I was just promoted to E6. Which would be more career enhancing - A broadening assignment (drill/recruiter) or volunteer for a deployment?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:37:19 -0400

I just got promoted to SSG and want to prepare for E7 for when the time and years come. I have two options:

Volunteer for a deployment.
Or
Volunteer for drill sergeant or recruiter.

Which choice do you think will help my career the most, and why?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2025 1:54 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:54:05 -0400

A Deployment will help. It helped me. Going to being a DS Cadre is not bad either.
A Deployment in a Battalion S3 Staff is helpful unless you like being an SOG.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Apr 1 at 2025 2:05 PM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:05:51 -0400

Both will help in making you a well rounded leader and eventually you will need to check both boxes. It isn't binary. You don't pick one and never pick the other.

The best way to get real world experience and application in your MOS would be a deployment. Being proficient in your primary MOS should be a given expectation but it is something that so many leaders neglect.

Independent Duty/Broadening Assignment is something else that works that different muscle. It pushes you in new/different ways and it will most definitely put you above your peers if you excel but it will also out you in a position to fail if you don't rise to meet the challenge.

Both are important for their separate reasons and both have their unique challenges and rewards.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2025 2:13 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:13:08 -0400

I'd say to go for the deployment. Especially with a unit where you can get your KD time in first. Then, go for the broadening assignment of Drill Sergeant.

Response by COL Randall C. made Apr 1 at 2025 2:56 PM

COL Randall C. — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:56:38 -0400

** EDIT ** I noticed I linked to the wrong brief previously (fixed now).

I assume the heart of your question is, “What assignment will move me closer to being evaluated as ‘Most Qualified’ by a SFC Evaluation Board.” I would recommend that you have this conversation with your Career Counselor because the only applicable answer is "It depends.”

In GENERAL, your principal focus should always be to ensure you have those critical developmental positions taken care of first. Broadening assignments & deployments are differentiators while CDs are eliminators. In other words, if you don’t have successful time in CD positions, at best you’ll likely been seen as “fully qualified” by the SFC Evaluation Board (and likely on the lower end of FQ).

One of the key feedback items from the latest SFC Evaluation Board is that “Extended periods of time in broadening assignments without service in Critical Development (CD) positions .. reflected negatively on the rated NCO.”

Is the position you’ll hold if you deploy a Critical Development assignment? According to the MP Branch, the CD assignments for a SSG are Squad Leader, SFAB (Police Advisor), Operations Sergeant, PSD NCO, MP Investigator NCO, and Desk Sergeant. If you’d deploy as any of those assignments, I’d jump on it instead of taking a Broadening Assignment.

I would recommend that you look over the 31B Development Model* (slide 2) as well as the latest guidelines that were given to the HRC Evaluation Boards (slides 3-6) of what a ‘Most Qualified’ and ‘Highly Qualified’ Soldier looks like.

After that, have the conversation with your Career Counselor.
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* CMF 31 Talent Development Model & Guidance to Evaluation Boards - https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2023/08/09/fdb03ce5/cmf-31-board-products-8-aug-23.pdf

cmf-31-board-products-8-aug-23.pdf

Response by A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney made Apr 4 at 2025 3:56 PM

A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 15:56:55 -0400

~ SGT CHRISTIAN RIVERA ~
From My Point Of View, Unless I Happen To Have Less Information Than I Need,
Your Decision Is Simple ~~ "Which Do YOU Want To Do"?
If You Do Otherwise I Can Guarantee You'll Always Wonder; "What If"?
And You'll Never Know For Sure. ~ YOUR CHOICE ~ Choose It.

Response by COL John McClellan made Apr 4 at 2025 4:01 PM

COL John McClellan — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:01:14 -0400

Do you have time as a Squad Leader in your primary MOS? I would start there - and discuss it with your Enlisted Advisor in the unit, or, at branch. If you are branch qualified at E-6 and have what your career field considers the benchmark for "green tabs," then you can look at broadening assignments.