1. SENIOR ENLISTED SELECTION BOARDS
BOARD OPERATIONS BRIEF
“Good morning/afternoon, my name is __________.”

2. Senior Enlisted Selection Board
PURPOSE
To provide a process overview on the
ARMY’S
Senior Enlisted Selection Board
Purpose. “The purpose of today's briefing is to provide information on Department of the Army Centralized Enlisted Boards and provide you some tips on preparation for a DA Centralized Board.”

3. HRC-INDIANAPOLIS FUNCTIONS
Enlisted Records Division (ERD)
OMPF Management
Records Services Division (RSD)
NCOER Processing + OMPF Corrections
Information Support Activity (ISA)
Automation Design and Support
Department of the Army Secretariat (DAS)
Conduct Centralized Enlisted Boards
“Formerly EREC, HRC-Indianapolis has four major functions as shown on this slide. ERD manages the OMPF; RSD processes NCOERs and is the point of contact for OMPF corrections; ISA handles programming/automations support; and DAS conducts the centralized enlisted boards for the Active Component.”

4. DA SECRETARIAT MISSION
Conduct the Army’s centralized enlisted:
Promotion and School selection system
Additional board missions as required
Mission. “The DA Centralized Enlisted Boards are conducted at the DA Secretariat (DAS), Soldier Records Data Center (SRDC), Indianapolis, Indiana. The Secretariat’s primary mission is to conduct the Army’s centralized enlisted promotion and school selection system. Additionally, the DAS may conduct additional boards as required by the Department of the Army G-1.”

5. CENTRALIZED ENLISTED BOARDS
Selection missions
SFC, MSG, and SGM promotion
CSM appointment
Schooling selections
ANCOC (automatic w/ SFC selection)
SMC (in conjunction w/ SGM board)
Additional missions
Qualitative Management Program (QMP)
Standby Advisory Boards (STAB)
Centralized Boards: “DA centralized boards select noncommissioned officers (NCO) for promotion to Sergeant First Class (SFC), Master Sergeant (MSG), and Sergeant Major (SGM); appointment to Command Sergeant Major (CSM); attendance at the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course (ANCOC), and attendance at the Sergeants Major Course (SMC). Each board also has several additional responsibilities, namely the conduct of the Army’s Qualitative Management Program (QMP) and Standby Advisory Boards (STAB) both of which I will cover in detail later.”

6. FIELD NOTIFICATION HRC Message (zone message) DAS Messages
120 days out
Parameters for consideration and Administrative instructions released
DAS Messages
115, Identifies entire zone by name
60, 30 days out
ERB, photo, NCOER not on file
AKO Messages
“HRC sends a MILPER message to the field approximately 120 days from the convening date of the board. This message announces the criteria to be included in the Zone of Consideration, as well as administrative instructions for PSDR S1s/PSBs/MPDs.
Using the criteria from the MILPER message, approximately 5 days later, the DA Secretariat (DAS) sends a message to PSDR S1s/PSBs/MPDs identifying the entire zone by name and identifying NCOs that have not validated their ERB, will not have a current DA Photo on file with DAPMIS as of the convene date of the board, and/or NCOs that will be over-due an NCOER when the Board convenes. Follow up messages are sent again at 60 & 30 days out from the convene date of the board.
Additionally, the Chief, DAS, sends a series of by name messages to the individual NCOs AKO notifying them that they are in the Zone of Consideration, and with administrative instructions on validating their ERB and how to check their OMPF and DA Photo. The Chief of DAS also notifies the individual if their photo is/will be out of date or if their NCOER will be overdue.”

7. DEVELOPMENT OF BOARD ZONE FILE
NCOER
CURRENT GRADE
DVIS
DESERTER VERIF INFO SYSTEM
DJMS
DEFENSE JOINT MIL PAY SYSTEM
BSH
BOARD SELECT HISTORY
SRTS
SEP RECORDS TRANS SYS
TAPDB
TOTAL ARMY PERS DATA BASE
ERB
ENLISTED RECORD BRIEF
BZF. “A Board Zone File (BZF) is created when a board is announced by HQDA. Records that are in the zone of consideration and eligible to appear before a board are placed in the BZF. The BZF is created from the library of records known as the Total Army Personnel Data Base (TAPDB) based on the eligibility parameters given by HQDA. The Soldiers' records meeting the eligibility parameters are pulled from the TAPDB and crossed-referenced with several offices and files within and outside SRDC: The Board Select History (BSH) shows all the individuals who have been centrally selected for promotion and/or schooling over the past five years. A check is made to ensure that each Soldier has at least one NCOER in the current grade of eligibility; The Defense Joint Military Pay System (DJMS) verifies pay grade and DOR, and the officer Master File within DJMS will identify if a Soldier has been appointed or commissioned as an Officer or Warrant Officer; The Separations Records Transfer System (SRTS) file screens for NCOs who have already separated from the service as well as any Casualty information. The final check taken to verify the eligibility of NCOs in the zone of consideration is from critical data recorded on the ERB that SRDC receives on each NCO. The 40,000 files shown here represent the number of files which are initially pulled for typical SFC board, and after our screening process is complete we are typically left with about 33,000.”
40,000
33,000
BZF

8. BOARD PROFILES BOARD RECORDS PANELS MEMBERS DAYS 10,000 12 58 22 MSG
CSM / SGM / SMC
10,000 12 58 22
MSG
22,000 72 24
SFC
33,000 11 67 27
Profile. “The size and length of each board varies depending on how many Soldiers are eligible for consideration. Shown here is the average profile for each board: number of records, number of panels organized, number of board members, and the length of time for each board.”

