Army Promotion Board cheat sheet

ADP 6-22 leadership requirements model: attributes (character, presence, intellect) plus competencies (leads, develops, achieves).

Counseling is documented on DA Form 4856 (Developmental Counseling Form); both counselor and Soldier sign and the Soldier may attach a written statement.

Five-stage counseling process: identify the need, prepare, conduct the session, develop a plan of action, follow up.

Counseling categories are event-oriented, performance, and professional growth; event types include specific instance, reception and integration, crisis, referral, promotion, separation, and exit.

Approaches to counseling: directive (counselor-centered), nondirective (Soldier-centered), and combined (counselor leads but seeks Soldier input).

Leader development occurs in three domains: operational (unit), institutional (schools), and self-development.

NCOER is the DA Form 2166-9 series; the rater must be senior in grade to the rated NCO, and the senior rater is normally the next higher commander.

The NCO support channel (CSM to 1SG to platoon sergeant to squad leader) complements, and never replaces, the chain of command.

LDRSHIP: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage.

Loyalty means bearing true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and other Soldiers.

Integrity means doing what is right, legally and morally; Personal Courage means facing fear, danger, or adversity, physical or moral.

Selfless Service places the welfare of the nation, the Army, and subordinates before one's own.

Outdoors in uniform, salute all officers and warrant officers; indoors, salute only when reporting to an officer or when under arms.

During the national anthem or 'To the Colors,' Soldiers in uniform outdoors stand at attention and salute; Soldiers not in uniform stand at attention.

The official Army song is 'The Army Goes Rolling Along,' adopted in 1956.

Enlisted Soldiers address officers and warrant officers as 'Sir' or 'Ma'am'; NCOs are addressed by their rank.

Quick time is 120 steps per minute with a 30-inch step; double time is 180 steps per minute with a 30-inch step.

Every drill command has a preparatory command and a command of execution, except combined commands such as 'Fall in' and 'At ease.'

Characteristics of a good command voice: loudness, projection, distinctiveness, inflection, and snap.

'Present, ARMS' renders the hand salute; 'Order, ARMS' terminates it. 'Eyes, RIGHT' is given at the halt or while marching.

Position of attention: heels together on line, feet at a 45-degree angle, legs straight, hands at the sides with thumbs along the trouser seams.

AR 670-1 and DA Pam 670-1 govern wear and appearance; the Army Combat Uniform in Operational Camouflage Pattern is the standard combat uniform.

A formation consists of elements, units, ranks, files, and the flank; the guidon bearer is positioned on the unit's line of march.

TC 3-21.5 is the governing field manual for drill and ceremonies.

The UCMJ is Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 47, enacted in 1950 and implemented for the Army by AR 27-10.

Article 15 nonjudicial punishment rights include the right to appeal, to present matters, to consult with counsel, and (in most cases) to demand trial by court-martial.

Three types of courts-martial: summary (minor offenses, one officer), special (may impose a bad-conduct discharge), and general (most serious offenses).

Article 31 prohibits compelled self-incrimination; a suspect must be advised of the offense, the right to remain silent, and the right to counsel before interrogation.

Common punitive articles: 86 (AWOL), 87 (missing movement), 92 (failure to obey order or regulation), 121 (larceny), 134 (general article).

Article 43 sets a general five-year statute of limitations for trial by court-martial, with exceptions such as murder and certain sexual offenses.

Progressive corrective measures include counseling, admonition, reprimand, and nonjudicial punishment; only a commander may impose NJP.

Nonpunitive measures such as counseling and admonition are administrative, not punishment, and may not be appealed as NJP.

M16A2 and M4/M4A1 fire 5.56mm ammunition from a 30-round magazine; the M4 barrel is 14.5 inches and the M16A2 barrel is 20 inches.

Maximum effective range: M4 about 500 meters (point) and 600 meters (area); M16A2 about 550 meters (point) and 800 meters (area).

M9 pistol fires 9mm from a 15-round magazine; the M17 Modular Handgun System fires 9mm from a 17-round magazine.

Crew-served weapons: M249 SAW (5.56mm), M240B machine gun (7.62mm), M2 machine gun (.50 caliber), Mk 19 (40mm grenade machine gun).

Marksmanship fundamentals: steady position, aiming (sight alignment and sight picture), breathing, and trigger control.

Weapons safety rules: treat every weapon as loaded, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, keep the finger off the trigger until ready to fire, and know the target and backstop.

SPORTS clears a malfunction: Slap the magazine, Pull the charging handle, Observe the chamber, Release the charging handle, Tap the forward assist, Shoot.

M67 fragmentation grenade has a 4-5 second delay, a 5-meter lethal radius, and a 15-meter casualty radius.

A lensatic compass uses a 6,400-mil circle; one degree equals about 17.78 mils, and 6,400 mils equals 360 degrees.

Military Grid Reference System coordinates are read right then up; an 8-digit grid locates a point to 10 meters.

