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2015 Army SGM Promotion Results

Army SGM Promotion Selection After Action Report 10 December 2015

The FY15 USASMA Training and Selection, TPU/DIMA CSM and lSG/MSG QSP
Boards convened at the DA Secretariat, Fort Knox, Kentucky on 09 September 2015, to
select the best qualified noncommissioned officers for the purpose of promotion to
Sergeant Major (SGM) and eligible lSG/MSG for denial of continued service.

The board selected eligible candidates for involuntary separation from active duty IAW
AR 600-8-19 and DAPE-MPE-PD, 2 September 2015. The board also screened packets
on Soldiers refeITed to it under the Standby Advisory Board (STAB) process and
conducted a Qualitative Management Program (QMP) Board.

Board Issues and Observations.
The Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report (NCOER).
(1) Discussion: Enumeration of Rated NCOs. Senior raters consistently enumerating the
rated NCO against a “like” population was extremely helpful in identifying the strongest
NCOs across the different CMFs. The consistent use of enumeration or rankings helps
in the use of the “whole person” concept when evaluating for potential for higher service.
Also, enumerating statements appeared more influential than block checks given the
overall inflation of those fields.

(2) Recommendation: Senior raters should continue to provide clear and unambiguous
enumeration to assist board members in the process of identifying the best qualified
NCOs.

Repetitive rater and senior rater comments on multiple NCOERs.
General observation of rated NCOs receiving two or more consecutive evaluations from
the same rater and senior rater with the exact comments. It was easily recognizable that
the rater and senior rater failed to change the verbiage from the previous report. This
gross oversight has the potential to reflect negatively on the rated individual, the rater,
and the senior rater.

Furthermore, actions of this nature have the potential to make it difficult for board
members to obtain a true assessment of the rated individual’s performance & potential.

Recommendation: In situations where the rating chains have remained intact for
multiple evaluations, all parties involved should focus on the current rating period and
provide appropriate comments.

The Enlisted Record Brief (ERB).
Discussion: The ERB is a snapshot of a Soldier’s current state of readiness,
experience, accomplishments and credentials, reflecting a compilation of all
documentation in the Soldier’s file. A large number of ERBs clearly contained inaccurate
information, which may indicate the Soldier has not updated their records before the
board. Many ERBs showed multiple duty title entries of, “Known Loss,” or “Incoming
Personnel.” Both entries are distractors in an otherwise high quality file, and can
absolutely cause negative connotations for a board member considering a file with
multiple other distractors.

Recommendation: NCOs being considered for promotion must place emphasis on
updating their ERB in preparation for the board. The ERB and Almy Military Human
Resource Record (AMHRR) should mirror each other as much as possible; Military
Education, Awards & Decorations, and Civilian Education must be supported with
documentation in the AMHRR. NCOs must take a proactive approach to update their
records regularly. ERBs must correlate to the NCOERs in terms of duty description and
time in position. A clear assignment history listing accurate duty positions provides the
board a means to evaluate progression and assignment to key developmental positions.

The DA Photo.
(1) Discussion: The DA Photo represents the first impression of the NCO to the board
and is a vital part of the selection process. NC Os are responsible for ensuring that a
quality photo is on file that projects the best professional military appearance. Board files
lacking a DA photo or with an outdated photo with incorrect rank and/or poor fitting
uniform failed to portray a complete record.

(2) Recommendation: Army Regulation 640-30 requires Soldiers to take a photograph
within 60 days after promotion or as needed for centralized promotion boards. NCOs
need to be proactive in ensuring that their battle buddy or leadership inspects their
uniforms prior to scheduling a DA Photo for proper fit and assembly of the uniform.

Download Complete After Action Report2015 SGM Promotion ListCover Memo