9. BOARD MEMBER SELECTION PROCESS
Board announcement / field notification
DAS submits board configuration to DMPM for approval
Upon approval, HRC tasks both the Officer and SGM career branches
DMPM approves board membership roster
Board President approved by the Army Chief of Staff
DAS notifies members and issues TDY orders
Board Member Selection Process. “HRC announces the board eligibility criteria to the field. The DA Secretariat reviews the numbers of eligible personnel in each MOS/CMF and determines the overall board configuration. This is submitted to the Director for Military Personnel Management (DMPM) for approval. Upon approval, the HRC membership coordinator sends the board requirements to the Officer and CSM/SGM career branches. The DMPM approves the board membership and then the DA Secretariat notifies the members and issues their TDY orders.”

10. BOARD MISSIONS
Select the BEST QUALIFIED NCO for promotion, appointment, or schooling
Conduct QMP screening
Conduct final QMP board
Conduct QMP Appeals board
Conduct Standby Advisory Board (STAB)
Mission. “First and foremost, the Board’s primary mission is to select the Army’s best qualified NCOs for promotion, appointment, or schooling. Currently, the Qualitative Management Program (QMP) is suspended, however the Secretariat maintains the QMP mission which includes QMP Screening; a final QMP Board; and a QMP Appeals Board, should the program be reinstated in the future. Additionally, boards conduct Standby Advisory Boards (STABs), all of which I will cover in detail later.”

11. MISSION PHASES PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 PANEL TRAINING
SET STANDARDS
RECORD VOTE
QMP SCREEN
PHASE 2
OML GREY ZONE VOTING
IDENTIFY SELECTS
PHASE 3
CONDUCT STABs
FINAL QMP
QMP APPEALS
Mission Phases: “These are the four board phases and associated missions in each phase. The reason for the overlap is because the separate panels move throughout the process at different speeds, and therefore, more than one phase can be happening simultaneously.”
PHASE 4
REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
AFTER ACTIONS REPORT
OUTBRIEF DMPM

12. BOARD GUIDANCE HQDA Memorandum of Instruction (MOI)
Board Operating Procedures (BOP)
Briefings: Board Ops, NCOER, Records Brief
Proponent information packets
Army Regulations
Guidance. "Boards operate under the guidance and information shown on this slide. The primary guidance for each board is a Memorandum of Instruction (MOI) provided by the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, HQDA. FYI, this MOI is attached as an enclosure to the final published promotion list by Army Human Resources Command (HRC). The DA Secretariat prepares a set of Board Operating Procedures, an internal SOP, which establishes the flow of events for each board. Additionally, DA Secretariat personnel brief the Enlisted Evaluation System, board procedures and contents of board records. Career Management Field (CMF) proponents provide information packets which contain specific career field information to each panel. Finally, boards are provided Army regulations as needed.”

13. * L Panel is currently only used for the CSM/SGM/SMC & MSG Boards
BOARD ORGANIZATION
Organization. "Boards are headed by General Officers, and divided into panels. Each panel is responsible for the Career Management Fields (CMF) associated with the branches by which they are organized and will have anywhere from 4 to 8 members. All panels will have a COL as the panel chief, possibly a LTC member and the remainder either being CSM or SGM. For example, Panel C is responsible for Field Artillery (FA) and Air Defense Artillery (ADA) records. Membership of this panel is comprised of only Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery personnel. The same philosophy is used on the other panels. Note that L Panel is currently only used for the CSM/SGM/SMC & MSG Boards. For the SFC Board, SF/Civil Affairs/Psyops are integrated with Infantry on A Panel."
* L Panel is currently only used for the CSM/SGM/SMC & MSG Boards

14. SAMPLE PANEL ORGANIZATION
COL -- Field Artillery
LTC -- Air Defense Artillery
2 CSM -- 13
2 CSM -- 14
Panel. "As shown here, Panel C is composed of members from both FA and ADA. Panels are generally one-third officer (COL, LTC), and two-thirds NCO (CSM, SGM). Once again, this panel would only review records of Soldiers within FA and ADA CMFs."
Mission: Consider only NCOs in CMF 13 & 14

15. BOARD WORKLOAD PANEL # MEMBERS # RECORDS # DAYS A (IN) 7 2118 8
B (AR/EN) 6
1722
C (FA/AD) 5
1667 9
D (SC)
1638
E (MI/MP)
1856
F (QM/CM)
2679
G (OD)
2273
H (MC) 4
1283
I (AG/CH/FI/LGL)
1904
J (AV/TC)
1647
K (PA/REC/RET/BAND)
1628
L (SF/CA/PSYOP)
1182
Board Workload. “This is the breakdown of the actual number of records each panel reviewed during a recent selection board. The first column lists the number of members in each panel then the number of records it reviewed. The last column depicts the projected number of days to complete the record voting phase of the board.”

16. BOARD PRESIDENT DUTIES
Ensure compliance with MOI & BOP
Provide guidance
Standards
Conduct
Tone
Approve panel standards
Compile Board RA and AARs
Outbrief DMPM
Board President. “As previously mentioned, each Board will always be headed by a general officer. In the case of the SFC and MSG Selection boards, the Board President will typically be in the grade of Brigadier General, and Major General for the CSM/SGM/SMC Selection Board. The Board President is a non-voting member whose chief responsibility is ensuring that the guidance set forth by the Army G-1 in the HQDA Memorandum of Instruction (MOI) is adhered to and that the standards and procedures of the Board Operating Procedures are consistently applied at every stage of the board. During the conduct of the Board, he/she will provide guidance where necessary and establish the daily work schedule that the Board will use. He/she will also approve all panel standards before any official voting is permitted to start. Finally, the Board President will oversee the AAR process and will personally out-brief the DMPM upon conclusion of the Board.”

