Selection Board: Tips for improving your success

February / March 2012 - Navy
By Jon C. Altmann

Active and Reserve Sailors wishing to pin on the anchors have a highly competitive process to gain that recognition from the CPO Selection Board. Serving as a command LCPO, I know first hand what it takes for Sailors to make the cut. Here’s some valuable pass down that will help––both aspiring Petty Officers and their Chiefs and Officers who lead them.

The Sailor seeking to be a Navy Chief and Navy Leader has to take initiative to make sure their records––their Navy resume––are in order. It is easy to go to BuPers On-line to “My Personnel Info” under NPC Quick Links and see what the Selection Board will see. Missing information is your task. If you can’t do it well for yourself, how will you be able to mentor and lead other Sailors?

The Selection Board process is a highly concentrated review window where many highly qualified First Class POs are viewed in a short time. Your record must be present on-line; otherwise you can supplement missing items by directly submitting them to the Board and then checking BuPers On-line to confirm receipt.

Deadlines are fast approaching––normally the end of April for SelRes and the end of May for Active Duty Sailors to make sure they have their service records accurate or make submission to the Selection Board once they know they are board eligible. Now is a good time to review your status. For the Sailor looking ahead beyond this year, chart your course now.

I asked some veteran Command Master Chiefs with Selection Board experience to share their tips for improving your success before a Selection Board. Here is their wisdom briefed to you:

1. Each board has specific concerns in looking at prospective “selects.” The main “charge” for the board is to pick people with demonstrated or strong potential to be effective leaders of Sailors.

2. Each Sailor has a responsibility to ensure that the evaluations reflect actual responsibilities and accomplishments during the specific evaluation period. Including:

A. All leadership responsibilities and the actual periods of time performed.

B. List number of personnel actually responsible for during evaluation period.

C. Specific accomplishments during the evaluation period.

D. Identify any military awards earned and rewarded during a specific evaluation period.

E. Identify any civilian leadership responsibilities and awards earned during any evaluation period.

F. Identify and explain any community service performed during evaluation period. G. Identify any education being worked on (credit hours) or degrees or certificates earned during evaluation period.

3. Take special care to list and describe any responsibilities and accomplishments during any mobilization, IA or deployment. Don’t allow “boilerplate” evals for mobilizations and deployments. Boards will give extra points for actual real accomplishments while mobilized or deployed into combat areas. Mobilizations shouldn’t be a “safe, no responsibility” period away from CONUS.

4. The board is comprised of experienced master chiefs who are very good at “reading between the lines.” In a lot of cases, it’s not what is said but what isn’t said. Many commands write evaluations with little real endorsement of the individual. If they aren’t committed to being really positive and supportive, then the Sailor probably won’t get selected.

5. It is very important to be ranked very high in a competitive group. If the Sailor is only 1 of 1 and gets average grades, then he/she probably won’t get selected.

6. The Sailor should demonstrate that, when given responsibility, he/she can be counted on to succeed and share knowledge with Shipmates in his/her charge.

7. The selection process is fair. The evaluations should be a true accounting of an individual’s responsibilities and accomplishments. The Sailor has to demonstrate to the unit leadership that he/she either has the potential or has demonstrated real leadership.