Officials release supplemental board results

  • Published
Fourteen airmen, out of 243 considered, were selected for promotion during the latest senior enlisted supplemental board.

This was the largest pool of candidates in years, said officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here.

The large number reflects an unusual year. The pace of current operations, Stop- Loss, and a January supplemental board that was closed to senior master sergeants all contributed, officials said.

The board selected 14 from 226 considered for senior master sergeant and none from 17 considered for chief master sergeant. The board concluded here Aug. 2, and commanders notified candidates Sept. 5.

Supplemental promotion requests came from people who met the original chief or senior master sergeant evaluation boards and had either erroneous data in or information missing from their selection folder, said Chief Master Sgt. Mark Billingsley, chief of enlisted promotions and military testing.

Some people affected by Stop-Loss also had records meet the board. There was concern that some of them may not have understood the guidance that explained the actions they needed to take to become promotion eligible, officials said.

"We gave the benefit of the doubt to the member," the chief said. "We know there wasn't a lot of time between when our Stop-Loss guidance was sent out and when the central selection board actually met. We took that into consideration when people requested to meet the supplemental board."

"Not all requests make it to the supplemental board, however," the chief said.

There are usually 100 to 200 enlisted members who request consideration for promotion by a semiannual enlisted supplemental board. This board received more than 300 requests.

Records making it to the board are scored along with some of the records of people who met the original board, which are used as a "benchmark." Panel members then score all records via secret ballot not knowing which ones are the supplemental records, using the same scoring scale as the original central selection board.

"The supplemental board has no quota," Billingsley said. "It has authority to promote all or none of the applicants."

For more information about supplemental boards, contact the local military personnel flight. The next senior enlisted supplemental board is scheduled for April 21. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service)