17. PANEL CHIEF DUTIES Voting member
Ensure panel standards are IAW MOI & BOP
Vote/Score authority
Personally involved in resolving deviations
Verify OMLs and selects
Prepare R&As for each CMF
Provide AAR input
Panel Chief. “Each panel is headed by a Colonel who runs the day-to-day operation of the panel as well as serving as a voting member. Like the Board president, the Panel Chief is responsible for ensuring that the guidance provided in the MOI and BOP are fairly applied throughout the Board process. The Panel Chief resolves deviations in vote scores and verifies all final products that come from the Panel, ensuring that the results are an accurate portrayal of the panel’s voting. Panel Chiefs oversee the preparation of a Review and Analysis (R&A) for the CMFs proponent branch(es) and provides the panel’s AAR input to the Board President.”

18. INDIVIDUAL BOARD RECORD
Official Military Personnel File (Performance Data)
Enlisted Record Brief (ERB)
Official DA Photo
Data Summary of all Evaluations
Correspondence to the Board President
Individual. “Since NCOs do not appear in person before centralized boards, they are represented by their official records. The Individual Board Record is presented in digital format to the board members and consists of these documents: the Performance portion of the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF); the board version of the ERB; the most recent copy of the official DA photograph from DAPMIS; a data summary of all evaluations and any correspondence submitted to the Board President by the Soldier. It should be noted that the only document which must be present in order for a Soldier to be considered by a board is the OMPF. It contains EERs, NCO-ERs, AERs, award citations, training certification and any derogatory information, if applicable.”

19. XXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
ERB : “This is a close-up example of the ERB. The red “X’s” indicate the areas of the ERB that are NOT shown to board members. It is important for Soldiers to check the accuracy of their entire ERB. For board purposes however, Soldiers should specifically focus on the accuracy of the areas not filled in with x’s when validating their Board ERB.”

20. OMPF: “This slide depicts how board members view documents contained on the OMPF. Shown is a complete NCOER with both pages viewed simultaneously. Board members have the ability to quickly screen all evaluations using the Evaluation Summary tool located in the lower left corner of the screen. This tool shows the board members significant data on a Soldier to include type of report, duty position, reviewer concurrence, rater and senior rater markings, height and weight data, and finally APFT data from each report. With the Enlisted Selection Board System (ESBS), board members can quickly move from one document to another by a simple point and click of a mouse or computer keyboard arrow key navigation.
The box on the lower right side is for board members to make comments about a Soldier’s file to other voting members. The comments they make can only be factual information that is contained somewhere within the file. Personal opinions and vote scores are not permitted. Verbal discussions between board members concerning their personal opinions, good or bad are prohibited.”

21. ERB: “Board members have the option to view the ERB in its entirety, as shown in this slide, or by individual sections. Regardless of the board members preference, the information provided is the same. They navigate each individual section by utilizing the document tree located on the left side of the screen.”

22. OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH Photo represents the Soldier
DAPMIS is the official repository
Regulation requires a new photo if
Photo is more than 5 years old
Award of ARCOM or higher
Change of rank
“AWOL” photo – sends a message to the Board
Photograph: “Although the regulation only requires a photo every five years, a recent photo (within the last year) gives the board a current representation of the Soldier. A photo within the last year shows that the NCO cares about promotion and shows that they are actively keeping their file up-to-date. If an NCO is not currently deployed, an older photo, or no photo, sends a signal to the board that the NCO may not care about promotion, or that they may have a weight or appearance problem.”

23. Photograph 2: “Board members view the photo under the Awards/Decorations/Photo tab on the document tree. The photo is located with the awards and decoration portion so that board members can quickly verify the accuracy of the Soldier’s uniform.”

24. Photograph 3: “By dragging a box around any area of the photo, board members can zoom in to many levels.”

25. Photograph 4: “As you can see, board members have the ability to see exactly what they want to see in any photo.”

26. Photograph 5: “Remember
Photograph 5: “Remember....a missing photo could send a message that the NCO may not care about promotion or that they may have something to hide from the board.”

27. MEMORANDA TO BOARD PRESIDENTDO
Be brief, concise and factual
Use memorandum format (AR 25-50)
Provide info not on OMPF
Address the Board President
Include SSN
Sign memo
DON’T
Address info already in record
Use as an avenue to express grievances
Justify past misconduct
Boast about yourself
Enclose extraneous documents
Forget to sign
Letters: “Listed are the Do’s and Don’ts for submitting a memorandum to the Board President. Soldiers must include their social security number on the document and sign it for submission.”

28. FAMOUS QUOTES
“I put top priority on commuicatiens, first, because doing a war the whole Army is dependent on good commuications.”
“I am writing this letter on begalf…I am presently assigned to a National Gaurd unit…..”
Quotes: “These are actual quotes from NCOs who submitted memoranda to the Board President.”

29. FAMOUS QUOTES
“I have got almost two years of college… always a prufessenel.”
“It has come to me that certain documents may not be in my official military file. I feel they are detrimental to my military career, and should be part of my official file.
Quotes: “Again, these are actual quotes from NCOs who submitted memorandums to the Board President. Don’t make these mistakes. Have a senior NCO or officer review your memo to ensure it effectively delivers your message to the board.”

30. COMMON DISCREPANCIES P3 profile w/no MMRB results annotated on ERB
No photo
Missing NCOER
Height and Weight
Blank or incorrect PMOS/SMOS/DOR/ BASD
P3 profile w/no MMRB results annotated on ERB
Inconsistent profiles
Blank/incorrect MIL/CIV Ed entries
Unauthorized badges, tabs, awards and decorations
No consistency between photo, ERB and OMPF
Discrepancies: “This list identifies common discrepancies found by board members and DAS Eligibility personnel. Verifying that this information is correct and up-to-date is crucial.”

31. CONTROLLED RECORDS Classification cover sheet Categories Red Tags
John/Jane Doe
Voted without special consideration
Controlled Records. “Controlled records are files that contain classified documents and are maintained as a hard copy in a safe. Controlled records are voted IAW Panel Standards and are not given special consideration simply because an NCO has a classified document/record.
Red Tag – are Soldiers that have one or more Secret documents in their record.
John/Jane Doe records – are Soldiers that are currently serving in classified assignments.”

