Boards

One of the 'events' that most enlisted soldiers find themselves in at some point in time are Soldier of the Month boards.  I was no exception to this...  My first board was a few months into my first deployment and lets just say I flopped, miserably. 

About eight months later, I was sent to the Battalion Soldier of the Month board again. Since it was the last opportunity individuals who were trying to get recommended for the promotion board had to be recommended, there was a total of 22 soldiers competing.  There were also ten NCOs competing for NCO of the month and promotion board recommendation.  My last name started with an S, so I became the bottom of the list of 'compete'.  The board began at 9am and it was 830pm before I finally went in.  I did very well and ended up finishing on top. 

A month later, I found myself at the Brigade board.  I came in second there, which was a good thing.  The division board was two weeks from that time and I was in the middle of my APART (annual flight evaluations) and finals for my college classes.

The remainder of the deployment and my time at Fort Hood I managed to avoid these boards. 

It started all over again when I got to Germany.  Our 1SG made all soldiers being considered for promotion attend a company Soldier of the Month board before being recommended for promotion. Within my first 60 days in the unit, I attended and won the board and was recommended for promotion. 

I attended my promotion board a few weeks later and about halfway through, the CSM stopped the 1SGs from asking questions and told me to say the NCO Creed.  I said the creed and then he promptly kicked me out of the board.  As I stood outside, I thought I had done something wrong until my sponsor came out.  He had a huge smile on his face and my nerves calmed for the most part.  Later in the day when the scores were read I had received 150 out of 150.

This prompted a whole other round of attendance at boards though.  Just three weeks after I was officially pinned SGT, I was at my first NCO of the Quarter board for Battalion.  I ended up coming in second because the total points counted weapons qual and more recent APFT (I was on a permanent profile for my back, so points are calculated differently).  I assumed that had ended me being a 'Board Baby'.  Was I ever wrong!!

When the next quarter board came up, the CSM told me I WOULD be there.  I attended and this time I won the board, so off to the Brigade board I went.  I took first at the Brigade board, but by saving grace, I would be able to attend the NCO of the year board.  Our company was offset from everyone else for deployment at the time, so the NCO of the year board was going to take place a couple months into our deployment.  That didn't stop them from talking about sending me back from Iraq to compete in the board. 

A little over a year later, I found myself in my last board.  I was standing in front of the CSM and 1SGs in this capacity for the last time as I tried at attain promotable status to SSG (Staff Sergeant).  I walked out of that board promotable.  Within a month, my medical board was initiated and less than a year later I was medically retired.  When I was going through the boards and all the studying and prep, I hated it.  Looking back now, I know that a lot of that 'useless' knowledge I had memorized as fallen into place in many different situations and continues to now.