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In an era of candidate packet anonymity what purpose does the DA photo serve?
I recently updated my DA photo for the upcoming CPT Board. I’m OK with that. I like to dress up in bling, but as a Reservist getting a DA Photo can be a pain; from the month long appointment wait, and the hour long drive (in the middle of a working day) to the location for what is a Photo that doesn’t seem to serve a purpose other than to prove I own an ASU, and wear it correctly relative to my ORB.
The Board File will have all candidate GO/NO-GO documents with iPerm validation supporting it summarized on their ORB. OER’s will hopefully provide a visibility to the review board the soldier’s performance (for good or bad), and flags will be visible. So why the photo.
Now, I ask this with a quasi serious curiosity. So I already might have my answer. While looking up contact information on another officer via AKO I found his profile picture used was his DA photo. He had a glaring error on his ASU, and had DOUBLE branch sleeve braid on each cuff (like the Navy rank of an O3). So obviously, such a photo might cause a review board to pick apart his ORB and supporting documentation.
I recently updated my DA photo for the upcoming CPT Board. I’m OK with that. I like to dress up in bling, but as a Reservist getting a DA Photo can be a pain; from the month long appointment wait, and the hour long drive (in the middle of a working day) to the location for what is a Photo that doesn’t seem to serve a purpose other than to prove I own an ASU, and wear it correctly relative to my ORB.
The Board File will have all candidate GO/NO-GO documents with iPerm validation supporting it summarized on their ORB. OER’s will hopefully provide a visibility to the review board the soldier’s performance (for good or bad), and flags will be visible. So why the photo.
Now, I ask this with a quasi serious curiosity. So I already might have my answer. While looking up contact information on another officer via AKO I found his profile picture used was his DA photo. He had a glaring error on his ASU, and had DOUBLE branch sleeve braid on each cuff (like the Navy rank of an O3). So obviously, such a photo might cause a review board to pick apart his ORB and supporting documentation.
Posted in these groups: 
DA Photo
DA Photo
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 7
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BLUF: To make sure you know how to put a uniform together, and to make sure you're not a fat piece of shit...
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LTC Jason Mackay
Fat. Check. I think there is an unintended factory floor vs show room floor aspect. Good hair ? BDE Command. No? Bowels of a J staff.
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LTC (Join to see)
I once knew a CPT who was a fat piece of shit, didn't even have his name tag on his ASU in his DA photo and still got picked up for MAJ......
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I've always felt the photo was subjective and superfluous. OERs were opinions. The ORB was hard data--facts.
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CPT (Join to see) If you were on that subject’s profile, did you alert him to the errors?
Akin to the cooperate and graduate style that is often spoken of?
Akin to the cooperate and graduate style that is often spoken of?
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CPT (Join to see)
No, no I did not. He is a complete stranger. I have made ASU corrections in the past in person for those I know (both above and below my rank), and they never seems to go anywhere (must be a Reserve thing). So I balked and didn't point out this random stranger's uniform error I found on an AKO profile (was looking to contact him based on a successful project I read about in an article, but then decided to find another contact based on his DA Photo).
Which could be an entirely different topic: Judging those with ate up uniforms, or mismatched ribbons or stripes that beg a question (i.e. SPC with 5 service stripes, soldier with Deployment badge without supporting GWOT or Campaign ribbons). A Company commander I had wore mismatched branch colors (shoulder didn't match cuffs), and his branch insignia on his lapel were pointed in different directions (I actually spoke up to him about it).
Seems folks are getting promoted anyway, and an ate up DA Photo isn't stopping anything. So why is it important I plan to take half a day off work a month in the future to drive an hour to take a photo that in the end really doesn't seem to have an impact. Even more annoying is I just can't get the photo at any military photo lab. I had to call three facilities to find the one that would take me.
Which could be an entirely different topic: Judging those with ate up uniforms, or mismatched ribbons or stripes that beg a question (i.e. SPC with 5 service stripes, soldier with Deployment badge without supporting GWOT or Campaign ribbons). A Company commander I had wore mismatched branch colors (shoulder didn't match cuffs), and his branch insignia on his lapel were pointed in different directions (I actually spoke up to him about it).
Seems folks are getting promoted anyway, and an ate up DA Photo isn't stopping anything. So why is it important I plan to take half a day off work a month in the future to drive an hour to take a photo that in the end really doesn't seem to have an impact. Even more annoying is I just can't get the photo at any military photo lab. I had to call three facilities to find the one that would take me.
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SGM Jeff Mccloud
I think you answered your own question here: you sought out someone on AKO for their input, and having seen their effed up ASUs, you determined they might not having anything intelligent to contribute and moved on.
People looking at DA photos do that every day.
To cover a few of your anecdotes, a SPC in the reserve component could very well have 5 service stripes (15 years) but would not have a DA photo. Someone with a CSIB may have been waiting on paperwork for a GWOTEM, and could have been on a deployment with no campaign medal authorized.
Yes, folks get promoted with a bad DA photo, or an old one, or none.
Because good company grade officers resign, making more room for the less than stellar to promote.
Is a DA photo appt in the reserve components an inconvenience? Sure, everything about the reserve component is an inconvenience for anyone with a job. Truth be told, it was an inconvenience on active duty, just a shorter drive.
But the DA photo is a regulatory requirement, and not just for the DA board.
Commanders and rating chains often look at DA photos for OERs or consideration for positions, command, staff and otherwise.
You could probably promote without a DA photo, but you would also be relegated to that same group that you are talking about; people that have no photo or an effed up uniform, indicative of more shortcomings that someone may not want to gamble on for a command or position of higher responsibility.
People looking at DA photos do that every day.
To cover a few of your anecdotes, a SPC in the reserve component could very well have 5 service stripes (15 years) but would not have a DA photo. Someone with a CSIB may have been waiting on paperwork for a GWOTEM, and could have been on a deployment with no campaign medal authorized.
Yes, folks get promoted with a bad DA photo, or an old one, or none.
Because good company grade officers resign, making more room for the less than stellar to promote.
Is a DA photo appt in the reserve components an inconvenience? Sure, everything about the reserve component is an inconvenience for anyone with a job. Truth be told, it was an inconvenience on active duty, just a shorter drive.
But the DA photo is a regulatory requirement, and not just for the DA board.
Commanders and rating chains often look at DA photos for OERs or consideration for positions, command, staff and otherwise.
You could probably promote without a DA photo, but you would also be relegated to that same group that you are talking about; people that have no photo or an effed up uniform, indicative of more shortcomings that someone may not want to gamble on for a command or position of higher responsibility.
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