp. The hair must be the proper length, the uniform must be clean and wrinkle-free and everything had better be in its proper place.

At both Fort Myer and Fort Eustis, most soldiers waited outside the boardroom meticulously inspecting one another’s appearance. At Fort Eustis, one sergeant used a lighter to burn off loose strings on his peers’ uniforms.

Others used rulers to measure the distance between their ribbons and other elements of the uniform. Improper placement would draw fire before the board, which takes ample time to inspect each uniform.

Those soldiers who succeeded in appearance had a clean uniform and fresh haircuts. They also had friends and superiors outside the boardroom inspecting them for any potential uniform mistakes.

Confidence is key

Spc. Benton Thames stood before Jackson’s board and was instructed to recite the NCO Creed.

Thames nearly peeled the paint off the walls with his booming reply.

“No one is more professional than I!” he bellowed. “I am a noncommissioned officer, a leader of soldiers!”

While some soldiers had meekly recited the creed, Thames had the guts to bark it like a frothing dog. And the board lapped it up.

“You are the first one that came here today to sound like that,” Jackson said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Board leaders want to see a soldier who can walk in with confidence, and that goes a long way. It serves as a strong indicator that the soldier probably has the guts to lead under stressful circumstances.

Not every soldier cleared the NCO Creed as easily as Thames.

Spc. Don Baker began to say it, but messed up the first line and blanked shortly thereafter.

“It was like, ‘Holy hell,’ after the first time I messed up,” Baker said afterward.

He stumbled a couple more times, but was eventually able to recall the lines and recite the creed.

Jackson showed mercy throughout Baker’s stumble, reassuring the soldier and encouraging him to take a breath.

“I know it’s a lot of pressure on you right now,” Jackson said.

Then Baker did prove himself.

“He got his composure and he drove on and did very well,” Jackson said.

Achieving confidence, or at least the perception of it, is best achieved by practice, according to NCOs who have made it through the boards.

The best way to gain experience is to participate in “mock boards” in the weeks building up to the interview. A mock board is a simulated board, often composed of peers and/or superiors, who will run through the motions as if it were the real deal.

Most soldiers who succeed have participated in mock boards, Jackson said.

Thames, who impressed the board with his creed recital, said he participated in 50 or 60 practice boards leading up to the big day.

Study time

The bulk of the board interview involves a verbal quiz. Board members will ask questions on myriad topics ranging from current events to first aid.

While a broad range of knowledge is needed to pass, the board will zero in on several key areas. These topics vary, and are released to each participant in a memo, typically sent out three to four weeks in advance.

While soldiers can peruse Army manuals to prepare, free study guides are available online, some of them 200 pages long.

“Don’t wait until the last minute,” advised Sgt. Kevin Abbs, who passed his promotion board at Fort Eustis.

Abbs said he studied nearly all night, getting only a few hours of shut-eye. But it didn’t show during his interview, where he sat like a statue and answered questions with near-robotic precision.

Others weren’t so swift, some sputtering out repeated “uhs” and giving long pauses when they were unsure of the correct response.

It is important for a soldier not to panic at these times. Board veterans advise soldiers to remain firm and answer honestly if unsure of an answer. A sample response: “First sergeant, I do not know the answer to that question, first sergeant!”

Show a commitment

A promotions board is looking for the next generation of Army leadership and mainly wants to see a clear commitment from the soldier, Jackson said.

NCOs have too significant a role to play and each must measure up, Jackson said.

“You set an example. You set the standards for the soldiers out there,” he said. “I’m not expecting a soldier to know every question, but I expect him to know something when he comes into a board and show me that he wants to be a noncommissioned officer.

“You can tell a guy who wants to be a noncommissioned officer and the one who is going through the motions just to make rank.”

Enter that board room with passion and it is rewarded.

Thames dressed with precision, kept his head held high, answered the questions he knew and confessed when he didn’t.

And Jackson responded with the highest praise of the day.

“I will gladly carry you to combat with me any day,” Jackson told Thames. “I need soldiers like you. I need NCOs like you. You are going to make a damn good NCO.”

Since the boards, Thames has been promoted to sergeant, and so has Baker. Abbs is now a staff sergeant.

15 TIPS TO TACKLE THE SELECTION BOARD

The selection board for sergeants and staff sergeants is approaching, and your nerves are getting the best of you. Don’t panic. Follow these tips from pros who have passed this high-pressure test:

1 Participate in mock boards. After all, practice is the best way to prepare for the selection board. Gather a group of peers and/or superiors and have them test you on your dress, knowledge and presentation. Soldier of the Month contests are a good way to gain this experience.

2 Practice your delivery in a mirror. That way you can check your posture and ensure you’re not fidgeting.

3 Your greatest ally going into a board is a superior who can act as a mentor. Make sure your mentor is someone who is going to invest the time it takes to train you. A mentor who is lazy or unwilling to help may leave you in the lurch come test time.

4 Appearance is important. Get a haircut before the board. Make sure you get your uniform cleaned. Have fellow soldiers inspect you before the board to make sure everything is in its proper place.

5 All participants in a promotion board receive a memo three to four weeks in advance that outlines key subject areas to be covered. While this memo is important, why start there? Ask to see earlier memos to get an idea of what types of subjects are covered and give yourself an edge in studying.

6 Your memo will also tell you who will sit on the board. Does someone on the list intimidate you more than others? If so, it would be smart to put some extra effort in studying his subject area.

7 While practicing, find a rhythm to the way you deliver answers to questions. It will keep you mentally focused, and it will show professionalism. When answering, look directly at the questioner. Address questioners by rank at the start of your answer and at the end.

8 Posture and military bearing are important. Sit straight up, your hands placed on your thighs. If you slouch, prepare to fail. Keeping your military bearing is a must. It’s OK for a board member to make jokes and laugh, but you must not take part. Board members look for that loss of bearing.

9 If asked to recite the NCO Creed or Soldier’s Creed, do it loud and proud. It may be a small boardroom, but the board members want to get blasted.

10 Get to your board early to scope out the room and get an idea of the layout. You don’t want to walk in cold, unsure of where to walk and which direction to face.

11 While checking out the room, practice some drill movements. Your movements will vary depending on the flooring, be it tile, carpet, etc. You don’t want to stumble.

12 Once told to take a seat, don’t hesitate to take a quick look behind you and locate the chair. A nervous soldier might fall flat on his rear if he’s not careful.

13 One of the first commands from the board is often, “Tell us about yourself.” While a seemingly simple question, soldiers often forget to prepare for it. Practice a one-minute answer that best highlights your strengths and experience. Giving your bio in chronological order is probably the easiest and most logical approach. Also prepare both long- and short-term goals.

14 Board members may try to throw you after you answer a question by responding, “Are you sure?” They are checking your confidence, so don’t hesitate. Tell them you are sure, even if you aren’t.

15 Sometimes, toward the end of the session, a board president will ask if you have any questions. While it is a good time to ask a question, it can also be a time to clarify or correct an answer to one of the prior questions. Maybe you missed one and realized it later. Better late than never.

— Tony Lombardo

Sources: Soldiers with Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, at Fort Eustis, Va., soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer, Va., and the Enlisted Promotions Branch of Army Human Resources Command, Alexandria, Va.