Alpha Co Boards 101

1
(No Transcript)
2
Alpha Co Boards 101

• POC SSG Sean Honea (w/ assistance from SGT David
  Fogel)

3
Table of Contents

• Basics
• Board Breakdown
• Supervisors Role
• Board Procedures
• Before the Board
• Getting to the Board
• FYI
• Soldiers Creed
• Sample Board Essay
• Packet Examples
• 12 Useful links

4
The Basics

• Boards basically evaluate two things
• a) Appearance
• b) And Knowledge (verbal expression of knowledge)
• Start Preparing Now!
• a) www.armystudyguide.com
• b) Create a study guide.

5
Board Break Down

• Why we have Boards?
• Who sits on a Board?
• What do they evaluate?
• How do I answer?
• Recommendation vs. Competition

6
Role of the Supervisor

• Supervisors place in board procedures
• -setting the tone
• -Why Supervisor needs to know your Bio?
• What should be in your Bio?

7
Board Procedures

• Role of Board Recorder
• Entering Board
• Knock 3 times (loud)
• Enter
• Opening door
• Walking through the door
• Shut the Door

8

• Reporting
• Walk in a military manner
• Center yourself on the board.
• Snap to the position of attention
• Salute the CSM
• Sound off CSM, SPC Snuffy Reports, or CSM,
  SPC Snuffy reports to the President of the
  Board.
• Wait for CSM to drop his/her salute
• Drop your Salute
• Remain standing at ATTENTION and await further
  instructions

9
Facing Movements

• Purpose
• Most Common Commands
• Left face
• Take 5 Steps Forward.
• Right Face
• About Face
• Left Face
• Take 5 Steps Forward.
• About Face
• Take 5 Steps Forward
• Be Seated

10
Bio

• Memorize
• Note You are being watched to see how well you
  can speak, project, and remain confident under
  pressure. At this point it really doesnt matter
  too much what you say as long you say it well

11
Example Bio

• I am or my name is SSG Sean Steven Honea
• I was born March 31, 1978 in Decatur, GA.
• I graduate ____ high school/college. In _______
• I joined the army in ______ and attending basic
  training at _________
• I attended AIT/advance training at _____ as a
  31S
• I then PCSd/Transitioned/moved/ to my
  first/next/current Duty assignment ________
• I am now stationed at ______ in the duty position
  of / on team ________ at the _________ (Tech
  control, Earth Terminal, Warehouse, A Company
  Ord. Room)
• My major accomplishments include
• I am currently single/ married at this time with
  ___ children/a son/ a daughter

12
Goals

• My short term goals are_____. Name 3. (Be
  honest)
• Examples
• Max PT
• Be Promoted to SERGEANT or STAFF SERGEANT Do
  Not repeat Do Not say E5 or E6.
• Graduate PLDC/BNCOC ASAP or accomplish some many
  hours of school or Associates Degree.
• My long term goals are _______
• Examples
• Go Airborne, Special Forces Win a Competition
  Become a Warrant Officer.
• Be Promoted STAFF SERGEANT or SERGEANT FIRST
  Class in so many years. Do Not repeat Do Not say
  E5 or E6.
• Obtain a Bachelors Degree in so many years.
• Note If you are bold enough to say, I want to
  be CSM of the Army or CSM, I want your Job.
  Then you better be able to sell it. This
  approach works only for those individuals with
  either Cocky or Very Charismatic Personalities
  who show absolutely no fear or hesitation...and
  even then it can back fire.

