Are you making any one of these 21 Most Common Board Mistakes?
Here are a few common mistakes made by soldiers who attend the board. Think about these while you are practicing your performance. You are practicing right?
- Administration paperwork not updated before board attendance
- Not wearing the nameplate or shoulder boards under the jacket
- Sloppy looking tie
- Knocking on the door too lightly
- Dropping the salute before the president of the board
- Sitting at the position of attention incorrectly
- Fidgeting while sitting at the position of attention
- Biography is short and unrehearsed
- No eye contact when stating biography
- No eye contact when answering questions
- Not stating rank before speaking to board members (1SG, the 3 types of…)
- Looking up when thinking of an answer
- Using the dreaded “Ummm” too much
- Unfamiliar with the creeds
- Unfamiliar with unit history
- Unfamiliar with awards that are worn on the uniform
- Unfamiliar with current events
- Calling the Sergeant Major a First Sergeant on accident
- Not using a loud enough voice throughout the board
- Not saluting the president of the board after being dismissed
- Forgetting to state the unit motto when saluting the president
If you have any mistakes that you feel are fairly common at the board and are not listed, please leave a comment below.
Photo by Program Executive Office Soldier 
Photo by RDECOM
