Can a soldier be forced to attend an Audie Murphy board?

All due respect, but are you kidding me? Adapting under pressure and meeting challenges are both major parts of our job! The fact that someone being introduced as a "good NCO" doesn't want to do that job at the risk of "making a fool out of himself" doesn't sit well. Do what you can, train as much as you can, and at least give an effort.

I retired after 23 years as a SFC. The only boards I ever attended were the ones necessary for promotion. Boards do not make you a good leader, they prove you can memorize shit out of a book. Nothing more. While i respect the Soldiers that have completed the Audie Murphy board, I hold no value to it when it comes to leadership. I met WAAYYY too many Audie Murphy NCOs that I would not trust with leading Soldiers. Were there some good ones too? Of course, but boards dont prove shit.

I helped a SST study for the Audie Murphy board. But he had quite a while to study.
They are correct, it's not just about knowing all of the correct answers, it's more along the lines of how you conduct yourself while infront of the board. There a SGT Acres in my unit when I was just an E2 Private. He was telling us about his E5 board. A CSM asked him why he wanted to be a Sergeant, his reply was this" Well SGM, it's one step closer to taking your job". The CSM liked that response. A positve attitude goes a long way. Keep your head up, if you aren't, then look confident.
While I was an E3, I was addressed as a Sergeant once. It was the way I was carrying myself, and how clean cut I was. If you want the part, act like it.

What is an "Audie Murphy" board? I remember getting 30 days notice that I was a candidate for Ft. Deven's Sergeant of the Month in 1965. Depending on the board and/or school, 30 days was customary but the 7th Army NCO Academy candidates usually got 60 days notice.

Not knowing anything about the soldier being sent, could simply be a test for a future position as PLT SGT or to better his chances for making SFC as a "checked block" that another SSG doesn't have to make him stick-out. Thus putting him above the rest....
We know absolutely nothing with regards to his past board status, when and which ones he last attended, or what his NCOER lacks for promotion potential.
Could have been he simply did not want the award, wasn't prepared. Then again, could have been the soldier was the best select from the NCO's under the 1SG's tenure? There are a myriad of reasons...
Since I was never one to be a board weenie (only attended one, my promotion to SGT, not a single SOM board!) I could have cared less about another thing on my chest or adorned around my neck as some NCOs with 8-10 AAMs would show from their attendance.
Boards don't make you a "solid" NCO, or even a well-rounded one, just a book worm. Recent wars can prove that one hands-down with leadership and management of troops under fire and pressure! I earned plenty of awards prior to being medically retired pre 9/11 - a feat in itself having taken to the PEB board and winning in person.
Did not attending boards keep me from obtaining rank, earning awards and garner higher positions held by others whom couldn't handle, make me any less of a leader/mentor, nope! Folks should think objectively and potentially with regards to a career enhancement for the troop.
That said, on the flip-side of the coin, if the CMD is just trying to look good having sent a soldier, classless move dumbasses! Unit preparedness is obviously not being considered here and would show with this task as these boards don't just pop-up on a training schedule. This used to be a highly garnered award some 20+ years ago, so units would only send their best "boardee" and the Sr. NCOs would meticulously prepare them.
As previously mentioned, there are normally precursors to attending this board, so before just dropping this statement out, would have been nice to have more info, and not a guessing game... Too many unknowns!

Please don't take a "protective mother role" and help him succeed (however form that will need to take form).

The bottom line here isn't that the SSG doesn't want to go to the board, it's that he feels 8 days notice isn't enough prep time to make an acceptable showing at the board. The fact that his leadership doesn't care says a lot more about THEIR character (or lack thereof) than it does about his.

If as a leader, you're not going to give a subordinate sufficient time to complete a requirement, and tell them to suck it up anyway, YOU are the problem.

Yes. He's a soldier. He can be compelled to attend, if under orders to attend. However, he cannot be compelled to compete, in my humble opinion.

Yes as the previous comment stated, "Someone thinks enough of his potential to give the NCO a shot." Go for it nothing ventured nothing gained!

I dislike mandatory events that should be at the SM's discretion.
That said, I went to every board I could get nominated to. I wanted the opportunity to go up against those who considered themselves the best and worked to be ready for boards.

I can see why some would not, there's always the " asskisser" factor. There's always some stress, the thing is to turn that into eustress and make it work in your favor ensuring your preparation is as good as you can make it.

AFAIK, the USMC doesn't have anything like an Audie Murphy Board, or Club. But Promotion boards, Marine of the Month, Quarter, Year boards at whatever level, even W.O. boards are all valuable experiences if you'll just go in with the right mindset. Which is harder to achieve if you've been voluntold to go.