IN THIS ISSUE. From the Chair: CNAFR s view of. FITREPs and EVALs. Flag Perspective: RDML Jones on Reporting Senior Averages

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1 IN THIS ISSUE From the Chair: CNAFR s view of FITREPs and EVALs Flag Perspective: RDML Jones on Reporting Senior Averages Flight Lead Gouge Sessions CNAFR SELRES CNATRA FTS OPEA SYSCOM Enlisted Boards: Letter to the Board Improving Your Brand: Training Opportunities / Qual Boards Waypoint Load: Important Links From the Flight Deck of CNAFR FITREPs and EVALs RADM Sky Crane Welcome back to On Wing. I trust your holidays were invigorating and a great recharging break and that your new year is full of opportunity! We have dedicated this quarter's flag editorials to focus on Fitness Reports (FITREPs) and Enlisted Performance Evaluations (EVALs). We are certainly unable to cover every branch or sequel on the plans and execution of FITREPs/EVALs in a quarterly newsletter, but we will dedicate each February's On Wing to the subject, and after several years there should be a library/anthology of perspectives to reference with respect to FITREPs/EVALs. Additionally, as FITREPs are such an important piece to how each sailor's career tracks, it is important that we mentor within our community on better capturing our contribution, as well as improving the writing skills required to really become a good FITREP writer. Whether you are writing several at one sitting, or drafting your own, each of us needs to be better at writing FITREPs. (Editorial comment: I will use "FITREPs" to reference FITREPs and EVALs, and I will use "sailor" as these comments are generic to Officers and FITREPs and/or Enlisted and EVALs) My focus is on the audiences of FITREPs. I trust every FITREP is written so every mother would be proud to read about her own sailor/child. "This sailor is a standout in my ready room!" With that Block 41 opener, who couldn't look at mom with a big smile as she continues to read the meat of the matter in succinct detail about your accomplishments? I can almost envision the tear of pride in her eyes as she reads the close, "Absolutely continue to detail to demanding duty stations!" 1

2 But each of us knows, or should know, the real intended audience of the FITREP is not our mothers, rather each individual sailor and our statutory (promotion) and administrative (leadership-positional) selection boards. The focus for the sailor should be acknowledging their accomplishments completed on behalf of that reporting senior's mission as described in block 28. Additionally, in some fashion, each sailor should understand how the reporting senior grades that sailor's performance across this specific group of sailors. Lastly, as the reporting senior debriefs FITREP (the past performance), the debrief should also afford opportunity to discuss the future and how to improve, including the number one sailor! We must inspire high velocity learning and performance to gain every advantage, just as we must be a Navy focused on maintaining maritime superiority. Every debrief should challenge every sailor to accelerate their performance! Make sure you are getting your questions answered in the debrief, while also being objective about your performance during that singular grading period. Realize the new reporting period has just started and it s time to deliver on the improvements you and your reporting senior have just debriefed! The other navy audience referenced is "the board"! But, before we talk about FITREPs and that audience, let s reflect on some words from the FITREP debrief discussed above "that singular grading period." With that reflection, we need to realize that the board is more interested in the compilation of "ALL your grading periods (FITREPs)" through a careful debrief of your record by an advocate (your unknown and forever anonymous "briefer") who studies and debriefs your career and milestones appropriate for each particular board. By design, and written in each precept of each board, the board must select the best and fully qualified against a "constrained" number of selects. Everyone must be objective here. As we move up, the numbers of selects become more constrained (smaller opportunity as we move up the pyramid). A large number of selects can mean a high probability that selects will come from not only the "Early Promote" competitive ranking, but can also come from the "Must Promote" and "Promotable" competitive rankings! As a board member in the double digits, trust me when I say board members always wish the number of selects could have been larger. There are always some great sailors whom we can't select due to the "constrained number"! All sailors use this singular FITREP as the charging point for the start of the next cycle and PRESS with how you will accelerate your high performance. Recognize the board will see this as a snapshot of an entire career for them to select a constrained number they want