Posted on 01/18/2008 6:46:02 PM PST by SandRat
The room served as a conference room, but looking at its luxurious marble flooring and detailed accented ceilings with illustrious chandeliers one could tell this room was meant or used for so much more.
In the middle of the room was a series of tables lined up covered by satin tablecloths with gold trimming draped over them. Behind those tables sat five individuals, who would be the judge and jury for what was about to convene.
With three thunderous knocks, the senior of the five gave the command to enter the room. The door opened and eight proud and distinguished men marched in unison until they stopped in front of the man who commanded them to enter.
The one who led them raised his right hand to his brow and reported that all were present and ready. The senior acknowledging this brought his right hand to his brow and this would mark the end of the civil greetings. With a command voice, and presence to match, the senior leader informed the group of why they were there and what was going to be expected of them. When he was finished, the group knew he demanded nothing short of perfection.
The five-minute display set the stage for the Task Force Thunderbird Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Quarter Board.
The board itself was comprised of the task force command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Paul J. Grigsby; two command sergeants major, Command Sgt. Maj. Earl Allen of the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion and Command Sgt. Maj. Bruce Stanley of the 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion; a sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. William Ginter of the 11th Signal Brigade; and the first sergeant of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Signal Brigade, Sgt. 1st Class Donald Clark.
Each had a specific set of questions and tasks for those attending the board. The board was conducted as what is known as a “shotgun” board, wherein, whenever one member of the board is finished with a question, the question and response, another question will come from another member. In most boards, one member asks a series of questions before passing off to another member.
“It is harder since the soldiers are forced to jump from one subject to another as opposed to completing all questions in one category before moving on to the next,” Grigsby said about the “shotgun” board.
This, he said, helps the board see who performs better or more effectively under pressure.
Grigsby said this process enhances the soldier’s capabilities, the NCO Corps, and helps to build competent soldiers that are more capable.
“A more competent NCO is the ultimate goal since all leaders understand our mission is to leave a quality force behind us when we leave the military,” Grigsby said. “The NCO Creed states, ‘All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership.’ It is our intent to make this dream become a reality. If you are an outstanding leader, you clearly understand how important it is to develop your subordinates. Great leaders care about the quality of our Army’s younger leaders, the Army’s future leaders, and must wholeheartedly support this program.
The 44th ESB accounted for both soldier and NCO of the Quarter winners, Spc. Seung-Han Lee and Sgt. Reshard Perkins. For Lee, this is his second board ever in his almost year-and-a-half career. His first board, which was the one that brought him to the Soldier of the Quarter board, was the 44th ESB Battalion Soldier of the Month Board.
Prior to entering the board, and during the board, Lee said it was everything he expected it to be, a stressful situation.
“I expected the board to a stressful and difficult situation. One in which I would face a lot of challenging questions and equally challenging tasks,” he said.
This also would be the first time Lee participated in the “shotgun” board.
“It’s a better test of your knowledge because you can’t get locked into a certain category. It forces you to access different parts of your memory and challenges your different skill sets,” he said.
Lee said he knew he had stiff competition coming into the board, but was happy with the way he performed.
“I know there are a lot of things I need to improve on, but I have nine months to prepare for the Soldier of the Year competition. I will have a leg up on the competitors attending that board and I will make sure I am prepared,” he said.
Perkins is no stranger to boards or winning them for that matter. He said he has attended several boards in his five-year Army career.
“I have won battalion and brigade Soldier and NCO boards,” he said.
Perkins preparation for the board helped him out more than he knew.
“My soldiers would help me study for the board. I gave them all sections to quiz me on and throughout the day they would come up to me and ask me a question out of nowhere. It’s funny I was being prepared for the ‘shotgun’ board and didn’t even know it,” he said.
Perkins did not attend the board for his own personal gain, but for his soldiers.
“I encourage my soldiers to go to boards, but I will not make my soldiers do anything I wouldn’t do, so that is why I attended the board,” he said, “if I can do it so can they.”
The two soldiers will be preparing for the Soldier and NCO of the Year competition, which will be approximately nine months from now.
When I was in, these awards usually went to who had done the most charity work.
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