I passed my promotion board!

M

MJF

Joined
Jan 10, 2009
Messages
484
Today I passed my promotion board for SGT with 149 points out of 150! The First Sergeants and Command Sergeant Major asked me a couple of questions from the study guide, then asked me a bunch of questions about my job. I had them eating out of my hand! My sponsor played up my job really well, and it helped that the board was conducted by our supporting unit, as they are combat arms and didn't really know what MI, and more specifically, my team do....Also, my team's all about targeting (we roll outside the wire with their time sensitive target platoon and have rolled up the majority of their High Value Targets...our team's very small...only twelve people, so for us to have rolled up the majority of their HVI's is a big deal) so that helped me out big time. For those in the know, being promotable is a pretty good feeling - especially seeing as this will be my first promotion.
 
While not quite the same as a military promotion, when I made Sergeant on my unit, there was a great rush of mixed feelings: relief that my career was progressing, fulfillment that my work was paying off, stark terror that I would now be responsible for my friends and coworkers' lives, doubt about my ability to lead and keep the respect I deserved and about a dozen others all welled up.

I felt like throwing up, a bit--it was great! Now, I'm just past the end of my first year, and there's no place I'd rather be! I'm working the best shift on the farm, my Lt. is like a God among men, and my Brother-Sergeants and I have formed exactly the kind of team that I feel like I came to work to find.

Of course, being the eternal worrier that I am, I keep just waiting...I expect the shoe to drop just any moment, now... :p

Anyway, congrats on your promotion, and thanks for your service!! Make us a good one!
 
Congrats. I remember sitting before my first promotion board in the Saudi Arabian desert in a tent that had to be 120 degrees inside. It feels good when those Sgt. stripes are pinned on. Enjoy the new found responsibility.
 
For some reason (civilian patriotism I guess), I got goose bumps reading your post. Most of it, I do not understand. I do sense that you take pride in your work, and you are an honorable soldier. May God continue to bless your work and keep you out of harm's way.
 
Thanks all for your well wishes. It's a pretty great feeling. Now I just have to remember where I came from...For me that's most important.
 
Wasn't the board worth 200 points about 15 years ago? I for some reason remember that being the achieveable number. One thing I found was that having sat for Soldier of the Month/Quarter boards, the E-5 board was less stressful.
 
Yeah, this was my first board, so I didn't really know what to expect. I wish I had had some NCO's who were more about developing soldiers earlier on. That's one thing I'm going to remember further on down the road...Good NCO's develop soldiers.
 
MJF said:
Good NCO's develop soldiers.
Click to expand...

That's the truth. In the Air Force they told us we start out learning from the people we work with, then we do the job as best we can, and swing into teaching the new guys who are replacing us before we move on.

When I was a Postal Service manager, I got outstanding numbers of people promoted. It always left me without all those key people in my operation, so I had to develop replacements for them. Not always easy to do that, but very satisfying.
 
Congrats on the board results, there young soldier. The backbone of the Services are the NCO's, hold your head high and wear those stripes with pride, I'm sure you earned them.
Keep up the good work, that first rocker feels even better.
 
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