to promote everyone! Kid story that might align to this discussion: When I was in elementary school (compare to a defined rate/rank), I was fast and we competitively ran against each other in the fifty yard dash (compare to a grading period). In 5th grade, though fast, I was not the fastest kid in my grade. In fact, I wasn't the fastest boy (yep, I was "promotable" in the 5th grade). In sixth grade, I became faster, and some of the competition slower (yep, I had moved up to must promote, but still not in the elite club of fastest kids in school! ). In seventh grade, I was finally faster than most every kid in school, save about four (I was finally an "early promote ; I was a recognized part of the fastest kids in school )! I never stopped running, never stopped trying to improve stride and speed, never gave up hope, took every race as a personal challenge believing victory could be attained. Many lessons learned back in elementary school hold true at each of my navy ranks: competitive attitude, always run the race, look for any way to improve. I made and kept LIFE-LONG FRIENDS along the way (even with the faster 4). Sex and skin color don't matter, who wins that race that day matters that day only, there is another race tomorrow always run the race! Fly, Fight, Lead! (Mentor on!) Sky sends! 2

3 Flag Perspective Reporting Senior Averages RDML Scott Jonser Jones Welcome to On Wing. I am Rear Admiral Scott Jones, Deputy Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic. I thought I would spend a few minutes talking about FITREP writing from the Reporting Senior side of the equation. There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings when it comes to this subject. While this article is a wave top on the subject, hopefully there will be a take away or two to help you. The most often asked question I get at PCO courses and NRUM is, "what is the best place to start with establishing a Reporting Seniors Average?" It is my opinion that you want to begin your reporting senior average at a number that is manageable, but is not too high or too low. I recommend starting somewhere between , but definitely not higher than 4.0. This can be very difficult if you try to hook your best guy or gal up with a 5.0 in the first report you write. You will then have your job cut out for you to get that average back under control. I have been written on by senior flags whose 0-6 average is There is no possible way to take care of your people if you lose control of your average. Be very careful with the 5.0s. I typically do not give a 5.0 for this reason: it becomes almost impossible to keep your reporting senior average under control. You might think you are really taking care of someone, but look at what you might be doing to the folks that are #2 and #3 in the stack! Bottom-line: control your average and be disciplined. By the same token, don't go to the other extreme and have an average of I have seen that too. You have got to call balls and strikes as a leader! I often see a CO who wants to keep his two top performers even, by awarding them the same average and being slimy in the top line of the remarks. In this game, it pays to be a winner. You are the CO, call it out or the board will call it out for you. Don't be ambiguous. You have a #1 officer in a category and you have a #2 officer in a category. Make it clear for the board whom your top officer for the reporting period is, so that there will be no confusion on that member during his next milestone board. Do not underestimate the power of the soft break out. So many of us in the reserves have lived in the 1/1 world for a long time. A soft break out along with a cumulative score above the Reporting Senior s Average is key to the career progression of that officer. Air Gaps are bad! I have seen a couple of FITREPs lately where the reporting senior has given an officer in the 1/1 world an MP, believing they are allowing for room to progress in the next reporting period. That is not how it works. A 1/1 EP is the proper way to do that, allowing room in the cumulative average for a higher score if the intent is to show progress. The most important part of the remarks section of the Fitness Report is the top line and the bottom line. Use that top line to clearly declare where this officer is among his reporting group: "Clearly my number 1 of 7 outstanding 0-5s. An absolute standout officer!" The bottom-line is what you think his future should be, "Select for 0-6 now and follow on 0-6 Major Command!" The middle of the remarks section is for you, the reporting senior, to describe the scope of his responsibilities and some numbers to back it up: "Outstanding Executive, manages a ***million dollar budget, resourcing*** personnel..." So to bring this all to a summary, as a reporting senior you get the unique opportunity to shape careers by telling the officer's story through the FITREP process. My counsel to you is to be unambiguous in your reporting on your people. Be clear and decisive with your comments on where this officer stands in your wardroom amongst their peers (in the top line) and where you think they are destined (in the bottom line). Don't be afraid of white space, believe it or 3

