Army board to look at 5,000 sergeants major for key jobs across the force

In a first for the Army, all qualified sergeants major with 27 or fewer years of service will be considered during the upcoming centralized selection list board for key jobs across the force.

The 2018 board will look at about 5,000 Army and Army Reserve Active Guard and Reserve senior noncommissioned officers for brigade and battalion command sergeant major positions as well as sergeant major key billets. The NCOs have until Oct. 18 to review their board files.

This will be the first time the Army uses an all-in method for an Army-wide centralized selection list, officials said. In the past, qualified sergeants major had to opt-in for consideration, a system similar to that for officers.

"Are we really getting the most talented people for the position based upon an opt-in system? That’s a good question," said Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey. "The best thing to do is look at the entire population. We have to continue to promote and maintain the best qualified for positions and requirements in the Army."

The old opt-in process for noncommissioned officers mirrored the process for officers.

"The difference between officers and NCOs was almost all officers opted in," Dailey said. "Inherently, within their leader development, the way they were raised was you continue to compete for command. With our sergeants major, it was a little bit different … and we’ve never had as high of an opt-in rate."

This led to the change that’s being implemented with this upcoming CSL board.

"Everybody who’s qualified, they’re being looked at by the board," Dailey said. "We’ve got to select the best qualified for the needs of the Army, and I’m not just talking about command positions. We’re going to select the best for every sergeant major position."

Considerations and exceptions will be made for reasons such as operational requirements or if a sergeant major has a child in the Exceptional Family Member Program, Dailey said, adding that the low opt-in rates from the past do not reflect an unwillingness to serve.

"The only time you really experience somebody not wanting to go somewhere is when there’s an extreme situation in their families, and we’ll take care of that," he said.

The 2018 CSL board will convene Oct. 25 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The formal slate is scheduled for release in April.

The goal is to select the best-qualified NCOs to serve as brigade- and battalion-level command sergeants major or to fill sergeant major key billet requirements in certain units, according to the Military Personnel message released by the Army.

These key billets include positions in operational, generating and training organizations.

Eligible sergeants major have until Oct. 18 to review and certify their board files through the "My Board File" website.

To access the "My Board File" site, visit the Human Resources Command website, click on Self-Service and then the "My Board File" icon.

NCOs have until Oct. 14 to submit updates to their Army Military Human Resources Record, or AMHRR. All updates must include the NCO’s full name and complete nine-digit Social Security Number.

Those records can be viewed here.

NCOs who are not eligible are those who are flagged for not complying with the Army weight control program or for being unable to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test. Also ineligible are NCOs with derogatory information, a previously denied appointment to a command sergeant major or sergeant major key billet position, or those being considered for separation as a result of the Qualitative Management Program, or QMP.

The board also will not consider retiree recalls and Sergeant Major Course graduates who have not been selected for promotion to sergeant major.

For full details outlined in the Milper message, click here.

Dailey said he’s confident this all-in system will stimulate the NCO corps and help the Army identify the best people for the right jobs.

"This sergeant major believes there are some very talented people out there," he said. "I want to reinvigorate everybody to want to serve. That’s the culture I want to drive, and by looking at 100 percent of the population, there’s a better chance you’ll get the best qualified people in the right positions."