32. INQUIRIES
Requested by board member when a discrepancy is found in the record
Inquiry team requests pertinent information from the field
Turn-around time is 24 to 48 hours
Used only when information could impact vote scores
Inquiries. “During the review of a Soldier’s record, a panel member may feel there is a discrepancy within the record, or some relevant information is unavailable. The member can request an inquiry to answer the question. Inquiries should only be submitted if the information would impact the vote score. The inquiry team will take the question to the field, and normally have an answer within 24 to 48 hours, depending on the location of the NCO (CONUS/OCONUS)”

33. RESTRICTED INFORMATION REQUESTS
Based on contents of the Performance Data in the OMPF
Personally submitted to the Board Recorder for research
Board President reviews information and can veto request w/o further action
DMPM is final approval authority for release of information to the board
Restricted Information Requests. “A panel member may suspect that documents exist in the restricted portion of a Soldier’s OMPF that may assist in resolving a discrepancy or gap in a Soldier’s file. These requests are personally submitted to the Board Recorder for research. The recorder will research the restricted portion and then review the information, if any exists, with the Board President. The Board President can veto the request which ends the action. If the Board President feels the information may impact the vote, then he/she can send a request to the Director of Military Personnel Management (DMPM) at the Pentagon to release this information to the panel.”

34. VOTING SYSTEM FQ
Voting System. "Shown here is a word picture of the voting system and the scores used when records are reviewed by a board. Scores range from a low of one (1) to a high of six (6), with “+" and "-" used to further weight each score. Since QMP is currently suspended, the lowest score possible is two (2). Using this voting system three members vote each record independently under what is known as the “blind voting method” (members may not discuss individual records while voting). The scores issued are used to determine which NCOs are Fully Qualified for selection, and then, which NCOs are the Best Qualified for selection in each MOS. Based on the needs of the Army, the Best Qualified NCOs are selected for promotion and/or schooling. Before a board can determine if an NCO is among the Best Qualified for selection, it must first determine which NCOs are Fully Qualified. To be considered Fully Qualified, the board must satisfy themselves that an NCO is qualified professionally and morally, has demonstrated integrity, is physically fit, and is capable of performing the duties of the next higher grade. The scores of three (3) through six (6) identify NCOs as being Fully Qualified for promotion/selection. If an NCO is not considered Fully Qualified, the board must then evaluate the potential of each NCO to determine if they should be retained in the Army at their current grade (a score of two (2)), or if the QMP is in effect, if they should be considered for separation from the Army under the QMP (a score of one (1))."

35. PANEL TRAINING Develop panel standards
Ensure
Consistency !!!
Develop panel standards
Performance, potential, duty position
Military/Civilian education
Height, weight & APFT
Commendatory and disciplinary
CMF/MOS specifics
Practice vote and refine standards
Obtain Board President’s approval
Training. "Since panels review only those records associated with their CMFs, each panel is responsible for setting their own promotion standards based on the 1 through 6 scoring system. Panels develop their standards using the “Whole Soldier Concept”. Panels look at performance and potential based on assignments, military and civilian education, commendatory and disciplinary information, height/weight, APFT and anything MOS/CMF specific for their panel. After setting their standards, panels go through a practice vote session of eleven to thirteen records to ensure that all members understand and are equally applying the panel standards. After they review their voting, adjust standards as necessary and practice vote a second set of records. At this point, a third set of practice records is available, should the panel desire. When panels feel comfortable with their standards and the Board President has approved them, panels begin voting the records assigned to their particular panel. The purpose of this training session is to ensure that ALL panels develop their standards based on the Army G-1 guidance and ensure they consistently apply their standards throughout the voting phase of the board."

36. Worksheet: “This is the document Panels use to set their panel standards. Based on the MOI, proponent packets, and each member’s professional knowledge and experience, they determine in each category what constitutes Fully Qualified (3 or higher), an exceptional performer, a substandard performer as well as each of the levels in between. The oval represents the areas where the “meat” of the vote score will come from. These areas (duty position, performance, leadership and potential) are all found on the NCOER thus signifying that the NCOER is the most important document in the promotion file. The areas of military and civilian education, awards and honors, APFT/HT-WT/Photo, UCMJ/misconduct, and other, are used to help board members establish a vote score based on the “Whole Soldier Concept”. While no single area may warrant the giving of a higher or lower score, doing well in each of these areas demonstrates a Soldier’s ability to be well rounded and seeking self-improvement. When a board is asked to review NCOs records under the QMP, a single board-wide standard of 1 is developed and used by all panels so that all Soldiers identified for the QMP process are done so equally regardless of MOS or CMF.”

37. DEVIATIONS
Difference in Vote Scores of 2 or more points on a single record ( = DEVIATION)
Brought to attention of Panel Chief
Panel Chief and Voters determine what caused deviation and adjust score(s)
Must resolve to less than 2-point difference ( = Within Tolerance)
Vote Deviations. “There will be instances when one or more of the voters differ on a single record by as many as 2 or more point scores. When this situation occurs, the deviation will be brought to the attention of the panel chief. Voters determine what caused the deviation and adjust scores accordingly. The Panel Chief must ensure the deviation is resolved to less than a 2-point difference. The primary purposes of monitoring and correcting score deviations is to ensure that voters have not overlooked important information in a file, that voters are applying the panel standards in the agreed-upon manner, or given an unjust score due to personal knowledge of the soldier.”

