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Command Post What is this?
Posted on Mar 30, 2016
CSM Battalion Command Sergeant Major
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CSM Richard StCyr
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Sounds like a good system. The rater profile reminds me of the struggle the BC's used to have with racking and stacking the officers and balancing who was really top notch compared to just good, so when they picked the best they actually were.
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CSM Bn Ssa
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This was a great read. I do like the way the evals have changed, but the units have failed in properly instructing their NCO's on these changes. We cannot just email a PowerPoint that is pretty basic to everyone and say there you go you have been informed. The only issue I have so far since I've written about 8 using this new form is that there is now less room for writing bullets. A standard 2 line bullet on the old 2166 now turns to three lines on the new form. So you barely have room to formulate informative bullet comments. I know it will just take some getting used to but it has definitely been a challenge for me and my peers so far this year. But overall I applaud the changes in the way we are rated against each other. It should definitely help with all this NCOER inflation. Now we just need a way to fix our awards system and I'll be happy for a while.
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SSG Robert Webster
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This is all well and good if it works. I can fully understand why this needs to succeed, but an additional area will need to be fixed in the near future that can have an impact on this is the awards system and how it is implemented. An example that is well worn in some units where two soldiers one a SSG and one a SFC holding the same position as a platoon sergeant (same type of platoon) and the SFC is awarded a Bronze Star and the SSG is awarded either an ARCOM or nothing at all; and both met the same objectives and completed the mission at the same level. Then that SSG is told that he did not get a Bronze Star because it is unit policy that SFC and above get that award.
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COL Vincent Stoneking
COL Vincent Stoneking
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SFC (Join to see) - While stated in different terms than I would use, I think you have the essence of the new NCOER "top block" correct. It is the same as the logic that the OER system has used in one flavor or another for at least my entire career. Most recently, they expanded the "top block" limitation to OER raters (it had been just senior raters).

In the end, there can be only so many "stellar" NCOs for rating purposes. In fact, there can be just under one in four. As MAJ (Join to see) has rightly pointed out in other discussions, and here, this does mean that TIMING and profile management will have a lot to do with who gets them.

This implies, and should drive, greater though in the dispensing of ratings. Whether it does, and what form it takes, remains to be seen. Do you just watch your profile, and give an ACOM to whomever needs a rating at just the right time? Do you purposely give less than the maximum number of ACOMs you could, so that you have a cushion for when you really WANT to give one to a Soldier? Do you believe that if 24% is the "max" that it should also be the "min"? Are you rating people against their peers, or the entire Army population? There are a lot of things that senior NCOs and Junior Officers will need to become fairly sophisticated at thinking about regarding NCOER and their philosophies. Because this is how the OER system has been, I have opinions on all the above, but I know peers that have come to different opinions.
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SFC Automations Ncoic
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Seen that one too many times where a Ssg is not awarded a BSM when the majority of SFCs and above are blanketed BSMs. Stings when you know you poured your heart and soul into a deployment and end up with the same award as the junior leader meanwhile the SFC managing the MWR tent gets the higher award...
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CSM Bn Ssa
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Lol that's funny, this was one of my first thoughts as well. Now that we revamped NCOERs lets go after the awards system as well.
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SA Daryl Foster
SA Daryl Foster
7 y
Thanks for the lengthy response. I will be presenting aspects of it in class tonight. https://happywheels2.io
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Understanding the new NCOER
LTC Paul Labrador
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As an officer, the new NCOER actually looks more "familiar" as it's more in line with how OERs are done. As far as the distribution of block ratings, that is just going to take time for the new culture to take affect like it did when they tightened OER blocks. A COM with strongly worded rater comments is a good eval. COM with meh comments is not. And board members are saavy enough to distinguish between the two.
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CSM Battalion Command Sergeant Major
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Indeed. Officers went though this same process about 6 years ago. It could have been before that, but I honestly didn't pay any attention to how they did their evaluations. Also, and I may be committing a grave sin here, but EES is not a very user friendly system. Adding delegates and giving them the right permissions. Having to do everything in Word and then copying it in because the system kicks you out every 3 minutes. These are all software things that we need to get fixed,
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COL Vincent Stoneking
COL Vincent Stoneking
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CSM (Join to see) - Officers have had this at the Senior Rater level for at least my career. With varying degrees of rigor. A few years back, it was imposed at the rater level as well. To be clear, I approve, and would make the ACOM [whatever they call it today] % lower.

EES sucks.
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
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COL Vincent Stoneking - Totally concur that EES sucks.....
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CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
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CSM (Join to see) You did a great job of explaining the system. The shock effect on the troops used to getting top ratings would be interesting. Finally, leaders need to start being frank, honest and direct.
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MAJ FAO - Europe
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Great comments. I hope your enthusiasm and positive attitude reflects the future, but I worry that the forced distribution, as with OERs, now makes timing, rater and senior rater profiles, and whether or not an NCO gets an MQ box check more important than actual performance and potential. After all, boards spend so little time evaluating files for promotion and retention that all board members really have time for is a quick glance at box checks (or so I've heard).

