Just when you thought going to the board was a thing of the past, you get selected to sponsor a soldier. Usually when a soldier goes to the board, the sponsor walks in a few minutes prior and what happens behind that door is a mystery. Not much attention is paid to the sponsor’s duties. So what is required of the sponsor on this big day?
The sponsor is responsible for how well the soldier does. It’s their job to train the soldier for the board and ensure they understand everything they need to know to be successful. The sponsor is there to inform the board members of their soldier’s performance at work and how deserving they are for a promotion or win at the board.
How the sponsor enters the board
When the president of the board is ready for the next soldier to enter the board room, they will inform the recorder (S-1 personnel who assists during the board) to get the next in line. The recorder will tell the sponsor they can enter and inform the soldier that they will be called in a few minutes.
When walking into the room, make a good first impression by walking in with your head up and shoulders back, displaying confidence. Do NOT march up to the board members, just make your way to the table with purpose. There is no need to salute or report to the president of the board unless it’s previously directed.
It’s common practice for the sponsor to walk into the board and have a somewhat casual conversation with the leadership about the soldier that is about to enter. When standing in front of the president of the board, be sure to stand at parade rest and address them with proper courtesy (Good morning, Sergeant Major).
Greeting the board members
Once you are standing in front of the president say, “Good morning Sergeant Major, First Sergeants (while making eye contact) I will be sponsoring SGT Samson today”. Many times after the sponsor gives the greeting of the day, the president will ask a few questions about the soldier or ask to hear a little about them. Give the board members a chance to make a comment or ask a question and if it looks like they are waiting for you to speak, jump right into a brief description of the soldier.
What to say about your soldier
When the president asks to hear a little about your soldier there should be a little biography that was previously rehearsed prior to the board. This biography should not replicate the soldier’s bio in any way. This is a brief description of what the soldier has accomplished since arriving to the unit and how they have proven their worthiness of going to the promotion or competition board. Things that should be mentioned:
- Family
- Approximate date of arrival (month, year)
- Job title and duties
- Personality traits (dependable, optimistic, precise)
- Performance of technical job duties
- Performance of soldier duties (PT, weapons, training events)
- Attitude at work
- Any recognized outstanding achievements
- Honorable extra curricular activities like attending school
- Leadership qualities and examples
- What you (the sponsor) have planned for their future (more responsibility)
This can be recited a few times before bringing the soldier to the board so it flows better when it’s said to the board members.
What are some questions they might ask?
Let me see your leaders book.
The board members may ask to see your leaders book that should be updated and ready to go. They will look through to ensure the soldier is being counseled properly and the documentation is up to date. They may ask questions specific to the leaders book, as long as the essentials are in there, the questions should be easily answered. If you do not know an answer off the top of your head, looking through the leader’s book is fine, just know where the information is. The board members do not want to see you fumbling not knowing where documents are in your own leader’s book.
Did you help your soldier study for this board?
The answer should be yes and a couple examples of how and when studying took place. For Example, “SGT Samson has been studying every night and I have been quizzing him at lunch time. I have gave him 2 mock boards to help get him prepare last week and he did a great job”
Do you think he is ready?
I think he is a little nervous but I know he is ready and will do a good job. He worked really hard to prepare for today’s festivities.
Do you think he is ready to be promoted?
I know he is ready to be promoted. He has proven to my peers and I that he is ready and is always seeking more responsibility. He revamped our PT program and requested to take on the additional duty of EO representative. He is a great mentor to his junior soldiers.
What happens during the board?
After the president gets done talking with the sponsor, he will direct them to sit down in the back of the room. The recorder will walk over to the door and inform the soldier that they can knock in a few seconds.
Once the soldier starts their board presentation, the sponsor will be noting what specific things their soldier should sustain and improve upon. Also, make sure to note any missed questions that can be reviewed after the board. The soldier attending the board will forget which questions are missed because they are nervous and caught up in the moment. The feedback given at the end of the board will help prepare the soldier for the next time they need to attend.
If the soldier is not doing so well, it’s common for the president of the board to ask the sponsor to answer some of the questions the soldier is missing. They do this to see if the sponsor really assisted their soldier in the studying process.
Most of the time a sponsor will not be called out during a board if their soldier is doing a decent job. Any discrepancies the board members have will be brought up to the sponsor after the soldier is dismissed.
Final comments to the sponsor
After the soldier is dismissed the board members may give the sponsor feedback on how the soldier performed. The sponsor should be taking notes as they list areas that need improvement. Sometimes they will notify the sponsor if the soldier is recommended or not.
The line-up
Once the board is complete and all the soldiers have gone through, the board members will call everyone back into the board room. The soldiers will stand in front of the board members with their sponsors standing behind them. This is when they will announce the winner of the competition board or identify who was recommended for promotion.
Occasionally the sponsor will be provided all the information they need at the end of their soldier’s board and the president will not call everyone back into the room for the announcement. The sponsor and soldier may be released immediately after they complete their board.
Objectives
The main objective of the sponsor is to inform the board members of their soldier’s outstanding achievement. The sponsor’s role in the board is very important and should not be taken lightly. Spend the time to plan out what to say to board members so they understand how great your soldier really is.
Photo by RDECOM 
