Get promoted in the Army by standing out from the crowd

When you first come into the service, getting promoted seems easy. You do your job, and when you have enough time in service, you make E-2, then E-3. But sooner or later, it seems that you get stalled out. Your boss keeps recommending other people for promotion, but not you. What’s the deal? You’re just as good as they are, maybe even better. So how do you get out of this rut?

Learn to stand out from the crowd and get noticed.

Just meeting the criteria for promotion is not good enough. You have to be above the standard if you want to get promoted. Average performance and enough time in grade just doesn’t cut it. Take the first step by volunteering for additional responsibility. When your boss says he needs someone to __________(you fill in the blank), even if it’s a crappy job, raise your hand and say, “Sergeant, I’ll do it.” Your pals may poke fun at you, but you have to show the boss that you are willing to do more for the team.

Teamwork is what it’s all about in the military. When you make yourself more of an asset to the team, you make the team more successful. Start by training yourself to max regular skills tests, such as physical fitness (APFT) and marksmanship. Get a military driver’s license. If you already have one, get qualified on every vehicle in your unit. Sometimes getting qualified on larger vehicles may take time, so take the initiative to learn everything about the vehicles in your unit and practice performing preventive maintenance checks and services (PMCS) on them. Start by reading the manuals and getting smart on the parts and terms. You will find that once you start learning, other Soldiers and NCOs will be willing to show you, especially since this means they can call on you for help when they need it. If they aren’t willing to help you learn, find someone else who is. In addition to vehicles, get qualified on every weapon in your unit.

Set goals for yourself that will set you apart from your peers. Whether this means earning the Expert Field Medical Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Airborne, or Air Assault badge, be persistent in striving to become an outstanding Soldier. Compete for Soldier of the Month. If you don’t get selected, go for it again. The information you will learn and the confidence you gain from standing up in front of a board will pay off. Compete on unit sports teams. Enter the Drivers Rodeo. The opportunities are vast once you start looking.

Learn to call cadence and then have the guts to step outside the formation, tap the cadence caller on the shoulder, and call cadence yourself. Just because you aren’t an NCO doesn’t mean that you can’t be a good cadence caller. In other words, seize the challenge and go for it. You may not always win, but you will have set yourself apart as having the courage to reach for the challenge and give it a shot.

Example

PFC Abercrombie was a communications specialist in a maintenance company. He had already qualified as a driver on a HMMWV light vehicle, as well as on the 5-ton medium truck. The sustainment brigade had announced an upcoming Drivers Rodeo. PFC Abercrombie knew that he didn’t have as much experience as the majority of the drivers in the brigade. He told his boss that he wanted to compete in the HMMWV light vehicle category. PFC Abercrombie practiced hard for the competition, setting up cans and blocks to simulate obstacles, often staying after duty to train.

There were just eight competitors in the HMMWV light vehicle category. PFC Abercrombie won by a strong margin. Even though there was limited competition in this category, the fact that he won was a plus for his platoon, his company, and his battalion.

As in this example, not only does your success reflect well on you, it also reflects well on your team. But you say you’re deployed and many of the options available in garrison don’t exist down range? This is the time to get educated. During your down time, study the manuals that relate to your skill, take online courses, and learn the language of the country where you are serving. For example, if you are in Afghanistan, learn Pashto or Dari (available from www.GIPubs.com). Read military books. Don’t be shy about talking about what you have learned. For
example, The Bear Went Over the Mountain and The Other Side of the Mountain (also available from www.GIPubs.com) will get you smart on the tactics and even the exact ambush sites that were used during the Soviet-Afghan War, and are still being used today by insurgents. It doesn’t hurt for your supervisors to see you reading these military books, provided you aren’t supposed to be doing something else at the time.

To get promoted in the military, you have to demonstrate that you are someone who takes the initiative to better himself in ways that will make the team stronger. When you make your team more successful, you also make your boss’s job easier. Don’t just sit around complaining–set yourself apart from the pack by learning, qualifying and competing to be a top Soldier. You will get promoted and you will be on your way to becoming a successful leader, whether you remain in the military or return to civilian life.

Do you know where your career is headed? Do you know how to organize yourself to meet this goal? For more by COL (ret.) Jo B. Rusin, read Move Out: The Insider's Guide for Military Leaders.