13
Greeting the Board

• Eye Contact
• Return Greeting
• i.e. Good Morning 1SG or outstanding 1SG etc.
• Head Movement vs. Eye Contact
• Avoid Robot Syndrome

14
1SG/CSM Questions

• How to answer
• 1. Address the 1SG and Restate the Question in
  the form of your answer.
• a) Address
• b) Restate
• c) Answer.
• 2. If do not know the answer
• 1SG, I do not know the answer at this time.
• 1SG, I do not know the answer at this time but I
  will find out
• 1SG, I do not know the answer at this time, but
  the answer can found/referenced in Regulation FM
  21-20 (if youre really good you can quote it to
  the paragraph)

15
Example

• 1SG SPC Joe, What are some factors that affect
  your ability to perform well aerobically?
• 1SG
• Some factors that affect your ability to perform
  well aerobically are
• Age, Anemia, Smoking, Pollution, High Altitude,
  illness, obesity, and Sedentary Life Style

16
More Techniques

• Pausing
• Sound off
• Eye Contact

17
Exit the Board

• CSM Dismisses you.
• Stand up.
• Approach the board centered on the CSM
• Salute the CSM while sounding off with your
  Motto.
• Step off and exit the Room. Do not Slam the
  door.

18
Before to the Board

• Uniform and Hair Cut
• Look sharp
• Have your uniformed altered.
• Use Edge Dressing.
• Do not mix and match Stay Bright.
• Have your NCO or one that you respect check and
  recheck everything.
• Uncle Sam is always Right

19
Getting to the Board

1. Shine your boots/press uniform.
2. Keep your room and Equipment straight
3. Show up to work on time.
4. Do a good job.
5. Do not bounce checks
6. Drink Water.
7. Volunteer for everything.
8. Avoid Soda in hot weather and when close to weigh
   ins.
9. Know that most people build a tolerance to Motrin
   after two weeks.
10. If youre wrong, say youre wrong and work to fix
    the problem.

• Help your team/shift/crew.
• Push your self during PT sessions.
• Learn to carry a guild on.
• Learn to Lead PT, March Soldiers and Call
  Cadence.
• Ask for explanations, examples, or references in
  order to do your own research.
• Know that a serving of meat is the same size as a
  Deck of Cards.
• Yield to better judgment.

20

• Do not Speed on post.
• Do not Speed period.
• Do not date your soldiers.
• Do not date your soldiers soldiers.
• Do not under any circumstances take your spouse
  to hang out at the barracks.
• Avoid stealing your roommates significant other.

• Do not steal.
• Know that acquiring is the same as stealing
• Condense and carry around your board study
  material with you. (i.e. note cards/notebooks)
• Use Soap
• Do not miss Dental appointments

21
FYI

• Your current reputation/attitude/work ethic/ and
  how you present yourself can go a long way upping
  your confidence level and helping get an
  outstanding recommendation and introduction to
  the board.
• APFT There is no substitute for a Good PT Score.
  If you do not have a score of 290 or above, then
  you should start training to get one. Unless you
  are on profile this should be one of your first
  short-term goals.
• Dealing with Angry People and or Reactionaries
• Dealing with NCOs on the Brink
• Dealing with the Intoxicated

