Photo By Tech. Sgt. Nestor Cruz | Air Force Staff Sgt. Fanor Ramos (right), International Security Assistance Force,...... read more read more
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KABUL, Afghanistan -- Sweat trickles down the soldier’s brow as he sits in front of five senior non-commissioned officers, answering their rapid fire questions as best as he can. Seconds feel like minutes, and minutes feel like hours. After what seems like an eternity, the interrogation is complete and the soldier is excused.
This scene may seem like disciplinary action for other services, but for members of the U.S. Army, it’s another day in front of the board.
The International Security Assistance Force Joint junior enlisted and NCO of the Month Board convened recently to recognize the best junior enlisted members among the four U.S. military branches.
“As a first sergeant, I held soldier of the month boards and NCO of the month boards back in the rear [home station] to recognize my soldiers who are doing a great job, then they would be able to compete at the battalion soldier/NCO of the quarter board,” said Army 1st Sgt. Michael Lindsay, ISAF U.S. National Support Element senior enlisted leader. “It’s really to recognize our outstanding service members who are doing a good job. They are recognized by their seniors for the great job they’re doing in their daily work, and on top of that they study on their own time and take more initiative.”
Lindsay created the joint board as an opportunity to gain a better understanding of camp policies.
“The two primary reasons for the board are to recognize service members doing a good job and help with reinforcing standards on this post,” Lindsay said. “I figured if we have a board, we can take some of the top priority issues and have those as study subjects. As [junior NCOs] are studying these subjects, they can have someone else help them study and share knowledge of these issues as they study them.”
Joint board candidates compete in two categories, E-1 to E-4 and E-5 to E-6, and are evaluated in four areas: personal appearance, bearing and self-confidence; oral expression and conversational skills; knowledge of world affairs; and basic knowledge. A maximum of 25 points can be earned for each area.
Each board member fills out an evaluation sheet, adding comments on each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. Evaluation sheets are collected for each candidate and the points are averaged. After all candidates have been interviewed, the board selects the candidate with the highest score.
The names of the board winners are submitted for the Joint Service Achievement Medal.
“I think it’s a good program,” said Army Staff Sgt. Marscha Boydston, ISAF US NSE property book manager and the first E5-E6 of the Month winner. “It’s a good experience for the E-4s and below. It helps teach them leadership and confidence because it’s nerve wracking standing in front of your senior peers. It’s also an opportunity to be recognized and receive an award and that’s always a good thing.”
Boydston said it’s very encouraging to see senior NCO’s taking a sincere interest in the success of junior NCO’s like herself.
“For them to take time out of their schedule to show they care about junior NCOs and want to have a personal interest in helping us do something to better ourselves … I think it’s really a good thing,” she said.
Boydston said she primarily studied on her own, researching topics listed on the memorandum of instruction Lindsay emailed to each candidate. But the Army sergeant also turned to her coworkers for support.
“For the topics I really had no knowledge about, I printed out the information and made up my own questions and I had [Spc. Rachel] Carriere quiz me throughout the day,” Boydston said.
In creating the joint board, Lindsay felt it was important to have senior NCOs from all four military branches.
A representative from each service branch sits on the joint board, providing an equal playing field for any service member who appears before the board.
“When I talked to the senior NCOs, I told them [potential board members] needed to be someone who would be a valuable member, be able to judge different service members fairly across the board and have a good standard for judging,” Lindsay said.
Marine Master Sgt. Michael Trower, joint board member, said the key to sitting on the board is having an open mind.
“The big thing is you’ve got to have an open mind because you’re dealing with all services and if you go in there thinking strictly Marines or Army and so on, you won’t be anything more than a hindrance,” Trower said.
Trower believes appearing before the joint board is a good learning experience for anyone striving to better themselves.
“You’ve got to take every experience and learn from it, whether it’s good or bad,” said Trower. “Coming here and doing this board, whether you win or lose, it’s a good experience. There aren’t many chances to work in a joint environment and pull that knowledge in and understand how the sister services work.”
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2012 06:50 |
| Story ID: | 87139 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Hometown: | ATLANTA, GA, US |
| Hometown: | JACKSONVILLE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | LITTLE ROCK, AR, US |
| Hometown: | LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, AR, US |
| Hometown: | OAK HARBOR, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 381 |
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