Enlisted Promotion Series Article 2 of 3:Verify and update your records for maximum points

Photo By 1st Lt. Wes Parrell | Soldiers preparing to submit a packet to an upcoming promotion board should be sure to review and verify their Enlisted Records Brief. (Portions of this image have been blurred and cropped to protect Personally Identifiable Information. Photo illustration by Army Sgt. Wes Parrell)  

PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES

03.23.2016

Story by Sgt. Wes Parrell 

Arizona National Guard Public Affairs

PHOENIX – Each promotion season the Arizona Army National Guard’s personnel office publishes a Memorandum of Instruction for the fiscal year’s promotion boards. The MOI is posted to the AZNG intranet system, and to Guard Knowledge Online, and is provided to the units 90 days before the board cycle will begin.

This document contains instructions outlining the board references, suspense dates, packet requirements, and what dates will be used to calculate time in grade and time in service. The service member should review this MOI and compare it to their promotion packet to insure all documents are present and up to date prior to submission.

“It is very important for the service member to take an attentive and vested interest in their promotion board process,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 George Carbajal, enlisted personnel manager for the Arizona Army National Guard. “Too many times a Soldier will rely on their readiness NCO or board sponsor to prepare their board packets and certain things are overlooked. No one knows the Soldier’s personal and professional accomplishments better than the Soldier themselves.”

Once the MOI is published announcing the next board cycle, the timer begins. Soldiers should begin by reviewing and validating their Enlisted Records Brief, which they can find in their Army Knowledge Online account. The ERB is a snapshot of the Soldiers career, and includes military and civilian education, awards, PT scores, and weapons qualifications. The board uses this as one of the primary documents that represent the Solider on paper. A Soldier may receive a penalty from the board for failing to validate this form.

“Soldiers should not wait until they are boarding for promotion to review and validate their ERB,” Carbajal said. “I have seen very good Soldiers not receive the rating they could have from the board due to outdated ERB’s, or they discovered a discrepancy but did not have enough time to correct it before their packet was due.”

Education also contributes a significant factor into the promotion point system. Service members who are in the process of obtaining a degree or those who already have a degree should confirm that their ERB reflects the most up to date information.

“The state education office must receive an official transcript in a sealed envelope from the educational institution or electronically from e-script to be considered valid and added to a Soldiers record,” said Sgt. Ciara Laboy, GI Bill and exception to policy manager for the Arizona National Guard’s State Education Office. “Once we receive the transcripts they can be added to the Soldier’s record within five business days.”

Although not required, it is highly recommended that the Soldier write a letter to the board addressing any discrepancies found on the ERB, updates to civilian or military education, volunteer work outside of the guard, and any other information the Soldier would like the board to take into consideration.

“Soldiers invest a lot of time and effort to meet and exceed the standards set for them,” Carbajal said. “Taking the time to verify that they are being properly represented, and given credit for all they do is equally important. Career progression can be very competitive, make sure you are receiving the maximum points you deserve.”

• Date Taken: 03.23.2016
• Date Posted: 03.23.2016 13:45
• Story ID: 193292
• Location: PHOENIX, AZ, US