The Army will test out new annual evaluations for junior enlisted troops akin to the kind noncommissioned officers get, according to service leaders.
The new evaluations are due to be tested this year, though it's unclear which unit will try out the new approach. In addition to junior soldier evaluations, that unit will also test a policy of conducting counselings quarterly — with the evaluation being conducted during the fourth quarter in lieu of the counseling.
Broadly, enlisted troops don't have formal evaluations of their annual performance that carry significant weight until they are noncommissioned officers. The proposed junior enlisted evaluation would cover their latest fitness test score, whether they comply with body fat standards, competency in their job, and communication skills, among other metrics.
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Counselings generally provide less formal feedback; often, they are for leaders to get expectations on paper. Army regulations are vague on performance counselings, only directing that soldiers are supposed to receive that feedback in a “timely” manner, though units often conduct them monthly.
“Sometimes we don't [deliver] feedback very well,” Command Sgt. Maj. Randolph Delapena, the top enlisted leader for the 82nd Airborne Division, who worked on the proposal, told Military.com. “I think this is going to help us formalize that….
