Posted on Mar 15, 2024
Can you get disciplinary action against you for failing your first Promotion Board?
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Good Morning/Afternoon everyone,
I had a question retaining my case. I was informed today that I was to go to a promotion board this Tuesday, given how I thought I passed the SOM board. I was told however that the 1SGs were deciding to send me to the board without notifying my NCOs (I was told outside my chain of command that I was recommended) and that they planned for me to fail and to bar me from my renlistment contract I signed. Is this something I should go to IG for?
I had a question retaining my case. I was informed today that I was to go to a promotion board this Tuesday, given how I thought I passed the SOM board. I was told however that the 1SGs were deciding to send me to the board without notifying my NCOs (I was told outside my chain of command that I was recommended) and that they planned for me to fail and to bar me from my renlistment contract I signed. Is this something I should go to IG for?
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Promotion Board
Posted 9 mo ago
Responses: 6
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This doesn't make sense. One doesn't pass a SOM board. One doesn't have more than one 1SG/CDR to recommend you to the promotion board. What you hear outside your chain of command is immaterial. I am also failing to see the nexus to the Bar. Get with your 1st line, determine the facts and then move out smartly from there. Good Luck
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
SPC (Join to see) - They don't get to initiate a bar anyway. Also if you haven't been counseled in 3 months, they can't deny you to attend either. If it's your primary zone, you have to attend.
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SPC (Join to see)
SFC Kelly Fuerhoff Thank you for responding SFC,
I am in my primary zone, this is the first promotion board that I will be attending. My ETS date was set Dec 27 however I already signed a renlistment contract. They are allowing me to attend and I plan to attend. I am not sure if I will lose my contract and be barred if I fail the Promotion Board however.
I am in my primary zone, this is the first promotion board that I will be attending. My ETS date was set Dec 27 however I already signed a renlistment contract. They are allowing me to attend and I plan to attend. I am not sure if I will lose my contract and be barred if I fail the Promotion Board however.
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CSM Chuck Stafford
SPC (Join to see) - Big day today -- Hopefully you did well and were recommended for promotion. If not, study and get back to the board ASAP. Getting back into the fight presents you in a better light than raw rote memorization of information. You got this
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SPC (Join to see)
CSM Chuck Stafford Thank you for your Support CSM Stamford, I managed to pass the board and in the clear now. The support and advice were greatly appreciated and helped ease my nerves going in.
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Having read thru this post, I have the following statements/comments to make:
1) You do not pass a SOM Board. You either win the Board or don't win. Not being kicked out of the Board does not mean you passed the SOM Board.
2) It is your FLL (usually your Squad Leader) that recommends you for the Board. No 1SG worth their weight in common sense would send you to the Board without first notifying your NCO Chain. This includes your Squad Leader and Platoon Sergeant. Because you need to be counselled about attending the Promotion Board.
3) As for one of the 1SGs that will sit on the Board planning on kicking you out of the Board....yea, that won't fly. That Promotion Board belongs to your CSM. Kicking you out will be stepping all up in the CSM Lane. Again, no 1SG worth their weight in common sense will step into the CSM lane. All those 1SG Board Members can do is to vote Yay or Nay for Recommendation.
4) It is not up to the 1SGs sitting on the Board that can Bar you. Not even the CSM can Bar you. That authority lies solely with Commanders. The only thing the 1SG can do regarding the Bar is to recommend to the Commander to Bar/Not Bar you. If everyone got a Bar to Reenlist for not being recommended at their VERY FIRST Promotion Board....No one would want to go. I can't even tell you the number of Boards I have sat on where almost all the Presentees were not recommended for Promotion. None of them got Barred.
I am thinking that you REALLY need to speak with your NCO Chain in one sitting, from your Team Leader all the way to your 1SG, and get the real scoop. Could be someone is playing what they think is a funny prank by getting you all worked up/nervous. Could be you heard wrong because the people that told you this may have heard wrong.
1) You do not pass a SOM Board. You either win the Board or don't win. Not being kicked out of the Board does not mean you passed the SOM Board.
2) It is your FLL (usually your Squad Leader) that recommends you for the Board. No 1SG worth their weight in common sense would send you to the Board without first notifying your NCO Chain. This includes your Squad Leader and Platoon Sergeant. Because you need to be counselled about attending the Promotion Board.
3) As for one of the 1SGs that will sit on the Board planning on kicking you out of the Board....yea, that won't fly. That Promotion Board belongs to your CSM. Kicking you out will be stepping all up in the CSM Lane. Again, no 1SG worth their weight in common sense will step into the CSM lane. All those 1SG Board Members can do is to vote Yay or Nay for Recommendation.