Five major terrain features: hill, ridge, valley, saddle, and depression; three minor: spur, draw, and cliff.

Resection determines your own location from back azimuths to two or three known points; intersection determines an unknown point from two known positions.

The five-paragraph OPORD format is Situation, Mission, Execution, Sustainment, and Command and Signal.

METT-TC: Mission, Enemy, Terrain and weather, Troops and support available, Time available, and Civil considerations.

SALUTE report format: Size, Activity, Location, Unit, Time, and Equipment.

The 9-line MEDEVAC request begins with pickup location, frequency/call sign, number of patients by precedence, and special equipment required.

Eight troop-leading procedures: receive the mission, issue a warning order, make a tentative plan, initiate movement, conduct reconnaissance, complete the plan, issue the order, and supervise and refine.

The operations process is plan, prepare, execute, and assess; training management follows the same four-step cycle per FM 7-0.

Mission Essential Task List (METL) drives unit training; each METL task is supported by task-and-evaluation outlines (T&EOs) and individual tasks.

Training is built in a crawl-walk-run progression and validated against task, condition, and standard.

After action review questions: What was supposed to happen? What actually happened? Why was there a difference? What can we do better?

Five risk management steps: identify hazards, assess hazards, develop controls and make risk decisions, implement controls, and supervise and evaluate.

DTMS (Digital Training Management System) records scheduled and completed training; the Army Training Network (ATN) hosts doctrine, T&EOs, and training resources.

The ACFT has six events: maximum deadlift, standing power throw, hand-release push-up, sprint-drag-carry, leg tuck or plank, and the 2-mile run.

ACFT scoring: each event is scored 0-100 points with a minimum of 60 points per event and a minimum total of 360 to pass.

AR 600-9 governs the Army Body Composition Program; Soldiers exceeding the screening table weight are assessed for body fat percentage.

PRT is conducted per FM 7-22, which replaced FM 21-20 as the physical readiness doctrine.

Annual medical readiness requirements include the Periodic Health Assessment (PHA), dental exam, immunizations, and HIV screening, all tracked in MEDPROS.

ACE suicide intervention: Ask directly about suicidal thoughts, Care for the Soldier and keep them safe, Escort them to a chaplain, medic, or behavioral health provider.

Resilience is built across physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and family dimensions through the Ready and Resilient program.

IPPS-A (Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army) is the Army's human resources and pay system for personnel actions and talent management.

Under AR 600-20, an equal opportunity complaint must be filed within 60 days of the alleged incident; complaints may be formal or informal.

SHARP: a restricted report limits disclosure to specified personnel and does not notify command or law enforcement; an unrestricted report starts an official investigation.

The DoD Safe Helpline for sexual assault support is 877-995-5247, available 24/7.

Key readiness systems include MEDPROS (medical), ATRRS (schools), DTMS (training), GCSS-Army (logistics), and AIM 2.0 (talent marketplace).

Army Emergency Relief (AER) provides interest-free loans and grants; the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) handles substance abuse prevention and testing.

Soldiers accrue 2.5 days of leave per month, for 30 days per year, with a maximum carryover of 60 days at fiscal year end (use-or-lose).

The U.S. Army was established on 14 June 1775 by the Continental Congress, making it the oldest U.S. military branch.

Baron von Steuben's 'Blue Book' (1779) standardized drill and defined NCO duties at Valley Forge, forming the foundation of the NCO Corps.

The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military decoration; the Army version was established in 1861.

Audie Murphy, the most decorated U.S. combat Soldier of World War II, and Alvin York, a World War I Medal of Honor recipient, are key NCO heritage figures.

The chain of command runs from the President (Commander in Chief) through the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army.

Enlisted ranks run E-1 through E-9; the corporal (E-4) is the only junior enlisted rank that is an NCO, and the Sergeant Major of the Army is the senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of Staff.

The first sergeant is the senior NCO of a company; the command sergeant major serves at battalion and higher levels.

Division nicknames: 1st Infantry 'Big Red One,' 82nd Airborne 'All American,' 101st Airborne 'Screaming Eagles,' 3rd Infantry 'Rock of the Marne.'

The Soldier Readiness Program (SRP) verifies medical, dental, legal, finance, and administrative readiness and updates the deployment packet before movement.

Deployment cycle phases: mobilization and pre-deployment training, deployment, employment, redeployment, and demobilization with reintegration.

Soldiers must complete a Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) within 30 days of redeployment and a PDHRA 90-180 days afterward.

A Family Care Plan (AR 600-20) is mandatory for single parents, dual-military couples with dependents, and Soldiers with sole custody obligations.

Deployment compensation includes combat zone tax exclusion, imminent danger pay, and hardship duty pay, verified through finance in processing.

Rules of engagement and the Law of Armed Conflict (military necessity, distinction, proportionality, humanity) govern the conduct of operations.

Professional reading sources include the NCO Journal, Army Times, Soldiers magazine, Army.mil, and Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) publications.