38. ORDER OF MERIT LIST SELECT OBJ 150
OML. “After all records have been voted, NCOs are rank ordered by order of merit based on the scores their record received. The numerical portion of the three record votes are added together to give the number portion of the Total Score. Plusses and Minuses cancel each other out and the remaining are added together to give the Total Score Weight. For example, G.I. Joe (sequence #1) received three votes of 6+ during record voting =18, and 3 plusses are combined to equal +3. The number portion and weighting are combined, giving SFC Joe a Total Score of Note that the “Sequence #” in the left-most column is only used to rank order individuals on a particular OML, and is NOT used to generate the Official Sequence Number when a promotion list is released by HRC. OMLs are prepared for each MOS. HQDA provides the Select Objective (number to be selected in each MOS, 150 in this example) for each board based on the Army's projected needs.”
SELECT OBJ
150

39. ORDER OF MERIT LIST FQ SELECT OBJ 150
OML. “To identify the Best Qualified NCOs for selection, the Fully Qualified line is drawn first. All Soldiers above the FQ line (total vote score of 9-3) are Fully Qualified for promotion. NCOs below the FQ line are currently retained in grade (or considered for separation under the QMP by the final QMP Board if the Board has been directed to conduct QMP by HQDA).” FQ
SELECT OBJ
150

40. ORDER OF MERIT LIST BQ FQ SELECT OBJ 150
Best Qualified: “A Best Qualified (BQ) line is drawn by coming down the “SEQ #” column until the Army’s Select Objective (150 in this example) is met, to identify the NCOs selected for promotion and/or schooling. The best qualified line represents NCOs whose records stand out from the pack at our select objective. (Notice there is a tie at the score of 12 between four files)”

41. VOTE SCORE ANALYSIS
TOT
SCORE PANEL VOTER 1 VOTER 2 VOTER 3 VOTER 4 VOTER 5
Grey Zone Variance Key
≥ < = 0
≥ < = 1
≥ < = 2
≥ < = 3
≥ < = 4
HIGH
MEAN
VOTERS 1, 5, 3
4.89
LOW
MEAN
VOTERS 2, 4, 3
4.71
Vote Score Analysis: “This is a sample vote score analysis used in determining voter tendencies. The first column shows the vote scores from highest to lowest. The second column shows the number of times the panel as a whole gave that vote score for this MOS and zone of consideration. The follow-on columns show which voters actually gave each vote score. The automated system then averages each voter’s score and determines the high three voters and the low three voters. It then averages those score to determine the high mean and low mean. The low mean is subtracted from the high mean to determine the difference which accounts for voter tendency. The Difference is then compared to the Grey Zone Variance Key, and the value returned is applied to the OML to develop the “Grey Zone”.”
DIFFERENCE
HI - LOW
.18

42. VOTE SCORE ANALYSIS
TOT
SCORE PANEL VOTER 1 VOTER 2 VOTER 3 VOTER 4 VOTER 5
Grey Zone Variance Key
≥ < = 0
≥ < = 1
≥ < = 2
≥ < = 3
≥ < = 4
HIGH
MEAN
VOTERS 1, 5, 3
4.89
LOW
MEAN
VOTERS 2, 4, 3
4.71
“In this example, the difference of .18 is compared to the Grey Zone Variance Key. The value returned is “1” which will be applied to the OML, generating the Grey Zone for this MOS.”
DIFFERENCE
HI - LOW
.18

43. ORDER OF MERIT LIST BQ FQ SELECT OBJ 150
“The Grey Zone is created for three reasons. The first is to break ties at the select objective cut-off, the second is to level the playing field due to voter tendencies, and the third reason is to create additional potential selects (APS) for that MOS. APS are NCOs that are identified by the Board as “next best-qualified” for promotion, and are used to round out the Army’s Select Objective if one or more of the “Best Qualified” NCOs falls out of the Promotion Zone for one reason or another (i.e. an NCOs request for retirement is approved while the board is in session). APS may only be used until the results of the Board are sent to DA…after which all record of the APS are destroyed.
Returning to the OML, come down the sequence column on the OML until you meet but do not exceed the number of selects needed for promotion.  
In this case, come down the OML and find the select objective of 150.
However, at the select objective of 150 sequence numbers 148 thru 151 are all tied at the score of 12.
If sequence number 151 was included the select objective of 150 would be exceeded by one, and the board can not give the Army more than what they want. To simply eliminate 151 based solely on the fact that they were the last in line would be unfair; especially since the files are put in order by their social security number. Therefore, the board must follow the steps of Grey Zone creation to find out where the clean break will be, and what the Grey Zone will look like.”

44. ORDER OF MERIT LIST BQ FQ SELECT OBJ 150 Creation of Grey Zone:
“To find out where there is a clean break, take into consideration what the Vote Score Analysis page said about the voter difference.  (Voter Difference = difference between high and low voters)
In this case it was .18, which returned a value of 1 when compared to the Grey Zone Variance Key.
With the one point go to the OML and add one point to the score of 12; raising the “bar” for the Best Qualified to the cut-off score of (The adding of one point is done to take into consideration for the easier voters; meaning someone who scored a 12+1 may have lucked up and got all three easy voters thus getting the score of 12+1 not 12)
Therefore, everyone who scored above 12+1 or at 12+2 and above are clearly the BEST QUALIFIED and fill 147 of the 150 needed.
Then from the score of 12 go down a point to 12-1.(The dropping of one point is done to take into consideration for the harder voters; meaning someone who scored a 12-1 may have been unlucky and got all three hard voters thus getting the score of 12-1 not 12.)
In doing this, the GREY ZONE has been created.”

45. ORDER OF MERIT LIST BQ FQ SELECT OBJ 150
Creation of Grey zone: “The circled area represents what is called the Grey Zone (GZ). All the Soldiers’ records within the grey zone are then sent back to the panel for revote. This time ALL members of the panel will vote the record thus eliminating voter tendency. The scores from the GZ Vote are then annotated on the OML”

46. ORDER OF MERIT LIST BQ FQ 21-2 21+1 21-5 21-4 20+3 21+5 SELECT OBJ 150
Grey Zone OML: “This new score creates its own OML within the grey zone. This allows the board to determine the final selects to fulfill the Army’s select objective. In this example, we need 3 more selects to add to the 147 already above the Best Qualified line. The NCOs with the 3 highest GZ Vote scores will be selected for promotion.”

