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TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - To be evaluated by a board of your
superiors on knowledge, drill, physical fitness and military
appearance is no easy task, but the opportunity for accelerated
advancement to the next level of leadership is well worth the ordeal
for those who are willing to endure the test. Meritorious promotion
boards afford Marines that chance.
For one Marine, getting
put under the magnifying glass of a panel of staff non-commissioned
officers was a welcomed challenge. Cpl. Arthur E. Krenzel III, field
radio operator, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, was
meritoriously promoted to sergeant at 3rd LAR's Communications
Building, Aug. 15, 2014.
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Master Sgt. Michael W. Wilson,
communications chief, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion,
and Capt. Kelvin Chew, communications officer, S-6, 3rd LAR, pin
Sgt. Arthur E. Krenzel III, field radio operator, 3rd LAR, during
his meritorious promotion ceremony at the Communications Building of
3rd LAR, Aug. 15, 2014.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Charles Santamaria)
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“One of the first things Cpl. Krenzel said when I asked
him his age was, ‘I'm an older Marine,' and I told him that
doesn't mean anything,” said Master Sgt. Michael W. Wilson,
communications chief, 3rd LAR. “If you want to catch up to
your peers who came in years before you, hard work and
dedication will advance you.”
From the rank of lance
corporal, Wilson was victorious on four meritorious
promotion boards throughout his career.
“Cpl. Krenzel
came up to me and asked, ‘What makes a meritorious Marine?'”
Wilson said. “Ultimately it's distinguishing yourself in
every area from your peers. There are no words that can be
said to get you on a board; it's obviously something that is
seen from the work ethic [of the Marine.]”
Meritorious promotions are not used as rewards or when a
personal commendation is appropriate. A meritorious
promotion is based on the individual Marine's ability to
take on the responsibilities and duties of a higher grade in
an effective manner.
Throughout the day, a panel
evaluates each Marine in several areas using ‘the whole
Marine Concept' to make a fair decision on everything the
Marine has done and what they have to offer.
Krenzel
came from Okinawa, Japan, and was nominated for his
exemplary work ethic and leadership within the
communications shop. At his previous unit, Krenzel served as
a communications chief at the rank of lance corporal and
participated in as many field operations and community
service events as he could. It was after a training
exercise, Krenzel received news of a paper board he won,
which earned him the meritorious promotion to corporal at
his previous unit.
“Because of my performance in my
last unit and all that I accomplished, the board dug deeper
into my record, looking into my Service Record Book to see
other things I had worked on, earned or volunteered to do,”
Krenzel said. “Units don't inform Marines when they're
selected for a paper board, so [the promotion] was a
pleasant surprise.”
Paper boards can be conducted
without the selected Marines being present. The Marine's
SRB; along with commendations, awards and community service,
provide all the information they need to come to a decision
for the winner in that case. For Krenzel, the cause of his
success for this board was to stand out among his peers by
becoming PME complete, participating in community service,
achieving expert on the rifle range, high proficiency and
conduct marks and a 1st class Physical Fitness Test and
Combat Fitness Test. These boards also include further
testing such as uniform inspections ranging from Service “C”
to Service “A,” promotion photos for military appearance in
uniform, execution of drill cards and question boards.
“Once I heard word that I was selected for the board, I
began preparing any uniform items they could inspect,”
Krenzel said. “My gunnery sergeant gave me a lot of support.
The photo I used for my package was the fifth attempt before
it was just right, but I'm thankful for his high standard.”
With such a wide array of areas to prepare for,
Krenzel's leadership began the process of preparing him for
the trials ahead. Gunnery Sgt. Baron Thompson, radio chief,
3rd LAR, supported Krenzel by being present for several
parts of the board and giving Krenzel any advice or
assistance in preparation for the trials ahead.
“They
look for someone who always tries to be out in front,”
Krenzel said. “If you're out in front, you're going to mess
up but that's how you learn. Every time I passed one of my
superiors, they asked me a question, constantly trying to
test my knowledge. When I took my photo, [Gunnery Sgt.
Thomson] always spotted something that was ‘off' or smudged
and I would go retake it. Anything they could do to best
prepare me for the board, they did.”
Krenzel's
particular board was held at battalion level with four staff
non-commissioned officers evaluating at any given time. Once
Marines from different companies within 3rd LAR were
selected to compete, the board began with a PFT. The
evaluations continued with uniform inspections behind 3rd
LAR's barracks in Service "C" uniform.
“On these
boards, the only time you really know where you stand is
during the physical fitness portions,” Krenzel said. “You
see how well you did against your competitors, but from
there, feedback does not come until they announce the winner
of the board.”
Drill was the next evaluated event,
where candidates were given a drill card at random. Each
card had a list of commands to be executed. Each Marine had
to execute the card by commanding a platoon of 40 Marines at
Lance Corporal Torrey L. Gray Field for evaluation.
“I studied as many different cards as I could, because you
never know what you could get,” Krenzel said. “I made sure I
studied often so I was ready for any card variation.”
It is how hard the individual Marine is willing to study
and prepare that ultimately shift the odds in their favor.
According to Marine Corps order P1400.32D, Marine Corps
Promotion Manual, "Time in Grade" requirements are waived
for meritorious promotions, but those promoted under this
program must meet the minimum "Time in Service"
requirements. Private first class and lance corporal have no
TIS requirement; corporal requires six months TIS and
sergeant 18 months TIS; staff sergeant requires four years
TIS and gunnery sergeant six years TIS.
“If you want
a promotion, you can take it and earn it,” Wilson said.
“Every command that I went to, I asked if I could get a
chance to go on a board. I asked if there were areas I
needed improvement in because I knew what I wanted.”
3rd LAR's meritorious promotion board concluded with a
series of questions from the panel of evaluators in the
headquarters company office. Three of the staff NCOs on the
panel asked general knowledge and Marine Corps questions,
while one asked open-ended questions to see how Marines
would respond.
As Krenzel stood ready to answer his
final question, he was asked, “Why do you deserve to be a
sergeant?”
“The way I answered it was that I stand
high in my peer group, I do those things to stand out and
learn everything I can to improve myself,” Krenzel said. “In
my opinion a meritorious promotion rewards someone who is
already displaying those traits. These boards are not
incentives to do better, but a way to recognize what a
Marine is already doing.”
At the end of all events
and evaluations, the panel convenes for a short time to
discuss each candidate and choose a winner.
“At the
end of it all is when they inform the group who won,”
Krenzel said. “I was ecstatic.”
Krenzel's unwavering
determination to advance ahead of his peers drove him to
tirelessly prepare for the board. Every day was another
opportunity to be more ready than the last, giving him the
edge.
“If you're a meritorious Marine, you should be
able to be told in one minute to go get on a board. You
should be prepared for your questions, uniforms, physical
fitness and be 100 percent ready at all times,” Wilson said.
“If you prepare yourself in that way, you'll be in the best
position to win.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Charles Santamaria
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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