FY19 O5 results and VFA takes another face shot

[EODDave]

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/ALNAVS/ALN2018/ALN18047.txt

Congrats to those who made O5!

And it seems as if the VFA community took another face shot. I’ve spoken with short ticket 1 EP’s from Operational squadrons as well as numerous long ticket #2 EP’s that did not select this year. No rhyme or reason and the detailers once again are at a loss to explain what the hell the boards value (or not) as even patch wearers were included in the fail to select category. All of the non selects got the same shoulder shrug from Millington and were told that PERs 43 was digesting the data.

Will be interesting to see the lessons learned from this years board, if they are made public.

To those who didn’t select, all I can say is that the grass is looking way greener on the other side the closer I get to it.

 

[Brett327]

FWIW, feedback from the last 2 statutory O5 boards has been that just getting a #2 EP is no longer a sure thing when it comes to making O5. The overall strength of individual records will be considered. Front offices should be discussing this with their DH rollers. Don't have fidelity on why, but that's the current reality we're all operating under.

 

[sevenhelmet]

I agree, this seems low for VFA, especially with the mass exodus that seems to be in effect.

On the plus side, at least the Navy's apparently got enough bodies to fill all its O-5 billets.

 

[Brett327]

The statutory board does not consider community manning issues.

 

[wlawr005]

Of course it doesn't...that sort of promotion system would make waaaay too much sense for an organization like ours.

 

[robav8r]

All of the non selects got the same shoulder shrug from Millington and were told that PERs 43 was digesting the data.

^This. In my limited time in the Navy, this is something Millington will eventually have to get better at. All the HR issues and arguments aside, people want timely, substantive feedback on why they didn’t promote and what, if anything, they can do to bolster their record for the next look. People will hang around and continue to make sacrifices, but not giving them the appropriate feedback after a board will continue to hurt the manning management process.

 

[sevenhelmet]

^This. In my limited time in the Navy, this is something Millington will eventually have to get better at. All the HR issues and arguments aside, people want timely, substantive feedback on why they didn’t promote and what, if anything, they can do to bolster their record for the next look. People will hang around and continue to make sacrifices, but not giving them the appropriate feedback after a board will continue to hurt the manning management process.

It hasn't gotten perceptibly better in my 13 years in the Navy either. They always say "we're looking at the forensics on this" or something similar, but very little of substance seems to come of it, at least on the O-3/O-4 level. Unfortunately, with the statutory boards, PERS really doesn't control or even seem to have much visibility into the process. Meanwhile, more DHs get extended, and the minimum EP ticket length gets longer and longer...

 

[EODDave]

FWIW, feedback from the last 2 statutory O5 boards has been that just getting a #2 EP is no longer a sure thing when it comes to making O5. The overall strength of individual records will be considered. Front offices should be discussing this with their DH rollers. Don't have fidelity on why, but that's the current reality we're all operating under.

Looks like getting a short 1 EP is no longer a guarantee either. I know some of these guys very well and have seen their paperwork over they years and know where they left their respective commands. Also have good friends who selected and if I were looking at their records side by side, I would have chosen the opposite guy. I can understand why the Detailers are confused. What I can’t wrap my head around is why there is no mechanism for the boards to give info to community managers on what’s valued or what’s being “briefed” as valued. Seems to me like the detailers are throwing darts and seeing what sticks instead of having solid info/proof of what a guy/gal needs to do to promote.

 

[Renegade One]

For those of us outside the fence line, a promotion list alone does not make a compelling case for alleged community "face shots". Is there a breakdown somewhere indicating selection rates by URL community, and then within the aviation community itself? Anecdotes starting with "I know some guys..." leave too much unknown.

Not saying the OP allegation is wrong. Just asking those who can to tell me more...if more is actually available.

 

[EODDave]

Well numbers from last year, I believe were 31less 05 selects for Pers 43 (using a 10 year average). Of those 31, 25 were from the VFA community. They haven’t released numbers for this years board yet.

 

[bubblehead]

Has anyone here ever sat on the O5 board as an Assistant Recorder? As an O1/O2, I sat on an O4 board(s) as an Assistant Recorder and it was eye opening.