47. ORDER OF MERIT LIST BQ FQ 21-2 21+1 21-5 21-4 20+3 21+5 SEL 3 SEL 2
SELECT OBJ
150
ORDER OF MERIT LIST
SEL 1
SEL 2
SEL 3 BQ FQ
Last Selects: “It’s important to note that there cannot be a tie between the last select and the first APS or any ties between any of the APS. If a tie were to occur then the panel chief will review the tied records once again and determine the order of selection. The panel chief may ask for assistance from the members of the panel.”

48. ORDER OF MERIT LIST BQ FQ 21-2 21+1 21-5 21-4 20+3 21+5 SEL 3 SEL 2
SELECT OBJ
150
ORDER OF MERIT LIST
SEL 1
SEL 2
SEL 3
APS 3
APS 1
APS 2 BQ FQ
Additional Potential Selects: “The other records represent the additional potential selects (APS) within this MOS and their order. APS are used if one of the selects falls off the list and are moved up in order to be a select. For this reason, APS can not have tied scores.”

49. VERIFICATION ROSTERS Based on OML Selects Confirmed by Panel Chief
Used to verify final select rosters
Verification Rosters. “Results are verified and signed by the Panel Chief and used to verify final selects. Each select is verified by name and SSN.”

50. MISSIONS BOARD ADDITIONAL
**REMINDER, THE QMP HAS BEEN SUSPENDED BY HQDA UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE**
**THE STANDBY ADVISORY BOARD PROCESS IS STILL IN EFFECT**

51. Reminder – QMP has been suspended by HQDA until further notice
QMP REFERRAL
Reminder – QMP has been suspended by HQDA until further notice
Promotion Zone
Majority score of “1” = Automatic Referral
Single score of “1” = Revote
Majority score of “1” on revote = Referral
Single score of “1” on revote = Retain in Grade
Special Category (QMP consideration only)
Three voters per record
Yes/No voting method
Majority rules
**REMINDER, THE QMP HAS BEEN SUSPENDED BY HQDA UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE**
QMP Referral: “Referral to the final QMP Board happens during the voting process for the promotion zone, and when screening special category records for QMP. If two out of three voters score the record a “1”, then it is referred to the final QMP Board. If only one voter scores a one, they will all re-vote the record. Special Category records are not eligible for promotion, and are voted either a “Yes” (QMP), or “No” (don’t QMP).”

52. SPECIAL CATEGORY RECORDS
No high school / GED
Field bar to re-enlist
Signed Declination of Continued Service Statement (DCSS)
ANCOC Non-Graduate
Special Bandsperson (02S)
Special Category:
“Soldiers that have the BASD and DOR eligible for promotion , but have one or more of these disqualifiers, are considered Special Category and are not eligible for promotion.”

53. FINAL QMP BOARD (1 of 2)
Mission - Review all referred records and determine if NCO should receive a HQDA directed denial of continued active duty service under QMP
Review MOIs and refine board-wide standard for a score of “1”
Final QMP: “This is the final QMP Board’s mission. Once any substandard performers are identified out of the promotion and screening zones, the final QMP Board takes place. The final QMP Board sets its standards to identify NCOs for separation under the QMP using the standards of the promotion zone as a start point.

54. FINAL QMP BOARD (2 of 2) Voting process
Five members per record using Yes/No voting method
Three Yes votes require referral to Board President
Board President concurs/non-concurs on QMP referrals
HQDA approves results
Final QMP: “The final QMP Board uses a 'Yes/No' voting system, with five voters per record. A majority vote of 'Yes' and the Board President's concurrence is required for an NCO to receive a DA directed denial of continued active duty service. Memorandums are forwarded to the NCO through their chain of command upon approval of the results by HQDA.”

55. QMP APPEALS BOARD (1 of 2)
Mission - Review appeals cases submitted and determine if HQDA directed denial of continued active duty service should be lifted
Types of appeals
Material error in record
Improved performance
QMP Appeals Mission: “Boards also consider appeals submitted by NCOs who were selected for separation under the QMP by a previous board. There are two reasons for appeals. Appeals can be based on a material error, which resulted in an NCO receiving a QMP (e.g. SFC Smith's Article 15 for DUI was filed in SFC Rock's record, and SFC Rock had been selected for QMP based on that particular document). Or, improved performance, whereby the NCO's chain of command or the NCO feels that substantially improved performance or behavior has occurred since the date of the action that caused selection for QMP.”

56. QMP APPEALS BOARD (2 of 2) Voting process
Five members per record using Yes/No voting method
Three No votes require referral to Board President
Board President concurs/non-concurs on referrals
HQDA approves results
QMP Appeals Voting: “The QMP Appeals Board evaluates an appeal and, based on its merit and the NCO's entire personnel record, determines whether or not to grant the appeal. Five members review each appeal using the 'Yes/No' voting system. A majority vote of 'Yes' and the Board President's concurrence is required for an NCO's QMP Appeal to be approved.”

57. STANDBY ADVISORY BOARDS
Initial consideration - (File was not seen by a previous promotion board due to error)
Reconsideration - (First award of MSM or higher was omitted or another Soldiers document was placed in file by mistake)
Removal - (On promotion list w/sequence number however, before being promoted committed an offense that warrants consideration for removal)
** Imperative Soldiers and CoC review AR before submitting request for STAB **
STAB: “One of the final missions of a board is the convening of Standby Advisory Boards (STAB). The three basis for STABs are shown here. A STAB for Initial Consideration may occur if a record which was within an established promotion zone of a particular board was not reviewed by that board, for whatever reason (e.g. incorrect BASD excluding Soldier from zone of consideration). A Reconsideration STAB may occur if a record going before a board was found to contain a major material error where an official change was made in the record (e.g. an Article 15 belonging to SSG Smith was found in SSG Jones' file, and SSG Jones was not selected for promotion). The final basis for a STAB to be conducted is when a board receives a request submitted through command channels, recommending an NCO be removed from a published promotion list. Requests for STABs are covered in AR , Enlisted Promotions and Reductions, Chapter 4.”