4 not, you do not have to fill every line. Keep the remarks concise, but tell the story. Be mindful of your Reporting Senior Average; if your average is out of control, it prevents you from looking after your folks properly. In all things, call it honestly; reporting seniors get reputations on boards both good and bad. You want to be the former. Command is an enormous privilege. Writing on your people is right at the top of what we get to do to put our thumbprint on the future of the Navy we all love! Vr, Jonser FLIGHT LEADS CNAFR SELRES Expand Your Base of Experience LCDR Matthew "Max" Tans I learned so much each time I left my specialty. As a first tour P-3 NFO, I was surprised when my CO suggested I attend a three-week Expeditionary Strike Group Course, but it s a lesson that still bears fruit almost ten years later: expanding your base of knowledge will make you a better Officer. The concept of learning more, faster, by leaving your comfort zone started in my fleet tour when my Skipper sent me, an NFO, to an ESG school to learn how the surface community conducts Anti-Submarine Warfare. Civilian companies develop their executives with out-of-expertise assignments, and the active component aviation community emphasizes the disassociated sea tour. As a reservist, working outside my norms has provided great experiences and more knowledge than I would ve found by remaining in the aviation community alone. I transitioned to the Navy Reserves after the typical P-3 NFO assignments and stayed at my last command, VP-30, for most of my five years of reserve service. During my second year in the reserves, I took ADSW orders, which matched my civilian computer background, to the Navy Surface Warfare Center in Southern California. Besides the dread of an aviator working in a den of SWOs, the tour was tremendous and opened my eyes to how the rest of the Navy operates. I gained experience in a combined militarycivilian command and captured the good SWO lessons to use back home in my squadron. After that tour, I found an Individual Augmentee (IA) billet in Uganda as the officer-in-charge (OIC) of a small international training base. These orders were subsequently modified to a staff job at the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) in Djibouti. The staff had a diverse representation from various branches, nationalities and tasks. As a result, I was able to have a multitude of experience including Army exercises, international events, state department plans and crisis response. Working in small teams, with representatives from the Army, USMC, USAF, and French and British Armies, I practiced cross-functional leadership, learned firsthand how staffs function and picked up real-world practices from the other services. On top of that, I was able to see more of the world and make great friends. I came home armed with a deeper breadth and depth of experience, and I feel better prepared to perform and lead at VP-30 and the larger maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) community. CNATRA Making Your SAU Record Competitive for Selection Boards CAPT Bob Sideshow Carretta Welcome to my first On Wing article as CNATRA Reserve Component Commander (RCC). It's a great time to be flying orange and white aircraft and training the next generation of Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers in one of our seventeen Squadron Augment Units (SAUs). For our officers in the SAUs, promotion selection boards offer some challenges and opportunities. The only tool a board 4

5 possesses to evaluate an officer is that officer's record and how it compares to all other eligible line officers. So how does an officer flying as a training command flight instructor for many years build a record that can compete with officers whose commands afford them widely recognized leadership billets such as maintenance, operations, tactics and safety officers? Surface warfare officers and aviators in hardware commands, who have sailors to lead, ships or aircraft to maintain, and readiness states to report, can build a record to which board members of any designator can relate. Since our SAUs have no enlisted members, aircraft that are maintained by contractors, and don't deploy, we have to translate the important work we do into something board members, who aren't familiar with CNATRA SAUs, can understand. The one thing any board will recognize is sustained superior performance (i.e., EPs, hard and soft breakouts, being above the CO's reporting senior average (RSA)). Beyond that, the next thing you can do is hold a "shadow billet" as the reserve alternate to an active component (AC) billet that is recognizable across platforms and