Posted on Sep 27, 2017
What can be done to a Soldier who refuses to study for the board because he will be ETSing next year?
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Posted in these groups: 
Promotion Board
Promotion Board
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 67
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I will guess that this is being driven by your senior leadership. For the life of me, I never understood why Soldiers who clearly did not want to go to the board were pressured into going. I think it is a very bad idea. The Soldier stated they are going to ETS. That should be the end of the discussion. It should be a simple matter to put that on a counseling statement. "You are not being recommended for the promotion board at this time because you have stated you do not have a desire to become a Noncommissioned Officer". If they change their mind, about ETS then reevaluate at that time. The Soldier is an adult and should be treated as such. They said they don't want to go and they are getting out. That's cool, they need to live with that.
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SGT David T.
SGM Erik Marquez - Money isn't the only factor. Overall happiness was the big one for me.
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SPC Gabriel Bregg
This was exactly me. I went back in at 33 for my own reasons, knew I was doing 3 and out. Got back from deployment with about 9 months left, had to do WLC. Luckily my CoC (other than our CSM) knew there was no way I was staying in. Why waste a promotion slot on a guy who knows he's out?
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SPC (Join to see)
SGT David T. They tried to get me to go to the board with 6 months left. My 1SG called me in and said he I was slotted for E5 board and I replied thanks for the offer 1SG but not going to re enlist so use this slot for another soldier. 1SG replied thanks for your honesty will do. That was the end of the conversation.
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I really don't understand the CoC reasoning for pushing this SM into something he is not willing to put effort in it. Wouldn't it be better to get the ones more interested in advancement?
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Refuses?
Other than counsel him to consider all options, ETS might be the plan today, but plans change .. If next year the plan changes to stay in, would he rather stay in as his current rank or be set for or already promoted to the next higher one having studied and killed the promotion board.
Perhaps he has a well planned goal post service and its not apathy, but well intentioned focus on the goal?
If not that, and he just is not interested in considering / planning for the future.. Make sure he hears the concerns and move on.
Other than counsel him to consider all options, ETS might be the plan today, but plans change .. If next year the plan changes to stay in, would he rather stay in as his current rank or be set for or already promoted to the next higher one having studied and killed the promotion board.
Perhaps he has a well planned goal post service and its not apathy, but well intentioned focus on the goal?
If not that, and he just is not interested in considering / planning for the future.. Make sure he hears the concerns and move on.
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SGM Erik Marquez
SGT Eric Knutson - I think we agree,, but again,,, knowing the Sm is what gets you there.
They are adults after all, so inform, even pressure perhaps knowing there is no down side and likely a benefit.
But it goes both ways, when the SM says he is spending all his free time studying for his MCATS while taking 6 semester hours as well trying to get as far in his degree needs as he can before he gets out. Id be hard pressed to tell that SM, he would be better off taking a semester off and study for the Promotion board.
They are adults after all, so inform, even pressure perhaps knowing there is no down side and likely a benefit.
But it goes both ways, when the SM says he is spending all his free time studying for his MCATS while taking 6 semester hours as well trying to get as far in his degree needs as he can before he gets out. Id be hard pressed to tell that SM, he would be better off taking a semester off and study for the Promotion board.
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SGT Eric Knutson
SGM Erik Marquez - The only boards I remember taking more than about a week to practice for were for the Div SM / NCO of the year. My promotion boards both, I only had about a week to prep for. and that was mostly so you could get your uniform cleaned and ready (and no, we were not allowed to use Mae Su at the laundrymat haha). but it was no biggie since the questions were about things we are supposed to know anyway, we applied the "hit it and get it" approach. BTW 200 both times 1st try each.
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SGT Eric Knutson
SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM - not disagreeing with you in the least. I remember my ETS procedures and I was NOT really ready for the outside world, but I understand things have gotten much better in the last 22 years as well
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Not a damn thing. To require a troop to study for the board who is more interested in leaving the service would be throwing away some other motivated troop's opportunity to move up in rank. Waste of time; waste of council; waste of money. Old saying goes that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
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Do nothing.
If he wants to stay at his current rank, let him. I'm sure there is another soldier that would love to get that promotion.
Also, if he did go to the board, pass it and get promoted, he would likely still ETS. You would then have an empty slot that has to be filled. So why not cut out the middle step and promote someone that actually wants to be promoted?
If he wants to stay at his current rank, let him. I'm sure there is another soldier that would love to get that promotion.
Also, if he did go to the board, pass it and get promoted, he would likely still ETS. You would then have an empty slot that has to be filled. So why not cut out the middle step and promote someone that actually wants to be promoted?
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SGM Erik Marquez
I would hope a CoC and NCO support channel would not have said SM appear before the board as the SM has announced they do not intend to apply them selfs to it..
There is NO requirement to board someone, nor promote.. Simply a requirement to tell them why you are not.
There is NO requirement to board someone, nor promote.. Simply a requirement to tell them why you are not.
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SSG Grant Hansen
SGM Erik Marquez - I had been to many boards when I was active duty and done very well. My SGM was looking for another good showing in the next round of boards and decided I could make him look good, so he called on me to do it. However, I was 6 months from ETS and had already been accepted at both a university and in a 12B Guard unit and had no desire to take part in his dog and pony show. Furthermore, the Special Forces had come to my base and were looking for office jockey like myself to act as civilians they would train for 2 weeks then engage in a mock battle against. This sounded like a blast to me and I also felt the training would be a good thing to have going from an office job to a combat engineer job.
The SGM was adamant that I would go to the board and I point blank told him I was not going to win and that he should get someone else so I could attend the SF training. He still made me go and sent someone that would have rather been at the board to the training.
The day of the board I intentionally missed half the questions, had my ribbons out of order, and the button on my pocket was upside down.
Needless to say, I came in dead last
It just goes to show that sometimes leadership does stupid things.
The SGM was adamant that I would go to the board and I point blank told him I was not going to win and that he should get someone else so I could attend the SF training. He still made me go and sent someone that would have rather been at the board to the training.
The day of the board I intentionally missed half the questions, had my ribbons out of order, and the button on my pocket was upside down.
Needless to say, I came in dead last
It just goes to show that sometimes leadership does stupid things.
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SGM Erik Marquez
SSG Grant Hansen - Absolutely, not immune to it, just as sometimes Soldiers decide on selfish service , not selfless as they swore to maintain.
In your case, its sounds like perhaps that selfish was being rocked by the leader....It happens.
In your case, its sounds like perhaps that selfish was being rocked by the leader....It happens.
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SFC Christopher Taggart
Re: '...BS E5 jobs' Sir, I was given BS E6 jobs when I was an E5...that didn't work. LOL
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Let the Soldier prepare for civilian life: ACAP, take civilian education rather than study for the board, make a solid plan for his future. If you're giving the Soldier time during the duty day to study, sure.. Than you could make him study for that, but beyond that you could counsel sm for refusal to study during duty day.
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Leave him alone. Do not WASTE a slot on someone, who is not going to stay. You can't force leadership on someone who doesn't want it, and will not be around.
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