4) It is not up to the 1SGs sitting on the Board that can Bar you. Not even the CSM can Bar you. That authority lies solely with Commanders. The only thing the 1SG can do regarding the Bar is to recommend to the Commander to Bar/Not Bar you. If everyone got a Bar to Reenlist for not being recommended at their VERY FIRST Promotion Board....No one would want to go. I can't even tell you the number of Boards I have sat on where almost all the Presentees were not recommended for Promotion. None of them got Barred.
I am thinking that you REALLY need to speak with your NCO Chain in one sitting, from your Team Leader all the way to your 1SG, and get the real scoop. Could be someone is playing what they think is a funny prank by getting you all worked up/nervous. Could be you heard wrong because the people that told you this may have heard wrong.
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SPC (Join to see)
Thank you for responding MSG,
For the 1st statement you are correct, I didn’t use the right words when conveying what I meant by “passing”. The SOM board took place while the CSM and BC were both away while we are TDY. The Board President was an activist 1SG and the members were all SSG and above. I was informed that before my initial entry to the board that the Board President said “I told him yesterday that if he attends the board I was going to kick him out”. Seeing as I was able to go through the initial movements of the board I believed I was doing well.
The Second statement, when I asked my Squad Leader if he was tracking that I was going to the Board this Tuesday he told me he was not. I had learned this information from one of the Board Members who is our S1 NCOIC. She asked me if I was ready for the Promotion Board and that I was on the list of names attending.
The Third statement would be true, as I had meant to refer to me being kicked from the SOM Board and not the Promotion Board, my apologies.
Addressing the 4th statement, while I was talking to my NCO, he had addressed to me that my performance in the SOM had made the 1SGs very upset as I didn’t know all the questions pertaining NCOs. I was informed by both him and our Career counselor(who was sitting in on the conversation) that the 1SGs were wanting me to fail the board on Tuesday and flag me/bar me. Either one of these will make me lose my seat I got for my Renlistment contract.
I am getting a counseling statement written up this Monday that will have more information on paper but from what I am tracking and told by my NCO, he managed to give me 3 months to practice and do SOM Boards before I go to my initial Promotion Boards. If I do not then I will be barred for reenlistment or flagged.
I hope this cleared some information up MSG, I am confused as well but if there is any advice or guidance that may help me then I would gladly accept it. Thank you.
For the 1st statement you are correct, I didn’t use the right words when conveying what I meant by “passing”. The SOM board took place while the CSM and BC were both away while we are TDY. The Board President was an activist 1SG and the members were all SSG and above. I was informed that before my initial entry to the board that the Board President said “I told him yesterday that if he attends the board I was going to kick him out”. Seeing as I was able to go through the initial movements of the board I believed I was doing well.
The Second statement, when I asked my Squad Leader if he was tracking that I was going to the Board this Tuesday he told me he was not. I had learned this information from one of the Board Members who is our S1 NCOIC. She asked me if I was ready for the Promotion Board and that I was on the list of names attending.
The Third statement would be true, as I had meant to refer to me being kicked from the SOM Board and not the Promotion Board, my apologies.
Addressing the 4th statement, while I was talking to my NCO, he had addressed to me that my performance in the SOM had made the 1SGs very upset as I didn’t know all the questions pertaining NCOs. I was informed by both him and our Career counselor(who was sitting in on the conversation) that the 1SGs were wanting me to fail the board on Tuesday and flag me/bar me. Either one of these will make me lose my seat I got for my Renlistment contract.
I am getting a counseling statement written up this Monday that will have more information on paper but from what I am tracking and told by my NCO, he managed to give me 3 months to practice and do SOM Boards before I go to my initial Promotion Boards. If I do not then I will be barred for reenlistment or flagged.
I hope this cleared some information up MSG, I am confused as well but if there is any advice or guidance that may help me then I would gladly accept it. Thank you.
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MSG (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) IOT have these kinds of negative statements come from NCOs....you must have missed off someone very much. Regardless, the ONLY person that can bar you is your Commander. Study your ass off as best you can. You're not going to know everything an NCO is supposed to know right off the jump. Hell, I bet that most (if not all) them 1SGs don't know everything there is to know. I sure don't. Do your best, disregard their BS scare tactics, and do not worry about being barred unless the Commander directly tells you.
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SPC (Join to see)
MSG (Join to see) Thank you MSG. I am not giving up on myself but I didn’t want to be in constant fear of losing my career from a single mistake at the Board. Thank you for your help and time!
