What suggestions do you have to increase promotion points in an MOS with a very high cutoff score?

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 01:38:38 -0400

Points in my MOS are VERY high; I need to rank up! Suggestions (outside the obvious).

I've stabilized in Ft. Bliss for another year until February 2023 and I have four years after that on this contract. Currently, the points for picking up E-6 as a 68V are 798; I currently have just over half that. The rub in this contract is that I have to pick up E-6 between now and then or I'll RCP. I have my P status, but I have to make a serious decision about how to pursue my E-6. I know Drill Sergeant Academy looks great on an NCOER and it's an incredibly rewarding position, but given the minimal points, is it a worthwhile endeavor in the brief window I have? I know it comes with a minimal 2-year position as a Drill so that leads me to believe there wouldn't be much time for other efforts to earn points.

With that question aside, I definitely need to start racking up those points, and aside from schools and boards, does anyone have any other suggestions?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 27 at 2022 1:45 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 01:45:31 -0400

Contact one of these three gentlemen... they are very knowledgeable in Military related questions/issues.

Response by SPC James Neidig made Jun 27 at 2022 1:55 AM

SPC James Neidig — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 01:55:59 -0400

A Good Friend was in a similar situation as yours, He Volunteered For Drill and Made Staff Sergeant in less then 2 Years, After All Was Done He Retired After 22 Years as A Master Sergeant

Response by SPC Nancy Greene made Jun 27 at 2022 2:36 AM

SPC Nancy Greene — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 02:36:50 -0400

As a former NCOIC of Enlisted Promotions, I suggest taking a college course online SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member . You will receive 10 points for improving your civilian education and 1 point per credit hour earned. That’s 13 points. In addition, correspondence courses is another way to acquire promotion points and I even earned an additional skill identifier C - NBC qualified. Those are the easiest way I know. If you haven’t maxed out your PT score, retaking it could help and if you’re not an expert marksman you could requalify to gain points. Best of luck in your endeavors, Nancy

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 27 at 2022 8:37 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 08:37:47 -0400

The points are at 798 for your MOS because the Army is at or over 100% on 68V3Os right now. The only thing that is going to change that is 68V3Os promoting to E7 or getting out.
You directly control how many points you have for PT, marksmanship, cived, miled, and indirectly awards.
DS school is a few points, and 2 years on the trail is something that really puts you to the front of the line to make E7.
DS is also an opportunity to pick up points for DS of the quarter and DS of the year, along with the AAM or ARCOMM that goes with that.
And while you are pretty busy as a DS, it's really 12-15 hr days the first 3 weeks of every cycle, and then 10 hr days and a day off for the rest of the cycle, you do have time to complete online DL courses.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Jun 27 at 2022 10:29 AM

SGM Mikel Dawson — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 10:29:27 -0400

Drill Sergeant is a great stepping stone, helped me, made my E6 shortly after. It is a very demanding job and takes alot of time, but well worth it.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 27 at 2022 1:36 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 13:36:41 -0400

To get to 798 one needs to essentially max out every single category points are allocated in. If I recall correctly 800 is the "max" when all tallied up. You'll never get there. But logic dictates as the points come down they are still going to be very high. So you'll still need to improve your score on the way there to eventually meet it.

Don't forget, on the way to 800 make sure that progress is annotated in you NCOER's along the way, because someone that goes from 400, to 500 to 600, and well past 700 should always get "PROMOTE AHEAD OF PEERS" comment from Sr Raters.

First work on points that stay with you. PT and Marksmanship are a moving target. Education and training stay the same if you have a bad day at the range. Since you will need to max the military education category you can't be picky with the schools you can get. So if something comes up and you can get on board then jump. It's the only way you're going to get the points.

Marksmanship however, is the highest reward of points per effort expended. Each round on target (past the minimum qualification) is an extra 7 points. Pull trigger = 7 points, pull trigger again = 7 points. Pull the trigger a 3rd time for three more hits past the minimum score and you're at 21 points.

HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! taking the time to earn a degree while on active duty only gets you 20 points. BANG, BANG, BANG = more points than the stress and hassle of education. Again, education maxes at 135 points, and marksmanship maxes out at 160.

Anyway............... get your points via the path of least resistance. Chase the points that stick with you, and make sure you leverage your development that gets you strong NCOERs so you can have them in your packet for SFC and beyond.

It would suck to blow all this effort of development and only use it toward SSG. I'd also recommend chancing your MOS once the opportunity comes up again. It would be a shame to be a 750pt SSG and never see MSG or SGM.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Jun 27 at 2022 10:33 PM

SFC Ralph E Kelley — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 22:33:37 -0400

Correspondence Courses in subjects that will enhance your MOS. If you acquired a Degree in Emergency Medicine slanted towards the ER environment would benefit your promotion points. That may require you to spend some personal time volunteering (with your commander's approval) at a local clinic

Response by MSG Thomas Currie made Jun 29 at 2022 6:05 PM

MSG Thomas Currie — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:05:32 -0400

OK, I'm ancient and I admit that I haven't pulled up the current reg, but if you've got barely over 400 points, I have to wonder what you are missing, especially when you say you have civilian education maxed out and a good PT score.

Military correspondence courses are probably the easiest/quickest way to rake in some points. The week before my E5 board I maxed out correspondence courses in one week -- yes I had an advantage of being stationed on the same post as my branch school and a school that let me hand-carry the paperwork both ways, but the point is that you can knock out a lot of correspondence courses if you simply decide to do it (note also that the courses count for points even if they are useless to your MOS).

Other than that, this might sound obvious but pull out the list and go down every item looking for every point you don't already have. Don't turn your nose up at "just a couple of points" -- that cutoff score is going to come down one of these days -- hopefully the promotion managers for your field will do that in a smarter way than mine did when they faced a similar situation -- you don't want to find yourself just a point or two shy of the cutoff when that time comes!

Response by SSG Danny Miller made Oct 25 at 2022 10:45 PM

SSG Danny Miller — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 22:45:10 -0400

My suggestion would be to take as many of correspondence courses that you can take. I took Avanced NCO courses and medically related courses that I could take. I was promoted immediately after my promotion board. Hopefully I helped you from my time in the military.

Response by SSG Hannah Williamson made Dec 15 at 2022 1:20 AM

SSG Hannah Williamson — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 01:20:35 -0500

Work out every night to up PT Score. Attend school however you can, physically or online. Try 'Marine Correspondence Courses'. Ask to go to a weapons range with another unit to work on your marksmanship. Request any additional duties that award promotional points (badges).

Response by SSG Eugene Ellison made Dec 28 at 2022 6:59 PM

SSG Eugene Ellison — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 18:59:02 -0500

College courses and or degree, correspondence courses is what I used to max out my point back in the day. They eventually lowered the points (997) just enough to promote me and a few others who had over 999.