Going to promotion board next month. Other than leadership, what main topics should I study?

SSG(P) Loris Metzinger — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 19:54:21 -0400

Response by A1C Ian Williams made Mar 21 at 2018 10:19 PM

A1C Ian Williams — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 22:19:15 -0400

Good luck to you SSG(P) Loris Metzinger I always say work on confidence and diction as well. How you feel influences on how others perceive you.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Mar 21 at 2018 11:10 PM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:10:42 -0400

Unit history. Military Branch History, Rules/Regulations... I knew people who liked giving the Uniform Regulations for the Opposite Gender as a "trick" question because most people only focus on their own regulations. But to be an effective leader, you need to know whether the troops under you are within regulations.

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Mar 21 at 2018 11:37 PM

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:37:23 -0400

MOS Specific tasks for the level that you are going into. Look at your 30 level MOS standards and know them.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2018 12:17 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:17:33 -0400

I am responding with full disclosure that I have never had to appear before a board. My answer is based on what I would want to find out about a Soldier if I was sitting on a board.

I have already seen responses that cover the obvious stuff like MOS, leadership, duty. You better know that creed backwards and forwards. It's not enough to recite the NCO creed, but to know how you have and will continue to use what's written there to guide your actions. It would not be unreasonable for a member to ask about a specific part of the Creed and how you intend to apply it.

You should also give some serious thought into the fact that you are moving from the Direct to Organizational level of being an NCO. Take a look at the difference in how SGT is evaluated compared to SSG-MSG. You are moving past the point where direct tactical leadership and proficiency is enough. You are moving into a region where your ability to problem solve a situation from a higher point of view comes into play. Task solving will become more complicated. I would not be surprised if one of the board members tries to look at this aspect by presenting some sort of vignette and assessing your response.

Remember you are being evaluated partially on your potential as a squad leader or section leader (in many cases).

Good Luck

Response by CW3 Jeff Held made Mar 22 at 2018 12:40 AM

CW3 Jeff Held — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:40:57 -0400

Current events, specifically the implications of geographic threats (Korea, Syria, Russia, and China). What do these threats mean to America, the Army, your unit, and you?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2018 12:49 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:49:54 -0400

Get the moi for the board and study those topics and nothing but those topics. I always make flash cards for all the ARs and FMs that cover the topics on the moi and then pick 3 questions from each moi topic that I think they will ask me and memorize the answers. I will read up more on the topics as well but focus mainly on the obvious board questions. Memorize the creed if you haven’t already and work on eliminating filler words. Confidence is king! Good luck.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2018 2:17 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 14:17:12 -0400

Do you not have the MOI? That will tell you what you need to know. Study those topics listed, and work on being comfortable and confident.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2018 1:52 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 13:52:20 -0400

Current events, army programs, and regulations are big ones usually.