Posted on Apr 1, 2025
I was just promoted to E6. Which would be more career enhancing - A broadening assignment (drill/recruiter) or volunteer for a deployment?
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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?
Volunteer for a deployment.
Or
Volunteer for drill sergeant or recruiter.
Which choice do you think will help my career the most, and why?
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Posted 2 mo ago
Responses: 6
** 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
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.
--------------------------------------------------------
* 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
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CSM William Everroad
COL Randall C. I am about tired of seeing these posts after you. You steal pretty much everything I would say.
Props for a well-rounded, doctrine-grounded response though.
Props for a well-rounded, doctrine-grounded response though.
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SGM Mikel Dawson
I concur with COL Cudworth. Getting the CD is on top of the plate. I can't improve his advice.
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CAPT Kevin B.
Services over regulates and creates a jigsaw puzzle of assignments that somehow should work; maybe. Just because you do a broadening assignment, it doesn't mean you become broadened in the way that matters. Same goes for the other stuff. When it comes down to it, promotion at SNCO levels is about picking the best leaders, mission accomplishment types, that bring their people home alive and ready to replace you. The board precepts tend to dilute the goal by the process. But it does tend to help weed out the Lower 1/3rd. Pedigree stuff is the skating short program. You need to demonstrate your excellence in the long program. That said, I hope things haven't gone down the drain since I was sitting promotion, continuation, and command boards.
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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.
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.
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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.
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
As I Stated And Still Firmly Believe, His Choice Should Be Based Upon Which HE Wants To Do. ~ He's An E-6 And As He Stated, Has More Years Ahead Of Him To Prepare For E-7.
And In The Long Run That Should Give Him Adequate Time For His Planning For The Promotion To E-7; SO Why Should He Simply Not Choose What He'd Prefer Doing At This Point? The Advancements Will Follow And He Can Make His Additional Decisions Accordingly Or Again Differently
And In The Long Run That Should Give Him Adequate Time For His Planning For The Promotion To E-7; SO Why Should He Simply Not Choose What He'd Prefer Doing At This Point? The Advancements Will Follow And He Can Make His Additional Decisions Accordingly Or Again Differently
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