What criteria do you think matters most in how NCOs get selected for promotion ahead of their peers?

Well I would like to state that it took me a long time to make SFC I wore SSG for 9 years and I read every AAR after the board and took on the so called hard assignments meaning that I've been to Korea 3 time and my ncoers were 1/1 so I dint understand what the board members were looking at...and I had a college degree and was an instructor for my perspective MOS...so go figure....I don't agree with the promotion system

When I was an NCO, I read every AAR for all the enlisted ranks after every board, and I did this every year. The priorities change because the board members change. What was a plus last year, may not be a plus this year. The best thing to do is to diversify. I know it is hard to do and sometime out of your hands, but try. Awards, schooling, both military and civilian, and the best NCOER you can make. I know if you are not a 1/1 that is a disadvantage, and get someone or two to read it before you sign it. Strong success are just as equal as an excellent, and board members know this. Try to find the hard assignments. If you have to apply, then it's worth it. And Photo, get that thing done, in ASU's not Class A's.

I received a "needs improvement" under competence on my NCOER in 2008. Five years later on my fifth look I made the cutoff. I believe the board sees how an NCO improves throughout their career and make decisions on the potential the NCO has from how the NCO performs.

I went over the AAR comments every year following the SFC and MSG boards and just usually ended up shaking my head due to the fact that I had "hit" everything that the board said they were looking for. I was a SSG for just shy of 9 years and know that it was at least 3 years longer due to my first 2 NOCERs while a recruiter, my SR 3/3 blocked me because I wasn't the USAREC ideal recruiter. As a SFC, I ended up retiring due to RCP and had 11-years TIG; now I could understand had been a less than stellar performer at any point during my time as a SFC, but this is far from the truth. Looking over the AAR comments and even the across the board breakdowns of who was selected, I could "tick off" all of the areas that seemed to have gotten others selected; the only conclusion I could draw after looking at all this info, and also looking at some of the individuals getting selected was that I had gotten to the point where I had too much TIS for the boards to select me as I would give them "less bang for the buck" than someone who had half as much TIS than I did. I hit all the right progression marks: PSG time, staff time (both of these in garrison and in combat), specialty time as an Instructor in the Armor School, 3 years rated time in/as a MSG while Training Committee NCOIC and as Operations NCOIC in Kuwait. All I know is that sometimes you can do everything that you are "told" to do and still not be selected......

I think being in a position above your grade and getting rated time for it is key. Not a bullet on your NCOER as a SFC saying that you filled in as the 1SG while he was on leave, but actually getting the opportunity to be a 1SG. Excell in that position and get 1-2 annual NCOERs rated as an actual 1SG. And like SGM Brainard said. SR rater comments will make or break you.

Duty Performance out weighs everything IMO. College, Military schooling and awards earn the +/ - , but the way you perform your job makes the difference. I think the new NCOER will give deserving NCOs due justice.

I look at them every year to see what the the board was looking at more. I then ask my NCOIC to look at my ERB and OMPF to ensure that I have not looked over anything. I take a DA Photo every year. I just wonder if the board can determine if a NCOER was written bad because of negative bias towards a Soldier.

I think that the entire system is ridiculous, at least for SFC.  Once a year, less than a handful of our highest ranking get together and go through thousands of people who they don't know and have probably never seen perform and decide who should be promoted to the next rank based off of their ERB, photo, and what some evaluations say that they probably wrote themselves at least 80% of the time.