58. CONCLUDING BOARD ACTIONS
Certify board results
Finalize CMF review & analysis (R&A)
Finalize board AARs
Conduct pre-briefing and debriefing
Conduct out-briefing with DMPM
Recess -- Adjournment
Concluding Board Actions. “Once the results are finalized the Board President certifies the results. Panel Chiefs ensure the review and analysis are completed for each of their CMFs. The Board will prepare the Final AAR, conduct a pre-briefing and de-briefing, and out-brief the DMPM on the board results. The board will recess, and with the approval of the board’s results will be sent an adjournment notice.”

59. AFTER THE BOARD Recorder attests results
Forward results to DMPM and Promotions Branch
G-1 approves results
Final results released Army-wide
After. "After a board has been recessed, the Board Recorder reviews the entire board's results (promotion selects, school selects, QMP selects, QMP appeal results, and STAB results). When the final rosters are prepared, they are forwarded to HQDA for approval. Upon HQDA approval of board results, lists are publicly released to the field by the Promotions Branch, Army Human Resources Command (HRC)."

60. PSDR S1 / PSB / MPD’s ROLE Ensure Accuracy and Timeliness of:
Submitting OMPF update documents
Processing TAPDB updates thru eMILPO and update Soldier’s ERB
Reporting eligibility changes to the DA Secretariat
PSB/MPD’s Role: “These are S1/PSB/MPD specific operations that are key to a successful interchange of Soldier information from the field to the boards.”

61. CHAIN OF COMMAND’s ROLE
Assign NCOs in PMOS
Counsel / Mentor for Success - conduct routine counseling to standard
Reinforce that Performance in any Grade / Position is key to promotion
Educate ALL Officers, NCOs, and civilian raters
CSM/SGM review all NCOERs
COC’s Role: “These are issues that the Chain of Command can enforce to enhance the board process.”

62. NCO’s ROLE Review OMPF & ERB annually and prior to every board
Take photograph every 5 years & within 90 days of a change in Rank
Submit memorandum to the Board President only if you have significant information not already in your file
Selection process relies on accuracy of information contained in your OMPF
NCO’s Role: “Here is a list of things every NCO should continually do. Remember, if you are in the zone, get a current photo.”

63. NCO’s ROLE
All documents must portray an accurate profile of your performance and potential
Accuracy of information may be the discriminating factor on whether or not a board selects you for promotion
Prepare your records with the same attention to detail as you would if you were preparing to appear in person
NCO’s Role: “Here is a list of things every NCO should continually do. Remember, if you are in the zone, get a current photo.”

64. JUST OUR RECOMMENDATIONS…
The NCO-ER is without question the most important tool board members use to judge your file
“Excellence” block checks need excellent bullets; Substantiate with facts - not fluff!
Take your DA photo within a year of the board’s convene date
Diversity in assignments is important; seek out the “tough” jobs
Tough assignments + solid ratings = a strong file
Secretariat’s Recommendations:
-- NCOERs are the most important documents in a Soldier’s file. They show level of responsibility, performance for a specific period of time, and potential for further service. They act as the rating chain’s “vote” in the board process.
-- Board members read bullets. It is better to have a success block with an excellence bullet than to have an excellence block with a success bullet. When giving an excellence block, ensure the strongest bullets are first, and substantiate excellence, that the achievement is quantifiable and only achieved by few. Inflated or fluff bullets can devalue NCOERs.
-- Statistically, Soldiers that submit photos within one year of the board convene date have a significantly greater chance of selection. The DAPMIS system discards photos that are older than 5-years. When a Soldier gets promoted, has a significant change in their appearance, or receives new awards or badges, they should get an updated photo.
-- Promotion to the senior NCO grades is all about leadership. Board members look for examples of leadership regardless of jobs. Soldiers need to constantly strive for tough and demanding jobs that display leadership which translates to potential to perform at higher levels. Working outside a Soldier’s MOS is not the “kiss of death”, however, working outside the MOS and staying there too long possibly could be. The bottom line is that Soldiers should perform to the best of their ability in jobs and tasks assigned. They should not look for the system to hold their hand or expect their chain-of-command to lead them down the path. Remember, a Soldier’s best career manager is themselves.
-- The time for Soldiers to prepare for promotion boards is not three-months before the board convenes, but rather their entire NCO career. Just prior to the board convening is when Soldiers should “fine tune” their file to ensure it represents them in the best positive manner. Ensuring all documents are present and belong to them, that they have a current photo on file with DAPMIS, and that their ERB is accurate and corresponds to their OMPF is key.

65. HRC WEB SITE https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/active/index2.asp
: HRC’s Web Site Address.

66. My Promotion File: “Through the My Promotion File link, Soldier's can access their OMPF, check to see if their last NCOER is on file, check to see if their latest photo was received via DAPMIS, and check to see if their ERB is up-to-date and accurate.”

67. JOE.SNUFFY
***********
Promotion File Log-In: “When a Soldier is in the selection board zone of consideration they can review their promotion file on-line. The information reviewed is the exact same information that board members will see when voting the file. The first step is logging in to the system. This is done via AKO identification. All Soldier’s in the zone of consideration for an upcoming board will receive an AKO from the Secretariat informing them that they are in the zone and provide them with instructions on how to prepare for the board. It will also contain a link to the HRC web-site for review of their file.”

