Do you have your records at their best?

2014-07-15T10:18:45-04:00

I have noticed that many NCOs (even senior NCOs) have problems with their records that just get overlooked. Something may seem so very small but that just might be the thing that gets someone else selected over you.

How much time have you/do you spend on your records? Do you wait until you are in the zone of consideration? (bad idea) Have you had multiple people look over your records?

I know many have put it out there but I am always willing to look over ERBs, and make recommendations. Please do yourself a favor and don't wait until it is crunch time. It took me a while to get mine straight and I have kept it that way since. I check my ERB every single day when I come to work to make sure that nothing has changed. While that may seem like overkill, I have found that system updates/changes will cause things to change randomly on mine and it only takes a walk to the S1 shop to get it corrected.

Response by CW5 Sam R. Baker made Jul 15 at 2014 10:24 AM

2014-07-15T10:24:42-04:00

Yes I do except the top line or the ORB!

I do a quarterly review with the file online, to ensure all documents are still there, professional, schools, OERs, awards and the like.

DA Photo annually taken so it is up to date and not old.......

ORB is the toughest as S1's and other types do updates that change stuff, so I often review it and correct the unit name for aesthetics (line it up and format same as all previous) and then check the duty title.

Once it is done, it is too easy!

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Jul 15 at 2014 10:35 AM

2014-07-15T10:35:28-04:00

I think so. I have used the last three boards I was interested in to whip them into shape.

HOWEVER, when getting ready for the current board I am interested in, I found a number of errors & omissions. Several were recent things, but several were also somehow missed in the past.

Lesson: It is a never-ending quest to get them truly "right." CW5 Sam R. Baker has it right - You should do it quarterly, or at least semi-annually. At the last minute is not the way to do a through job. I do this for my civilian resume and really should for the Army side as well. This is where your outlook calendar can be your friend.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2014 12:29 PM

2014-07-15T12:29:57-04:00

I absolutely agree with you SFC(P) Gilley, I also check my ERB on a daily or every other day bases to ensure there are no unknown changes. When it comes to my records I have been working on updating them for the past few months. Trying to get all my ducks in a row for when I do get look at (which I have a couple of years to wait for). I have been able to finally get all my training and awards updated into my OMPF, however I am missing a 1059 from ALC and a couple of NCOER's which I am working on the memo's to have them sailed mailed to HRC for input.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2014 5:44 PM

2014-07-15T17:44:03-04:00

Great discussion SFC(P) Gilley! I update/check my records at least weekly. I am also transitioning to a digital "I Love Me Book" to ensure I never lose any documents. With the downsizing effecting more Soldiers, its important to have your records up to date and accurate.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 16 at 2014 9:28 AM

2014-07-16T09:28:03-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member I reviewed the ERB you sent me and replied to the email with a word document. If you have questions, you can either contact me here or through email.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2014 7:19 AM

2014-09-01T07:19:33-04:00

1SG Private RallyPoint Member, could you update your tags to include "SRB" and look over mine? That last part is a a joke. However, I will note that the SRB Training, available in ALMS through the IPPS-A website, is very informative.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Sep 22 at 2014 7:47 AM

2014-09-22T07:47:55-04:00

In the Guard, we used to do annual reviews with the state and unit S1s. At that point in time (and because RI is too small for its own good) all MPRJs were kept at State HQ and unit S1s submitted paperwork for the state S1 to manage or in many cases mismanage.

Rule 1 - keep copies of EVERYTHING - LES, assignment and award orders especially!
Rule 2 - when in doubt, see rule 1

Every year it was like the trunk monkey was allowed to rummage through the MPRJ files. I'd be told to remove things one year, then 2 months later receive a note that the item that was removed was missing. Things would "mysteriously" be removed and never given to SMs.

And my personal favorites:

When the KDSM came into being, I had to prove I served in Korea because the S1 had no assignment orders in my file. They had orders sending me to Korea to the then replacement detachment (the "turtle farm") which is where all SMs were ordered to for in-processing/out-processing, and orders sending me home a year later from the detachment, but not my actual unit orders - the trunk monkey at work again. "Well how do we know these were not 2 separate training assignments" - was how the state S1 approached it with me. (the individual was eventually promoted to S1 SGM - 5 years from E6 to E9 - guess no one screwed with that person's paperwork) I had to find my orders and even then it took them 2 months to issue the award orders with a loud "Harumph" - they were pissed off because I had my ducks in order.

I served with a COL, now BG, Charles Petrarca, Jr., no relationship to me which the state S1 magically thought was the same person as moi, MAJ Robert Petrarca, Jr. The mix-ups got so bad that the COL & I would just call each other every few months to ask the other to look through our MPRJ to find the document the other was missing. Funny but pathetic and 99% of the time that's exactly what the issue was. Funny, never seemed to mix up our pay checks though.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2014 7:49 AM

2014-09-22T07:49:28-04:00

I am just as OCD with mine and luckily I was blessed with a wife that was an SME because she worked for the MPSD. Mine were always straight. Many of the guys that I sent to see her got selected and sent her thank you notes but she always told them it wasn't her. She said " you did all the work, I just make it look good on paper".
We'll see in March but if there are no vacancies there can't be promotions. Last year only 6 got selected out of hundreds.