Marginal 1059 while attending Drill Sergeant School

2014-07-20T13:14:05-04:00

I received a marginal 1059 while attending Drill School in
2011. I went unto the Trail and did really well. While on the trail I won Drill Sergeant of the cycle twice and got great (1 over 1 NCOERs. This pass board was my first look at E8 and I did not make it. I was wondering could it have been because of the marginal that I have received. I have only been in the Army for a total of 11 years. In my 11 years in that is the only bad mark that I ever had in my career. Please let me know what you think.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 21 at 2014 3:08 PM

2014-07-21T15:08:32-04:00

We may never know what either got us promoted or stopped us from being selected. I can tell you from talking to many Sergeants Major that the marginal 1059 definitely will hurt you.

Have you looked on FMSWEB to see what the promotion rate was in your MOS? This last MSG list was very small, and for some MOSs it was VERY, VERY small. My MOS had about an 8% selection rate, and only two people made it in the secondary zone with me being one of them. You were also likely considered in your secondary zone (?) and that made your chances of being selected much less, regardless of the marginal 1059. Next board you will be in the primary zone and that alone will up your chances of being selected. Make sense?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 22 at 2014 1:31 PM

2014-07-22T13:31:13-04:00

SFC Gaines,

A marginal 1059 is def something that can hinder a promotion. I ask though, have you completed your SLC since DS School? If so what was that 1059 like? I am currently an instructor at a NCOA and I know 1059's from an NCOES is def a big deal when it comes to promotion boards.

Response by CSM Mike Maynard made Jul 23 at 2014 8:33 AM

2014-07-23T08:33:48-04:00

1SG Private RallyPoint Member - as stated by a few others, not sure if it hurt you, but it didn't help you.

You have to figure, how many other SFCs had a marginal 1059 - probably not a lot? If there were a sufficient amount of records that the last 5 NCOERS were all really good, then marginal 1059s and other things would be a significant discriminator as that may have been the thing that made you "different" than the others.

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made Oct 20 at 2015 3:25 PM

2015-10-20T15:25:05-04:00

Did youmake the PPRL? THAT ia really the question. Rumint says you never make 1SG on the first try. It took me four (4) bites at the apple before I got promoted. So, that's one thing to bear on mind. Secondly, the next board will more likely discount your 1059, focusing on your NCOERS, instead. Bottom line = keep plugging away. Go after excellent blocks on the next NCOER and you will get the 1SG billet. It might have taken longer than you wanted but a little persistence can go a long way.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2015 6:08 PM

2015-10-21T18:08:24-04:00

As stated you only been in the military for 11 years. You must factor in MOS strength, time in service as well as how many SFCs are up for promotion in your field and who is sitting on the board.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 22 at 2015 12:44 PM

2015-10-22T12:44:14-04:00

Hey Battle buddy,
I don't think the marginal 1059 mattered much. I attended Drill Sergeant school in 2003, was very successful on the trail, and received a very good 1059. I deployed 3 times, did 5 years Airborne duty, was a 2ID reception NCO, BN Commo NCO, plans NCO, master driver, SCCC qualifies, and much more and was never selected. I finally retired in 2011, with out ever getting selected. Oh and also PT score always above 290.
And, I'm hispanic !!!

Mr. C....SFC Retired with pride. no shame in that. God Bless brother. Hang in there. !!!!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 29 at 2015 10:20 PM

2015-10-29T22:20:23-04:00

The board members should be looking at a holistic Soldier, not just what they want to focus on. 1059s, NCOERs, Awards, Photo, ERB being complete and reviewed buy the Soldier, and so on. You can look at a Soldiers record and see patterns and hiccups. If you only have one document that looks like that one, it is not necessarily a disqualifier for promotion. Some board members have their biases, but they are supposed to not use them. You have to remember that a panel sits on your board, not just one person. I cannot stress enough for my Soldiers to continue to develop and ensure that their board files are accurate. They can see when you are stagnating as well. If I saw a marginal on one 1059, I would dig a little deeper into the file to see what the real story is with that Soldier. Drive on SFC and put more good story documents into your file for future boards.