68. Promotion File: “The promotion file is broken down into several sections which are all important to the board process. The tabs along the top identify each of the areas of the file.
-- The DA Photo tab provides a link to DAPMIS.
-- The final tab is the Statements tab. This tab is now used for all Selection Boards, SFC; MSG; CSM/SGM/SMC, and is used for SSGs, SFCs, and MSGs to DECLINE consideration for promotion. Additionally, this tab is used to ACCEPT consideration for appointment to CSM, for those eligible.
-- The Board ERB shows the “Board ERB” as it will be presented to board members. Items that are not considered by board members are “X” out, thus only the items shown in the “Board ERB” will be viewed by board members.
-- The Board ERB Validation is where Soldiers digitally sign their “Board ERB”. They sign their ERB using AKO validation. Once they sign, the information is locked into their board file. If changes are needed after validation and prior to the board convening, the Soldier must contact the Board Support Team for assistance.”

69. “Clicking the OMPF tab takes you to OMPF online.”

70. “Clicking the DA Photo tab takes you to the DAPMIS site.”

71. The DAPMIS website will show the NCOs photo of record that will be seen by the Board

72. Statements: “Acceptance and Declination statements are now used for all selection boards. The appropriate tab or tabs will appear for each Soldier based upon their eligibility status. It is extremely important that all Soldiers read this information and understand what it is they are doing prior to submitting their choice. The next section of slides show the details of each possible situation that a Soldier may have if eligible for consideration. If an NCO is eligible for consideration for SFC or MSG, the tabs will reflect the correct information.”

73. JOE.SNUFFY
***********
When an eligible NCO clicks on one of the Acceptance tabs, they will be prompted to enter their AKO username and password for security/verification purposes.

74. JOE.SNUFFY
***********
NCOs eligible for appointment to CSM must either ACCEPT or DECLINE consideration…if they do neither, the NCO will be pulled from the Zone of Consideration for appointment to CSM.

75. The NCO will see this screen once they have ACCEPTED consideration for appointment to CSM.

76. This is the page that an NCO will see if they DECLINE consideration for appointment to CSM.

77. NCOs eligible for promotion from MSG/1SG to SGM, or MSG/1SG eligible only to be considered for attendance to the SMC as an Alternate will see a message like this one from the FY05 CSM/SGM/SMC Board. Note that if an NCO wishes to be considered for promotion to SGM, they must also acceptance consideration for attendance at USAMSC even if they are not selected for promotion.
Additionally, NCOs that hold a PMOS of 79R (Recruiter) must complete the CSM Accept/Decline Statement. Failure to complete an Accept Statement will automatically remove these NCOs from the Zone of Consideration.

78. JOE.SNUFFY
***********

79. This is the page that an NCO will see if they DECLINE consideration for promotion to SGM/USASMC.

80. Effective FY07, eligible SFCs have the option to decline consideration for promotion to MSG. Unlike appointment to CSM, NCOs that do not wish to compete for promotion but fail to complete the declination will automatically be considered for promotion.

81. If an NCO eligible for promotion to SFC or MSG does NOT decline consideration, they will automatically be considered for promotion…unlike appointment to CSM.

82. This is the page that an NCO will see if they DECLINE consideration for promotion to MSG.

83. Also effective FY07, eligible SSGs have the option to decline consideration for promotion to SFC. Again, NCOs failing to complete the declination will automatically be considered for promotion.

85. This is the page that an NCO will see if they DECLINE consideration for promotion to SFC.

86. Occasionally, the Army has more requirements for Permanent Recruiters (PMOS 79R) than it can fill from the ranks of those NCOs that hold the PMOS of 79R. When this happens, Current and Former Detailed Recruiters may be asked if they would like to be considered for promotion as a 79R. If the Detailed Recruiter fits the criteria as outlined in the applicable Board Announcement Message, the NCO will see a “79R Conditional Promotion Statement” available to them. It is VERY IMPORTANT that the eligible NCO read and fully understand all of the information on the tab and in the MILPER Message as it relates to conditional promotion as a 79R.
If the Detailed Recruiter is selected for promotion in their PMOS, the NCO will be promoted in their PMOS. If the NCO is not selected for promotion in their PMOS but is found to be FULLY QUALIFIED for promotion, the board will consider the NCO for promotion in the PMOS of 79R. If the NCO is then selected for promotion as a 79R, the NCO will attend training as directed by USAREC and be awarded a PMOS of 79R.

87. This is the page that an NCO will see if they ACCEPT consideration for conditional promotion as a 79R (recruiter).

88. XXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
Promotion ERB: “After reading the instructions on the main Promotion File page, click the “click here to begin” button. It is important to understand that this system does not allow Soldiers to correct their ERB. It only allows them to review and validate. If after all attempts have been made to correct the ERB using the personnel system fails, Soldiers can validate the ERB with comments and have the opportunity to explain the errors via direct input to board members.”

89. ERB Validation: “The ERB Validation provides three options for Soldiers. They can either validate their ERB signifying that all information is accurate, return to the ERB information page for more guidance, or validate their ERB with comments.”

90. JOE.SNUFFY
“Entering your AKO authentication locks your ERB data for the board to review.”
***********

91. This is the page that an NCO will see once they have validated their ERB.

92. ERB Validation with Comments: “This screen shows the options available to Soldiers when they validate with comments. It is important for them to understand they should be as clear and concise as possible when explaining the comments. Board members will have this exact information, as entered, available to them when they review the file.”

93. JOE.SNUFFY
ERB Validation with Error: “Entering your AKO authentication locks your ERB data and your comments for the board to review.”
***********

95. “If you have validated your Board ERB and have new information in eMILPO that you want to appear on your Board ERB, you can unlock the ERB to allow the new information to be seen. Follow the instructions provided.”

96. JOE.SNUFFY
***********

97. “Once a Soldier has unlocked their ERB, it typically takes hours for the new information to appear on the ‘Board ERB’. Please wait for the information to update in My Promotion File before re-validating.”

98. ?
QUESTIONS