Your unit will announce when they are considering board promotion packages. They will send correspondence to their subordinate units. This correspondence will describe what they expect the package to look like. In many cases, they will request the “Promotional Package Composition, Elections and Preferences” on the left of the folder. You will be prompted for tabs A through E to the right of the folder.
What you will need:
Before you begin, make sure you have the following: Two-hole punch; a manila folder, two sheets, tabbed, with metal clasps centered at the top of each side; cut individual sheets of manila folder to separate the different tabs; tab labels; and its parts of the promotion package.
Your drive should have the manila folder with clasps centered at the top. All you need is one that opens, just two leaves. You can buy the plastic tabs at a store that sells office supplies. They usually come with instructions on how to produce the labels in Microsoft Word. You will need to access a website to download the template.
Make copies of the items in your pack, both print and digital.
Be sure to make copies of your packet, both printed and electronic. Scan each item in your promotional package. Save them to a folder on your computer, then save that folder to multiple computers, multiple storage devices, and personal Internet storage accounts.
That’s how it’s supposed to work.
Before we go any further, here’s a breakdown of the “Promo Pack Composition, Choices, and Preferences” tab system.
Your Army promotion package will contain the items in Section B of the “Promotion Package Composition, Elections and Preferences” form. You will see three columns titled; Initials, File and Description/Instructions. The first two blank spaces under the “Tab” column are for items that will be on the top right hand side of your package. They do not have their own tab tag.
When the reviewer opens your pack, they will see the “Promo Pack Composition, Choices and Preferences” form on the left side. You’ll see your promotion point spreadsheet (SGT/SSG promotion) on the right. This is Form DA 3355. If you are writing a letter to the President of the Board, it will be below your promotion point tally sheet.
Underneath your promotion points worksheet, the reviewer will see a bunch of “tabs” to the side. These tabs are named after the tab number or letter that you will find below the tab column. Each tab will be labeled as follows: A, B, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6, B-7, C, D, and E.
When the reviewer holds the tabbed label holding “B” and lifts up the sheet from the attached manila folder it is attached to, they will see your DA 2A and 2-1 forms. When you lift up tab B-1 and the attached folder, you will see your PT card. This concept is applied throughout the Army promotion package. Use the “Promotional Package Composition, Choices and Preferences” sheet as a guide.
How to assemble the package:
Place the “Composition, Elections and Preferences Promotion Package” on the left side. Apply the two-hole punch, then place it on the clasps on the left.
Have several loose sheets ready from the sides of the manila folder. Start at “E”, this is your “Tab E”. As of this writing, it includes military awards, decorations, and letters/certificates of commendation, recognition, or achievement.
Line up the two-hole punch with the metal tabs, then set the metal measuring device. You don’t want your copies to bend when you close your promo folder. After placing copies of your award documentation, take the first sheet from the manila folder. Use the same two-hole drilling principles as before. Place that manila sheet on top of your award documentation.
Go to the items that go in section “D”, your “Tab D”. As of this writing, this tab contains your military reports, such as the DA 1059 form, and other evidence of military education. Be sure to include the DA 1059 from your last NCOES course. Include all of your DA 1059 forms in this section. Apply the two-hole punch using the same principles you applied when working with section E (Tab E). When you have all the documents, apply the two-hole punch to the individual manila binder sheet. Put it on top of the items in the “D” section.
Repeat this process for the rest of the package. Each tab has its own section. When you’re done, the tabs, to the right, will be in the order they appear under the “tab” column.
Attach the tabbed labels to the individual sheets of the manila folder, after the package is assembled.
You can type or hand print the tab labels. Since you want your work to stand out, you want to write those labels. Read the instructions for the size of the lashes you buy. They will provide you with instructions on how you can download a ready-made tab sheet. Write the labels of the previous tabs in the blocks and then save them. Print these tab labels. Cut them out and slide them into their respective tabs… one by one.
Once you’re done, take one last look. Review each item in each section of the promotion package. Make sure you have signed everything you are supposed to sign. Once you’re done, send it to your frontline leader. Make sure you are available to make corrections.
Some useful tips.
1. Take your formal and informal career counseling sessions seriously. Promotions are earned. Even if you are in the prime zone for promotion, your leadership does not have to recommend you. If you are not ready for the promotion, they will provide you with an advisory statement explaining why.
2. Strive to perform at the capacity expected at the next higher rank. Never stop learning your MOS. Always build on the MOS knowledge you already have.
3. Start building your promotion package early, before you are eligible for the promotion. Upgrade it as soon as you earn more promotion points. Sometimes promo boards are announced at times when you wouldn’t have enough time to put together a promo package.
4. Max out your APFT and weapon qualification scores. Do additional PT in addition to the morning PT. Civilian firing ranges offer opportunities to improve your marksmanship between visits to the Army range.
5. Army correspondence courses are the easiest points to earn. If you’re not taking Army correspondence courses, you’re denying yourself easy promotion points.
6. Obtain a copy of the “Course Promotion Points Eligibility” document. This document lists the courses that qualify for promotion points. Try to enroll in the courses that offer promotion points.
7. Take online college courses if your training schedule allows enough time.