22
The Soldier's Creed I am an
American Soldier. I am a Warrior and a member of
a team.  I serve the people of the United States
and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept
defeat. I will
never quit. I
will never leave a fallen comrade.I am
disciplined, physically and mentally tough,
trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and
drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment
and myself. I am an expert and I am a
professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage,
and destroy the enemies of the United States of
America in close combat. I am a guardian of
freedom and the American way of life. I am an
American Soldier.
Warrior Ethos
23
Sample Board Essay
SSG Honea, Sean S.
A
Co., 302nd SIG BN If I were Sergeant Major
of the Army, I would focus my energy on these
three areas.
The U.S. Army is one of the most powerful and
respected organizations in the World. The Army
achieved this by not being afraid to adapt the
needs of an ever-changing society. If I were
Sergeant Major of the Army, I would seek to
continue this tradition in order to produce a
more capable, adaptive, and effective soldier.
To do this I would focus my energy on finances,
training, and the evolution of the future role of
soldiers. In order to create a more capable
soldier, you need a focused soldier. Not one
that is burden by imposed credit card debt. The
government credit card system is overwhelmed.
Soldiers today are having their credit ratings
destroyed by a system that cannot pay the bank on
time. I realize as SMA, I cannot directly
rewrite the law of congress. Still, improved
channels of communication between the Agency
Program Coordinator of our Local Travel offices,
the current Travel Card Contractors, and the
major Credit Reporting Agencies would help to
alleviate the situation. With communications
streamlined, a database or more suitable
mechanism would be set up to track and flag a
submitted Travel Voucher that has or has not been
paid by the Army. Armed with this data, an
understanding between the Travel Card Contractors
and Credit Reporting Agencies could be reached to
only report delinquent accounts of individuals
who have already received their Split
Disbursement transfers. My next area of focus
would be on training. My goal would be to create
a more adaptive soldier. The war on terrorism
has the army fighting an unconventional and
ever-changing foe. All Soldiers must be ready to
confront this threat. As SMA, I would push to
extend the Basic Training Course to incorporate
additional training in urban warfare, hand to
hand combat, and military police tactics.
Furthermore, a new MOS would be created to
facilitate this training in regular units. The
candidate selection for this MOS would be similar
to the Army Retention Program in that it would
draw from a pool of NCO's in previously qualified
MOSs. The unit level positions would be known
as Combatant NCO's and would maintain a fulltime
position. In this regard, the Combatant NCO
would function more like a dedicated NBC NCO
rather than a part time Retention NCO. My last
area of focus would be influencing the future
role of soldiers. The purpose of the soldier has
always been that of a fighter. However, in
recent years the soldier has become increasingly
involved in peace keeping and nation building
efforts. If our Nation charges the Army to grow
in this way, then we should meet it full force.
As SMA, I would push to lay the foundation for a
new Corp within the Army. This Corps mission
would be dedicated to nation building and
peacekeeping operations whose chief aim would be
to function as a security force capable of force
multiplier operations. The Corp would seek to
combine the best elements of the Civil Affairs,
Infantry, and Military Police Commands. The Corp
would be set up to relieve the rapidly deploying
divisions such as the 82nd and 101st Airborne
division or augment forces joint coalition
forces. Brigades of this Corp would be dedicated
to specific regions of the world and soldiers of
these units would receive extensive language
immersion training in these regions. The U.S.
Armys ability to adapt and transform itself will
determine the fate of our Nation in the years to
come. As Sergeant Major of the Army, I would
seek to uphold the respect our institution has
earned by providing it with more capable,
adaptive and effective soldiers. Soldiers whose
focus should be on the mission, not concerns over
their finances, training, or what role they
should play in World.
24
NCO/SOQ Battalion Board Packet The following
information will be placed in the
folder Section 1 NCO/Soldier of the
Quarter/Year Biographical Data Sheet Hometown
News Release form, DA 2266 Section 2
Memorandum of Nomination from the soldiers
supervisor Section 3 ERB and DA Form
2-1 Section 4 Individual Photo. (one 8x10
and one ¾ length color photo taken within 6
months of board date). Section 5 Essay.
(If you were the CSM of the Army, what areas
would you focus your energy on and why? One
page, typed and single-spaced.) Section 6
DA Form 705/PT Card Marksmanship score
sheet CTT score card
25
Promotion Board Packet

• The following information will be placed in the
  folder
• Section 1
• Biographical Data Sheet (Battalion Standard)
• Section 2
• Memorandum of Nomination from the soldiers
  supervisor
• Section 3
• ERB and DA Form 2-1
• Section 4
• DA Form 705 / PT Card
• Section 5
• Marksmanship Record from ARCIS
• Section 6
• DA Form 3355

26
Useful links

• http//www.ncoteam.org
• http//www.bandabooks.com/books/creechmn/pdf/brdpr
  oc.pdf
• http//usassi-www.army.mil/references.html
• http//www.armystudyguide.com