I also think situations you describe with disappointed NCOs is about to exponentially increase across the force. I'd guess there aren't many first sergeants or SGMs or CSMs serving today that have ever received less than top block NCOERs, and that our senior NCOs are in for a massive period of adjustment. Hopefully they are like you and grasp the concept that very, very few folks at any rank in any unit will be receiving a top block NCOER, and that this is ok.
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CSM Battalion Command Sergeant Major
CSM (Join to see)
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I think your concerns are valid. I seriously hope that this new system FORCES raters and senior raters to conduct counseling. In both of the instances I gave where the rated NCO was upset over the evaluation they were not properly counseled. Yes, they had the right counseling dates on their old NCO counseling checklist, but nobody looked them in the eye and said, "I senior rate three NCOs in your grade. You are number three of three and here is why".

Senior raters will have to really manage their profiles carefully. Generally if there is a post-platoon leader 1LT working as the assistant to the assistant plans officer, he is not going to get a ACOM from the senior rater unless he or she is so hot they are setting the standard for everybody. The board understands, and the rated officer should, that this is not a KD position. Put that same 1LT as a company XO and the ACOM becomes that much more important and we can hope that the Senior Rater has managed his or her profile so that those who are deserving get that ACOM.

We have to do the same thing on the NCO side of the house.

Where it is going to hurt everybody in the Army is the SFC level. A Company Commander will, at the time he or she takes command, have likely senior rated ZERO Sergeants First Class. He will likely be able to only give ONE MOST QUALIFIED during his entire time in command. Does that mean that is the only guy or gay who will be selected for Master Sergeant? No, because the Army will still require Master Sergeants.

It is going to be a difficult process, but I am going to remain optimistic.
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MAJ FAO - Europe
MAJ (Join to see)
>1 y
You're on to something: counseling is important, not just for junior enlisted, and counseling is rarely, if ever, done (not done correctly, I mean it is just rarely ever done, period).

I agree with what you say about SFCs, but I think this probably applies to just about all ranks. That new brigade commander probably has never senior-rated CSMs before, and in a 5-battalion brigade, over the course of a 48-month brigade command, the brigade commander will be able to give, what, two MQs. That's 7-9 CSMs in that brigade who are going to walk away without a top block on their bn csm NCOER. That's tough news.
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TSgt David L.
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Its good to know that the USAF isn't the only service that thinks rewriting the evaluation will somehow make it better.
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CSM Battalion Command Sergeant Major
CSM (Join to see)
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I will have to claim total ignorance when it comes to how the USAF does evaluations. The Army, instead of just changing things around on a form, took the approach of tying the evaluation to our doctrine. What will make this a success or a complete failure is: effective counseling and the rated NCO owning their support form.
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TSgt David L.
TSgt David L.
>1 y
CSM (Join to see) - You aren't the only one who can claim ignorance. It (enlisted eval form/process) seems to change with the wind sometimes. They try to deflate the system (Calling the NE Patriots!! LOL) only to have it go back to the inflated process.
Like you have said, it is HOW it is used and whether the standards are met.
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SSG Derrick L. Lewis MBA, C-HRM
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CSM (Join to see) ,
Thanks for the informative post and share!
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MSG Mechanic 2nd
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as a former leader i can say this sucks, but in the new reshaping i can see the view get the best and forget the rest
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SGT Sales Manager
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Sergeant Major, I am at BLC right now and I am slaying my requirements. However, TRADOC has not pushed any training on this new NCOER system. This is frustrating as I have been a Sergeant in the Army Reserve for a year and while it took time to get to this school, my thoughts were that more than anything I would be able to take away training on how the NCOER system works. MY SGLs were kind enough to teach the class a little bit about the system as a sort of, "we want you to know but you cant take it as the TRADOC Standard of training." I feel like based on what I have learned about the new system, it makes it a lot harder to "Fluff" a Rating. However, my response more than anything is in the form of a question.

Why has the army rolled out a new system but not rolled out training in the NCO schools?
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SGT Sales Manager
SGT (Join to see)
>1 y
Also, thank you for expanding on it from your position. It helps me understand it from "the other side of the table" perspective.
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CSM Battalion Command Sergeant Major
CSM (Join to see)
>1 y
I can't answer for what the USAR did (or in this case did not do), but on the active side there was a requirement for everybody to get a LPD on the new system. If you go to the HRC main page there are links to the training that the AC side of the house took.

Why haven't the schools implemented training on this? What would you like them to cut out in order to teach this class? They only have so many contact hours in the POI and somebody at USASMA (they own the POI for BLC) has determined that other subjects are more important.

Culturally this new system is going to cause a lot of growing pains. A senior rater can ONLY give 24% of the NCOs he or she senior rates a "MOST QUALIFIED". Officers can still give 49% of them a "Top Block".

I would suggest you spend a lot of time at the HRC site and download the training slides. Also get on there and fill out your support form.
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