designators (e.g., Safety, Training, Administration, Operations, and XO). Be ready to fill in for your AC counterpart and use the same metrics that they do (e.g., sorties flown, students trained, mishap free flight hours, etc.) when submitting your FITREP inputs. A hard break out as the SAU OPSO, with metrics to support it, will be readily understood by any board. The next thing a TRACOM SAU officer can do is fill out their record with some of the intangibles that help round out a good record. A master's degree, JPME I, a mobilization forward, exercise support, working as a board recorder or even some Active Duty for Special Work (ADSW), filling an AC billet in the squadron or wing, are all positive steps that are recognized across the Navy Reserve. I saved the good news for last: the baseline level of participation required of every CNATRA SAU member (many do over 100 days) is a level of commitment that really stands out when compared to the 24 days of IDT and 14 days of AT that most of the Navy Reserve completes. When a board reviews the record of a CNATRA SAU Instructor, it s obvious how hard they work for the Navy. With some foresight and effort, you can build on this baseline to create a record of your performance that the board will recognize as being worthy of promotion and selection for command. FTS Your Next Set of Orders CAPT Mark Suc Sucato Welcome to the third Full Time Support column of On Wing! The first two columns discussed the importance of developing a diverse network of mentors and some techniques I use to both cultivate my network and find useful information and advice. This column addresses a common issue: how to navigate seemingly hard choices regarding your career or next set of orders. A joke I ve heard several times is that a reservist knows they ve achieved balance when the Navy, their civilian employer and their family are equally angry with them. While that exact dynamic doesn t apply to full-time service members, the idea of balancing competing interests certainly does. This column s discussion uses PCS orders as an example, but the problem is certainly not unique to picking your next job. Occasionally, the planets align: the detailer wants you to go to a squadron at Oceana, squadron orders are the best thing for your career, you love flying and your spouse s favorite city is Virginia Beach. WIN! More often though, particularly for post- Department Head and senior FTS, the needs of the Navy, your best career-enhancing option, your first personal choice, and what your family would like to do with the next few years of their lives don t cleanly align. When that happens, I strongly recommend 5

6 viewing the decision within the context of needs and wants. I both use and recommend a very simple technique: take a day or two to think it through, pull out a piece of paper and bin each attribute as essential, nice to have, nice to avoid or no chance. Make sure you do this with your family; they could have very different concerns. Attributes might include career impact, working for a particular individual, ability to fly, locations, likely risks, and where particular jobs lead for follow-on orders. Writing it down is important there s nothing like seeing the rankings on paper to clarify your options. I think you ll find it s easier to rank your choices, and, in the case of conflicts between attributes like location, ability to fly, and career impact, determine what you have to give up to get something. See you next time! Operational Planning, Execution, and Assessment (OPEA) Wait, there s no NATOPs manual? CAPT Scott Ruston Congrats! You've had a great flying career and now you've left the friendly confines of the ready room and joined a traditional drilling reserve unit. And, by luck, planning, or wise mentorship you ve landed in an OPEA unit and you look around and things are hmm different. While a helo, VFA, VP or VT squadron fly different aircraft, the routines and rhythms and language are largely the same. But, out in the augment units it's a different story. OPEA units have a whole separate language, and on top of that, PACOM units operate differently than EUCOM units. In addition, exercise support units will operate differently than staff planning units or security cooperation units. Nothing in flight school or the aircraft commander syllabus prepared you for this. Upon arrival at your unit, nobody s handing you an OPEA NATOPS manual. And, you forgot CAPT Yak Yaroch s advice to pick up a copy of the JFODS4 or nothing in its pages is helping you decipher the alphabet soup in front of you. What to do? Three suggestions: 1. Look for schools. In last quarter s On Wing OPEA column, CDR Quale noted some of the schools and training available. Even though OPEA units benefit from greater opportunity to attend some of these schools, accessing these schools requires your own initiative to apply, seek out a quota, or even identify a relevant school that fits your windows of availability. Surf the CNRFC N7 page and ask questions of your new chain of command while letting them know you re interested and available. And, get your JPME I complete! 