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FITREP Code Words

Yeah, sure there are code words and ways of writing FITREPS to make them stand out from others. However, from my observations they are constantly evolving, by themselves, since they are totally unofficial, much like slang evolves. I don't see how someone could possibly analyze Sen. Kerry's FITREPS through the perspective of today's FITREP trends. The only way such an analysis would be accurate would be if his FITREPS could be compared to others from his time period.

If you want to learn about current trends read the selection message, but more importantly the semi-formal(?) after action report that gets put together by some moto board member.
 
When the detailer roadshow comes your way, it's worth bending their ear about "power" words and "faint praise" phraseology. I sat on a FNAEB once in which a struggling aviator recited the sugar phrases out of his FITREP that were meant to encourage, but signaled he was still potential waiting to be realized. One of the LCDRs finally asked him if he knew what "faint praise" was before pulling out his passes and showing him that he wasn't ready to go on deployment with us.

Even better is having them or a recent BUPERS type brief the Ready Room on how FITREPS are marked up and the "tank" works. At one point I had a CO/XO team who had both been detailers and served in "the tank" on boards. They got everyone up to snuff on writing FITREPs and had a gouge book of various FITREPs with names removed that were examples of frontrunners, also-rans and everything in between. As most things are in Navy, having templates like that were great gouge to go by to write your own (some skippers set you up to cut your own throat if you don't know what you're doing) or that of a subordinate.
 
A semi-formal after action report would be great, but aren't board members forbidden to discuss board deliberations? We've all seen the stats and facts Millington puts together, but it seems that some inside information is needed to determine if a sailor with "potential" actually means he's a dirtbag. I can write a positive report for a junior sailor stating that he has "potential for more demanding billets" and be unknowingly hurting him. Why must we be forced to decipher, and understand, faint praise in order to firmly grasp documented performance?
 
About the worst "velvet hammer" I have used thsfar has been: "accomplishes the day to day duties of XXXX chief with supervision". I dont expect to see this SSgt's name on the Gunny selection list anytime soon.
 
PATRON said:
A semi-formal after action report would be great, but aren't board members forbidden to discuss board deliberations?
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I don't know the specifics of the rules, but I have seen the AAR for both officer and enlisted boards. If it makes it to your community it was put together by your Commodore (if he was on the board) or your community rep or it got passed to him from another member. On the enlisted side some Master Chief puts it together and it's passed through the goat locker network.

PATRON said:
We've all seen the stats and facts Millington puts together, but it seems that some inside information is needed to determine if a sailor with "potential" actually means he's a dirtbag. I can write a positive report for a junior sailor stating that he has "potential for more demanding billets" and be unknowingly hurting him. Why must we be forced to decipher, and understand, faint praise in order to firmly grasp documented performance?
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That's just the way it is, it's an evolutionary inflating cycle, similar to awards. Every time a CO submits FITREPS, he's looking for ways to make his guys stand out. Whatever one CO dreams up that appears successful starts to be mimicked by others. Then another CO takes it up another small notch, etc. etc. Then every 10 (or more?) years the Navy resets the rules. BUPERS sends out all kinds of arcane rules (specific font, no more than XX lines, specific font size) and the process starts all over again.

The awards cycle is very similar. Awards inflation is always happening with COs trying to make their troops stand out. After some years when the leadership finally decides enough is enough, they clamp down again.

Frankly, it's no use for COs not to participate in these phenomenons. Sure you will find COs who are adamant that a NAM won't be given out for anything less than XX, but when his peers around the entire Navy are doing it, he's just making the members of his command less competitive.
 
The current iteration of the Marine Corps online fitness report system gives you notifications/warnings if you try to submit a FITREP using "negative" code words.
 
Here's one from the HMFIC at USNA that shows he cares.

FTN.jpg
 
"Potential" won't harm a sailor up until his Evals are being looked at for E-7. It could be viewed negatively for LT and up on a FITREP unless the break-out/numbers make it obvious that he was a player and the "potential" is for great things far down the road - i.e. Flag (not that Flag recs are worth anything from non-Flags).

Having said that, very few FITREPS have any more than the first and last lines read (and then only if broken out with some white space). You could have turned water into wine but if that fact is buried in the middle of the block nobody will ever read it except you.

As bad as what HAL posted sounds, it can protect somebody from low numbers IF the reporting senior writes it properly. If that quote came from a group where a newly promoted O-4 was competing with senior guys up for O-5 then a board would look at that as a smart CO taking care of his guys. (And of course, if it was a 1 of 1 then that guy is dead like fried chicken....).

As for talking about how things play in a tank, take a look at the precepts; they spell out exactly what a voting board member can and cannot share from the tank.
 
Even the average FITREP makes the individual sound stellar. The wording or the precise words can have a different meaning though. A FITREP can use all the stellar words but then have the member below the CO's average, even with a competitive EP. The small things can hurt you. I'm well aware this now...an expert if you will :)
 
A FITREP can use all the stellar words but then have the member below the CO's average, even with a competitive EP.
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That is a real good point - you have to look at the whole combination; if the board sees a mixed message then they default to the low end. Remember, at least to O-5 they are more looking for reasons to drop people out than to pick people up.

I think he got you confused with Schnugg........all you NFOs sound alike.
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Yeah, I fail.
 
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