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This doesn't even make sense. What 1SGs? Like all the 1SGs in the BN who sit on the board? Why would they be the ones recommending you to go to a promotion board? It's supposed to come from your first line. Also you're supposed to get counseled on attending the board.
Who told you this? One of the 1SGs? Did you go talk to your direct leadership? What do you mean you "thought" you passed SOM board? Did you or not? But a SOM board isn't a requirement to go to a promotion board technically.
This sounds like some weird gossip. I'd be going to my direct leadership chain before going to IG. But no - they can't "plan" for you to fail before you even show up. This is the weirdest thing I've heard about.
Who told you this? One of the 1SGs? Did you go talk to your direct leadership? What do you mean you "thought" you passed SOM board? Did you or not? But a SOM board isn't a requirement to go to a promotion board technically.
This sounds like some weird gossip. I'd be going to my direct leadership chain before going to IG. But no - they can't "plan" for you to fail before you even show up. This is the weirdest thing I've heard about.
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SPC (Join to see)
Thank you for responding SFC,
I was too vague in my wording and apologize for that.
By 1SGs it would be correct that it would be all the 1SGs in BN. I was informed by one of the Board members for SOM who is also the S1 NCOIC that my name was on the list for the Promotion Board on Tuesday. I asked my NCO if he was aware of this and he told me he was not tracking and that he needed to talk to our 1SG. When he came back he had said that the 1SGs are unhappy at my performance in the SOM Board and that they had planned to send me to go to the Board on Tuesday and Fail it so that they may Bar/Flag me. He had said that he managed to get me 3 months to study and he is going to write it down in a counseling session for me on Monday. I’ll have more information in paper on what is going on by then.
My NCO is the one who talked to our 1SG. He is the one who also talked to me about what they had wanted to do. When I said I thought I passed the SOM I had meant that I was not immediately kicked out from attending the Board. The Board President had made his voice clear telling the members “I had told him yesterday that if he attends the board that I will kick him out”. So I considered it a success for not being kicked out.
I don’t believe it is a requirement to go to a SOM however it is strongly advised for us to attend before our Promotion Board by my Company 1SG and CMD.
I am currently in a situation where my School House Slot and Bonus can be lost if I pick up (P) status or CPL however my Slot isn’t for another year and I would also lose it if I get a Flag or Bar.
I hope this might clear up any confusion and if there is any advice or guidance it’ll be greatly appreciated. Thank you
I was too vague in my wording and apologize for that.
By 1SGs it would be correct that it would be all the 1SGs in BN. I was informed by one of the Board members for SOM who is also the S1 NCOIC that my name was on the list for the Promotion Board on Tuesday. I asked my NCO if he was aware of this and he told me he was not tracking and that he needed to talk to our 1SG. When he came back he had said that the 1SGs are unhappy at my performance in the SOM Board and that they had planned to send me to go to the Board on Tuesday and Fail it so that they may Bar/Flag me. He had said that he managed to get me 3 months to study and he is going to write it down in a counseling session for me on Monday. I’ll have more information in paper on what is going on by then.
My NCO is the one who talked to our 1SG. He is the one who also talked to me about what they had wanted to do. When I said I thought I passed the SOM I had meant that I was not immediately kicked out from attending the Board. The Board President had made his voice clear telling the members “I had told him yesterday that if he attends the board that I will kick him out”. So I considered it a success for not being kicked out.
I don’t believe it is a requirement to go to a SOM however it is strongly advised for us to attend before our Promotion Board by my Company 1SG and CMD.
I am currently in a situation where my School House Slot and Bonus can be lost if I pick up (P) status or CPL however my Slot isn’t for another year and I would also lose it if I get a Flag or Bar.
I hope this might clear up any confusion and if there is any advice or guidance it’ll be greatly appreciated. Thank you
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
SPC (Join to see) - Those 1SGs are nuts. They seem to not understand regulation or something. Idk. They sound out of their minds. The 1SG doesn't initiate a bar to reenlistment or continued service. That's the commander...so if these 1SGs all no go you at the promotion board, they'll have to tell you and your sponsor why you got a no go from all of them.
SOM is more practice for promotion boards than anything but it's just a competition board anyway. Not everyone is going to get picked as the SOM or NCO of the month. And from month to month it's going to change who does win it.
Honestly I would go talk to JAG. This sounds weird af.
SOM is more practice for promotion boards than anything but it's just a competition board anyway. Not everyone is going to get picked as the SOM or NCO of the month. And from month to month it's going to change who does win it.
Honestly I would go talk to JAG. This sounds weird af.
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