2. Read. Success in OPEA units will require more self-directed study than success in a squadron. The functions and tasks are highly varied and each Fleet or Combatant Command will have unique areas of emphasis and nuances. Yak already cited the JFODS4 and that s a great resource, but don t limit yourself to pubs. Conduct hard drive archeology in both your unit s and your supported command s digital archives. Your peers and predecessors are often fantastic about writing reports, lessons learned, observations and gouge sheets but sometimes we re not as good about disseminating this treasure trove. Go find it and build on it! 3. Leverage your civilian skillset. Believe it or not, this is an often under-recognized and under-utilized resource; however, it is one of the great force multipliers of the Reserves. As Reservists, not only do we bring a critical, fresh, outsider perspective to staff processes, operational planning problems or exercise design, we also have a wealth of skills that are directly applicable to a wide range of OPEA task areas. Often times our civilian expertise makes us the experts on a topic. Take a moment to think how your civilian skillset might apply to the new challenges of an OPEA unit. 6

7 For example, assessment is not the intimidating and esoteric role it might seem. Perhaps you ve evaluated a production process for your company, calculated the success of a new marketing campaign, or reviewed the effectiveness of a new training syllabus. If so, you ve got assessment experience. If you have an MBA, you have planning experience: Almost every MBA program has a course on strategic planning. Business planning cycles and operational planning cycles are remarkably similar. If you re a corporate trainer or a sales representative, you likely have experience introducing new ideas to diverse groups. These skills are applicable to security cooperation activities and the academic phase of some exercises. You likely have a lot more preparation for OPEA roles and tasks than you think you do! Last thought: OPEA is often more art than science, so don't get intimated by the alphabet soup and precise procedures and products. Dive in, add your ideas drawn from your reading, schools and civilian skills and watch those good ideas rise to the top as you become a leader in a new field. SYSCOM (ONR, NRP, SPAWAR, OSD/JS, OPNAV) The SPAWAR Reserve Program CDR Eric Pihl, SPAWAR Too often aviation careers hit a ceiling, and we're not talking clouds here. Let's face it: aviation billets never match applications onefor-one. Moreover, those billets may require significant travel for a drill weekend. So, if you need to shore up your FITREPs for an aviation billet, or want try for a non-aviation command, while doing something very interesting and meaningful, check out the SPAWAR Reserve Program (SRP). The SPAWAR Reserve Program is fully integrated across SPAWAR and relies on Reserve Sailors as force multipliers to increase readiness. Its Best Athlete concept takes advantage of the Reserves unique mix of civilian best practices, professional certifications, and understanding of military C4I systems and Cyber Readiness. With less than one percent of the Reserve Force, the SRP provided over 6,400 days of direct cyber support across 205 missions in FY16. Okay, that was the technical definition. Relax. "Cyber" and "C4I" are broad definitions, and the SRP even has a program that uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Bottom line, the SRP helps keep the Fleet ready to fight by transforming ships and aircraft from individual platforms into integrated battle forces. The SRP has over 360 billets (26 for 13XX) and will plus up to 404 in FY18. It is made up of 18 units (including four Space units) in Everett, San Jose, San Diego, Honolulu, Albuquerque, Austin, Mayport, Charleston, Norfolk, DC, Groton, and Chantilly. Maybe you are tired of spending your weekends at a NOSC, working through GMT, PHAs and admin. In the SRP, many Reservists spend drill weekends underway, serving the fleet wherever it may be. Many of our Sailors regularly contribute more than the typical one weekend a month, two weeks a year. And, it all gets accomplished thanks to the two greatest reserve inventions: flex drill and cross assignment (when executed correctly). SRP Reservists support the Navy's Program Executive Office for Space Systems, which includes the Mobile User Objective System program. Another program, Unmanned Vehicles, supports Research, Development, Test and Evaluation for various unmanned systems, including surface, subsurface, ground and, recently added UAVs. SPAWAR doesn't make the system; it makes it smarter and provides a technology transfer to the Fleet. Some of the other programs include Computer Network Defense; Science, Technology, Engineering & Math outreach missions in unmanned systems; Network 7

