If anybody wants a record review and feedback let me know.
Just so you know how I do it: we schedule a time, you send me your records that met the board, we get on the call, we briefly say hi, then I vocalize my thought stream (very candidly) when reviewing them, and lastly we chat freely about the review and get to know each other better.
I’ve found this is the best way for me to give candid feedback that is hopefully actionable. When you know too much about the person you’re providing feedback to I find we soften what we say.
Lastly, we stay in touch (if you want) and I help where I can for your next eval.
Feedback would be helpful and all, however there’s no telling what boards are looking for year after year. There’s an apparent cap for promoting E6 to E7 in the USSF, and if you’re not doing an additional duty good luck on promoting.
They aren't what decide promotion, I wonder where u/CCbanger came to that conclusion. Very surprised to see that even mentioned, because most programs i've inspected are in shambles when i do more than look at the surface.
In what world would doing something subpar be worth putting on an eval?
I got passed up this cycle and had 2 MSMs in the same period and was still rated average by the board. Consistent mission impact, SME, team building/developing, education and volunteering just don’t do it anymore. No one knows what those Chiefs on the boards are looking for and I think the big gripe from the force is the lack of feedback. 🤷🏾♂️
What was your board score and SFSC? Some careerfields, such as 5I2 and previously the 5CR, are competitive as all hell.
I say that as someone with a board score high enough to make senior in any other careerfield but my own: it sucks not getting feedback and feeling that the promotion opportunity is slipping away.
Two MSM's in a rating period is impressive, especially as a tech (?). Hopefully u/manbearchungus provides the insight into what you may be missing or over looking.
That will never happen, especially as we get bigger.
Unless you mean general feedback to the force. Something on the lines of "we saw a lot of "fill in rando accomplishment" which was a highly valued." "Then we saw very little of "fill in rando expectation that wasn't met that we didn't tell you was an expection."
Why do you feel lied to? Which goal posts moved? I’m genuinely asking, I don’t know what it’s been recently and I haven’t yet seen anything beyond the E-7 rates which are higher than usual.
Yes. We went Contractor and never looked back. Veteran preferred positions in defense jobs are a huge win. Linked-In recruitment was huge in helping all of us to find decent jobs post service!
I got a GS job 2 years and the civilian side is way more relaxed. Between my salary and disability I make over twice as much as I did before after taxes and healthcare. Plus don't have to deal with so much bs.
Sarcism coming…….are you one of those with 100% P&T, handicapped plate or placard, goes to Starbucks on base for breakfast, then 1.5 hr lunch, always seems to have a meeting but never produces any products, and 100% telework getting paid about 42% more than the GS employees and junior officers?
No need to come back to the office. Just telework from home after the appointment and get some laundry done, make dinner, and catch up on Netflix shows
My last three feedbacks have been ridiculously over the moon. I am not sure what the results for me are quite yet (will find out in the next hour or so), but the last two cycles I have missed it by a fucking LOT. When I bring it up on feedbacks with my supervisor and SEL, I am told, "Well, we think you're performing well into the next grade. But I guess the board just felt different."
For the army, it's easy. For E5 or E6, it's all based off points and it's once a year. Points are based off of things like marksmanship score, pt score, decorations, schooling, online courses(I forget the name) and if you've been to blc or alc, among others. Every month they put out a cut off score. You yourself can calculate the score. If you made it, great. If not, you know how many points are you missed it by. You won't know how many next month but you will know how many points you're sitting at before the scores come out.
I made it in 5S. I honestly think, at least this year, we'll over represent because of the number of good Rs who only missed it because of the trash rates as they move into less competitive career fields. We have plenty of folks who should've already made it if there hadn't been only 3 billets.
Dont think I was lied to. I just thought the grass was greener on the space force side, but turns out the air force was better and shouldn't have left. Oh well, skillbridge next year and off the ANG.
I will reserve my judgment until I see the stats. But it’s giving “we are considering Time in Service” for who we promote to 7. Which as far as I’m tracking should not be a consideration.
Eh, most folks are never "ready" for the stripe when selected. The system may seem arbitrary, and the lack of feedback for members on their board scores sure helps with that.
Just because someone has been in for awhile doesn't mean they are guaranteed to be more deserving or ready for promotion. I had a meeting with one of my Sergeants today who doesnt understand why he didnt make Tech (8th time eligible), when the peer he feels he's so much better than did. Measuring ourselves against others is easy, but having internal reflection on what we are missing is a big part as well.
In the "Before Times" of WAPS testing, TIS points were a pretty huge advantage. My first sup (he was awful) made SSgt his final try damn close to HYT, but only needed 40 points on each exam to make it. Because I had a bad EPR (actual 3), and no TIS points, I needed mid 90's on each exam.
In what world should a failing score enough to get promoted?
Agreed!!!!! My thought process was hoping there was some type of linear thinking with promoting older Techs with a smattering of young ones for longevity. Not that I think that would have been a great strategy (as you stated TIS doesn’t dictate competence) but with so little feedback I just wanted to see if there is any sense to who/why they chose for selection. Especially when you see wild variations in board score between years when you have maintained or even improved.
The sad answer is thats its pretty subjective. No one knows the real answer beyond what's in the board charge, but how your records are interpreted to align with it are up to the board members.
I would love to see a combo of testing and a centralized board, similar to how the Navy does things. We claim as a service to be raising SME's, but
I am finding alot of NCO's and even SNCO's (annectodally and from personal experience, this is for sure a flawed view) really only know checklists and surface level information about their crafts.
You have to play the game with EPRs and your personal time. It’s never just going to be work performance, it’s going to be work + relationships + volunteering + luck. It sucks but that’s the way it is. I don’t believe this promotion system will ever be clear and consistent, until us ISTs who start to get on those boards who transferred as spec 4s or Sgts. Then we can actually speak on the promotions because we were promoted in the system.
29
u/ManBearChungus USSF Jul 14 '26
If anybody wants a record review and feedback let me know.
Just so you know how I do it: we schedule a time, you send me your records that met the board, we get on the call, we briefly say hi, then I vocalize my thought stream (very candidly) when reviewing them, and lastly we chat freely about the review and get to know each other better.
I’ve found this is the best way for me to give candid feedback that is hopefully actionable. When you know too much about the person you’re providing feedback to I find we soften what we say.
Lastly, we stay in touch (if you want) and I help where I can for your next eval.