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Promotion Boards

Military Promotion Boards

Military promotion boards are a critical step in evaluating Soldiers' readiness and leadership potential for advancement. These boards are a professional assessment to determine whether you have the knowledge, character, and leadership qualities to excel at the next rank.

DoctrineSmartBookJuly2024

Here’s a good doctrine primer for your young’ns to have some idea where to start

What Military Promotion Boards Are

  • An opportunity for leaders to assess your preparedness for greater responsibilities.

  • A venue for displaying your professionalism, knowledge, and adherence to Army values.

  • A chance to demonstrate your readiness to eventually replace leaders in your chain of command.

What Military Promotion Boards Are Not

  • Not the place to discuss possible branch or career field changes.

  • Not casual conversations or an opportunity to express dissatisfaction with your career path.

  • Not a situation where "winging it" is acceptable—preparation is key.

Guidance for Soldiers

Promotion boards are designed to evaluate your potential to lead. Leaders on the board assess how you might one day replace them. Your preparation should focus on demonstrating confidence, competence, and leadership ability. Remember:

  1. Take care of your Soldiers.

  2. Handle situations at the lowest level when feasible.

  3. Use Army Programs and Doctrine to provide structured, actionable answers.

Questions Asked in Promotion Boards

Promotion boards may include rapid-fire questions, open-ended questions, and situational scenarios. Preparation is essential to succeed.

Rapid-Fire Questions

These questions test your foundational knowledge of Army doctrine, regulations, and practices. To prepare:

  • Use resources like Quizlet and the Anki method for memorization.

  • Gradually progress from memorization to comprehension.

  • Read entire sections of Army doctrine to gain a deeper understanding.

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions assess your critical thinking and decision-making skills. Follow these three guiding principles:

  1. Take care of your Soldiers.

  2. Handle situations at the lowest level when feasible.

  3. Use Army Programs and Doctrine to provide structure and credibility to your answers.

Comprehensive Question and Answer Table

Below is a detailed table of questions and answers based on the provided raw data:

CategoryQuestionAnswer
RegulationsWhat regulation covers Army Command Policy?AR 600-20
RegulationsWhat regulation covers Uniform and Appearance?AR 670-1
RegulationsWhat regulation covers Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP)?AR 600-85
RegulationsWhat regulation covers Army Body Composition Program (ABCP)?AR 600-9
RegulationsWhat regulation covers Enlisted Promotions and Reductions?AR 600-8-19
RegulationsWhat regulation covers Military Leave and Passes?AR 600-8-10
RegulationsWhat regulation covers Military Awards?AR 600-8-22
EOWhat regulation covers the Equal Opportunity (EO) Program?AR 600-20 Chapter 6
EOHow many types of EO complaints are there and what are they?Two: Formal and Informal
EOWhat is the purpose of the EO Program?Maximizes human potential and ensures fair treatment based on merit, fitness, and capability
SHARPWhat regulation covers the SHARP Program?AR 600-20 Chapter 7
SHARPWhat does SHARP stand for?Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention
SHARPWhat are the two types of reporting for Sexual Assault?Restricted and Unrestricted
LeadershipWhat is Army Leadership?The process of influencing others by providing purpose, direction, and motivation
LeadershipWhat are the Seven Army Values?Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage (LDRSHIP)
CounselingWhat form is used for counseling?DA Form 4856
CounselingWhat are the three types of counseling?Event, Performance, Professional Growth
Drill & CeremonyWhat regulation covers Drill and Ceremony?TC 3-21.5
Drill & CeremonyWhat is the length of a marching step?30 inches
Drill & CeremonyHow long is a half-step?15 inches
Drill & CeremonyWhat command revokes a preparatory command?"As you were."
Guard DutyWhat regulation covers Guard Duty?TC 3-22.6
Guard DutyHow many General Orders are there?Three
Guard DutyWhat are the General Orders?1. Guard everything within my post. 2. Obey special orders. 3. Report violations to commander of relief
Land NavigationWhat regulation covers Land Navigation?TC 3-25.26
Land NavigationWhat are the three types of north?True North, Grid North, Magnetic North
Land NavigationWhat are the six colors of a map?Black: Man-made. Red-Brown: Relief. Blue: Water. Green: Vegetation. Brown: Elevation. Red: Populated
WeaponsWhat regulation covers weapons?TC 3-22.9
WeaponsDescribe the eight function steps of the M4Feeding, Chambering, Locking, Firing, Unlocking, Extracting, Ejecting, Cocking
UCMJWhat publication covers the UCMJ?Manual for Courts-Martial
UCMJWhat does UCMJ stand for?Uniform Code of Military Justice

Preparation Tips

  1. Practice Regularly:
  • Review mock board Q&A sessions.

  • Memorize key regulations and doctrine.

  • Practice responding to situational questions.

  1. Use Available Resources:
  • Study key regulations like AR 600-20, AR 670-1, and AR 600-9.

  • Leverage tools like Anki or Quizlet for flashcards and spaced repetition.

  1. Understand Doctrine:
  • Move beyond memorization to comprehension by reading Army manuals like TC 3-21.5 (Drill and Ceremony) and ATP 6-22.1 (Counseling).

Conclusion

Promotion boards are an opportunity to showcase your readiness for greater responsibility. They are about answering questions and demonstrating your ability to lead with confidence, knowledge, and adherence to Army standards. Use this guide to prepare and succeed.

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