8 Operations Support Team, which provides technical training and readiness assessments of communications and Information Management Systems; and Technical Authority. SRP Reservists can also embark on various Carrier Strike Groups it's a different feel when you are not part of ship's company. Lastly, if you want to travel, in addition to typical fleet OCONUS areas like Japan, Bahrain and Italy, the SRP has supported events in Rota, Spain; Singapore; Croatia; La Spezia, Italy; England; Scotland; Stuttgart, Germany; and Souda Bay, Greece. For more news from Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, visit Enlisted The Cookie Corner CNAFR Command Master Chief - CMDCM (AW/SW) Michael A. Maley, FTS Leadership and Sailor Programs Are YOU leading outside the box? Overall, the Navy has been extremely successful with completion of aircraft maintenance repairs and meeting aircraft mission requirements. That daily workload of maintenance and meeting flight schedules is an essential part of our Naval Aviation Greatness across the board! As leaders we also have to ensure we support and take care of our number 1 resource: our people our Sailors! I initially created the leadership box when I was a Command Master Chief of the USS CURTS (FFG38) to mentor the junior officers, mostly Ensigns, on leadership in relation to Sailors and Sailor programs. VFA-122 SAU conducting a low level on the west coast. Jetwash Images, Ralph Duenas, Airliners.net The box above illustrates the daily workload, the maintenance actions, the flight schedules, and the detachments or deployments. The bubbles surrounding the leadership box represent specific leadership and/or Sailor programs that sometimes get pushed to the bottom of the priority list or are completely lost. For all leaders, it can be a challenge to balance these programs with mission requirements. The leadership actions for Sailor programs must start with an awareness and understanding of the organizational management of the programs. Division Officers should be very familiar with all the bubbles that are part of their responsibility in supporting their Sailors. Effective leadership is knowing what questions to ask. What is our process for managing our cross assigned Sailors and how/when have we communicated to these Sailors? When are my Sailors Career Development Boards due? What are my division and work center qualification percentages? Do any of my Sailors have an exceptional family member and what are the detailing requirements? My recommendation for all officers not familiar with Sailor programs listed in the bubbles above is to meet with their Division Chief and their Command Master Chief for mentorship to increase their knowledge and understanding of these programs. The goal is to build on this topic: Are YOU leading outside the box? with future On Wing Cookie Corner Command Master Chief articles that will elaborate more on 8

9 specifics (e.g., evaluations, awards, CWAY, etc.). The focus will be on Sailor programs, particularly what is important for Junior Officers to understand and what is their responsibility. So, are YOU leading outside the box? Shelf Life Leadership In relation to some of the Sailor programs and general leadership practices, I wanted to share the concept of knowing your shelf life leadership in relation to DUI, Suicide, and Sailor Misconduct prevention. This also coincides with increasing proactive leadership while diminishing the need for reactive leadership. What is shelf life leadership? When a command has a Sailor who charged with a DUI, the common practice after that incident is for all of the leadership, from the CO to LPO, to talk to their Sailors about DUI prevention. This is an example of reactive leadership. When a LPO has the talk with their Sailors about DUI prevention, that conversation has a shelf life, meaning the Sailors will only remember, and hopefully act responsibly, for so long. Some of your E-1 Sailors may remember it for ten minutes, and other Sailors will remember it longer. A CO, CMC, Department Head, Division Officer, LCPO or LPO should know what that shelf life is, meaning when was last time I talked to Sailors about Sexual Assault Prevention? When was last time I talked to Sailors about Sailor Conduct while on liberty? The goal as stated is to have more proactive leadership than reactive leadership. Knowing what your shelf life leadership is for all the possible categories is key to effective proactive leadership. This will not completely stop a command from ever having a DUI or other incidents, but I firmly believe it does help towards prevention. So, the question for yourself is, What is your shelf life leadership for DUI prevention with your Sailors? After a 32 years, I will retire this March. The next CNAFR Command Master Chief, Michael Heisler, will continue with the Cookie Corner articles to