How long will it take before not deploying is normal and not counted against you during promotion boads?

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 00:10:02 -0400

It seems like with the downsizing of the force they look at everything to set you apart from others. Deployment has been one of those items even before 9/11. So now that combat operations will being "non-existent" and very small forces left in Afghanistan when do you think it will be normal to not have deployed and it not count against you during promotion boards? Obviously it might be sooner for 1LTs going to CPT or E4 to E5, but how long for MAJ to LTC for E7 to E8?

Thoughts?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2014 12:39 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 00:39:43 -0400

Some of my soldiers have complained about their promotion points for the deployed category (E-4>E-5>E-6) and how they are not competitive against their peers with only a single deployment, etc... My argument has been that given time deployments will become less common and that the average points their peers have in that category will either force the average points to be promoted for their MOS to fall or for the category to be adjusted in future Army policy.

I suspect that the Combat Support and Combat Service Support branches will be the first to feel the effects of reduced deployments/short term deployments. I just hope that the return to a garrison mindset doesn't mean returning to leadership by board jockeys... I never understood the "value" of answering trivia questions and the relationship to mission success.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2014 5:07 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 17:07:10 -0400

LTC Private RallyPoint Member, already I look around and wonder how so many SGTs (and even some SSGs) have never deployed. I feel like before long I will be in the minority.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2014 5:17 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 17:17:36 -0400

I have seen many soldiers without deployments promoted over soldiers with deployments. It is easier to achieve a higher points rating with a deployment, I completely understand even after returning from my deployment.
I feel like the reason why deployments matter during a board and towards promotion is because for the most part, soldiers who deployed are set apart from other soldiers, at least in junior enlisted ranks.
Experience, respect, overall appreciation for things in most cases. I understand that is not completely true, but to an extent, I have seen that as the case time and time again.
I am not saying deployed soldiers are more valuable or better soldiers, I personally, feel like they have more to offer to or future soldiers in most aspects.

Response by SFC Lamont Womack made Oct 27 at 2014 10:18 PM

SFC Lamont Womack — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 22:18:32 -0400

I think promotion points for deployments is a terrible idea. Promotion points should be based on performance and areas that Soldiers can directly control. Unless a Soldier individually volunteered to get deployed he or she should not get promotion points for deployments.

Example: Two Soldiers join the Army at the same time and go to Basic and AIT. Soldier A gets orders to 82nd and Soldier B gets orders to Korea. Soldier A gets to go airborne and deploy because they are in 82nd. Soldier B doesn't get to do either because they got stationed in Korea. Neither one of these Soldiers had a say in where they got stationed so why should one get extra promotion points?

Plus there were Soldiers on my deployments that literally worked three hours a day. They spent more time in the MWR than at their actual work area. Should those Soldiers receive promotion points for that?? I don't think so.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2014 1:37 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 01:37:05 -0400

When I was a young Soldier, my three buddies and I were literally the first Soldiers to report to the unit after they redeployed from the Gulf War. We heard all about it from PFCs that had been in the Army six months longer than us about how much better they were than us. Never mind that they saw all of six hours of action...

Afterwards, it took about five years to normalize, as there were big downsizing activity in the Army then as well.

I would anticipate a similar timeframe this time around. It'll take longer at the senior levels - as it should. Personally, I think there are very few valid excuses (don't beat me up, I know you are out there TRADOC/ NCOA/ "I volunteered, but they wouldn't let me" guy) that would get me to buy into the idea that anyone boarding for E-7 and up who didn't do their job in a war that lasted over 13 years and never got into the big game has any business leading a formation of combat-tested Soldiers for several years to come.

Response by MSG David Johnson made Mar 4 at 2018 1:29 PM

MSG David Johnson — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 13:29:44 -0500

This is an interesting question.
While on AD I had Desert Storm, but never heard about the deployment affecting promotion points on E-5 or E-6 boards. Then as a Reservist the boards are not presence boards, and DA Photos are not required, nor were they listed on the required packet documentation.
On the E-7 and E-8 board, it's the same, you submit your packet, but a DA photo is required. My E-8 board packet was prepared while at Mob station so ACU's were authorized, I'm not sure how the E-9 selections were handled.
But even my Soldiers who's packets went to the E-5/6 boards in 2006/7 there was nothing in them about deployments. There may have been points given for those who had the CIB or CAB, or other awards specific to combat zones, i.e. PH, BSM, etc.
I'm interested to hear what's going on with the presence boards and having been deployed. I can understand senior NCO selection at DA level, I've got a couple friends who retired as SFC because they were passed over for E-8.

Curiosity

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made Mar 4 at 2018 11:21 PM

MSG John Duchesneau — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 23:21:05 -0500

It will probably be another five years, provided deployments don't ramp up again. Bear in mind from 2001 to 2011 it was normal to deploy every 3 years on average. Those who did not deploy were viewed, rightfully in my opinion, as slackers. Since 2011 the ops tempo has reduced significantly so deployment opportunities are rarer. If you are worried about your career being hurt by not having deployed, remember this - Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and Matthew Ridgeway all spent all of World War I stateside. Their careers turned out okay.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Mar 5 at 2018 12:01 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 00:01:00 -0500

probably 4-10 years

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jul 29 at 2019 2:15 PM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 14:15:27 -0400

OK, as an old timer, as soon as the enlistment and retention numbers get low enough for the DOD to panic again. Or that seems to be that policy in the Army during any draw down, get as strict and mindless about everything you can until you reach the goal. The problem has always been that they drive a lot of good people out and don't enlist a lot of acceptable soldiers until they realize that they are understrength again. As a perfect example in the Army, lets use Tattoos. There has been at least four regulation changes about tattoos that I am aware, two that were very strict and two that relaxed those regulations, all according to how far off the recruitment numbers were from goal. I think the points for deployments will wash out rather quickly with the low numbers of deployments, so I'm not sure that will be much of an issue unless you are in one of those competitive positions like Cpt to Major or SSG to 1st Sgt.