support the Aviation Mentorship Initiative. As stated above, the future Cookie Corner articles will expand more on Sailor programs. If you have questions or want guidance on leadership or Navy programs, feel free to contact me now or after I retire. My contact info is as follows: Cell (619) or e- mail michaelmaley67@outlook.com. As always, have a Great Navy Day, and remember: Mission First, but SAILORS ALWAYS! Boards To Write or Not to Write... a Letter to the Board You are in zone for promotion to the next higher paygrade. A few months ago, your mentors reviewed your record and identified a few discrepancies. You have been working hard to get these resolved. Now, it s just a few weeks prior to your selection board and you are debating whether or not to write a letter to the board. Opinions vary on letters to the board, so seek advice from your mentors about your specific letter, but here is some general advice. How long should the letter be? No more than one page, excluding attachments. Keep the attachments to a minimum. What if I have no discrepancies to address? Most records have at least one area that could be clarified in a letter. Some common areas to address: check the PRESENT BILLET block on the OSR, as this is often wrong or blank, and let the board know when you dropped your letter to resign from active duty. If your record truly needs no explanation, you should still write a letter, simply stating that you reviewed your record, found no discrepancies and are prepared to serve at the next higher rank. Should I address periods in the IRR or breaks in service? Absolutely and do this every 9

10 time. A simple explanation is all that is needed: started a business or active duty spouse deployed are some examples. Should I explain that not-so-great FITREP? In most cases, no. This is very hard to do in a letter to the board without sounding as if you are whining. Should I talk about my civilian experience? No, unless your civilian experience directly relates to the valued skills outlined in the convening order for your rank. The convening order isn t available until after the board meets, but you can review last year s convening order. They are available on the BUPERS website. Should I provide a summary of my career? Thoughts on this vary, so discuss this with your mentors. This can be done well if concise and focused on highlighting your successful leadership tours. This is particularly important if you had a strong mobilization but the details of what you did during that time aren t particularly clear in the FITREP. Bottom-line: ALWAYS write a brief letter to a statutory promotion board. A letter shows the board that you care about your record and your potential promotion. You can also watch this short video on a letter to the board: torship/pages/videos.aspx *************** The schedule for FY-18 boards was released by CNRFC on 2 August via a GovDelivery message. The FY-18 Board Schedule is located at: 18-Board-Schedule-.aspx Most boards require members to be O-6s, but O-5s can be voting members on the E-7/E- 8/E-9, CWO and O-4 boards. Recorders must be below the rank of the board (if it is an O-6 promotion board, recorders must be O-5 or below). All the info you need about board schedules and the application process is located here: nboards.aspx The Unrestricted Line point of contact for FY-18 member or recorder applications is: LCDR Kenneth Doyle COMNAVRESFORCOM N14 TEL: (757) kenneth.doyle@navy.mil The official nomination form is located at: NAVPERS_1400-5_Rev08-15.pdf Improving your Brand In this section you will find information on upcoming opportunities to improve YOUR brand: operational training symposiums, professional development, qualification boards, etc. The next East Coast Air Command and Control (AirC2) NOBC/AQD Board will be scheduled at a future date in the spring. Submissions can be made to CDR Carlton Flip Wilson at: carlton.wilson@navy.mil Performing post-flight maintenance on a C-37B U.S. Navy photo by Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 1 (VR-1) Facebook Page 10

11 Waypoint Load for Boards, Schools and Mentoring NR Aviation Community SharePoint: _Aviation/ *************** POC for Navy quotas at USAF Schools: CDR Shawn "Mango" Mangrum at or (850) *************** Navy Reserve Mentorship Network: This is the first force-wide mentoring initiative. It provides a database of volunteer mentors, searchable by different demographic criteria, giving mentees access to mentors with similar career paths, civilian employment or home life. Register as mentor or search for a mentor: torship/pages/home.aspx ONR Reserve Component (ONR-RC) CDR Robert Been s UAV Launcher No. 1 featured at a UAV event at the Naval Post Graduate School. U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams To suggest additional links or announcements for this newsletter, please contact the Aviation Mentoring Initiative (AMI) leadership at: nr-ami@googlegroups.com 11