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Situational questions are a huge part of army soldier of the month boards and promotion boards. Particularly promotion boards. The board members want to see your leadership ability, not just your ability to memorize facts. How harsh will you be? How forgiving? Do you make sure your Soldier is ok, or just go straight into action? Do you know which situations require Army programs, or the help of higher leadership?
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"Your Soldier comes up to you crying and says he was sexually assaulted. What steps do you take as his team leader?"
Main Points To Memorize:
Drive to his location and physically be there with him. Make sure that his assaulter is not still nearby. Have a battle buddy get to his location if you are not nearby. Do not hang up on him, and place him on hold ONLY to contact necessary people (listed below).
Call the police, your chain of command, and the SARC. Ask the SARC to get in contact with a VA, the Chaplain, Medical Responders, MFLC, and any other resources your Soldier needs so you can spend your time helping the Soldier.
A Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) Kit is crucial for any sexual assault. You MUST remember this point to get a go in most boards. A SAFE Kit contains DNA evidence that proves the person that assaulted your Soldier was actually the one that committed the assault. Without this, the case becomes a "he said/she said" case, and your Soldier deserves better than that. Tell the Soldier to NOT wash the clothes they were wearing, do NOT shower, and collect anything that may still have any of the assaulter's bodily fluids.
The Soldier just went through something traumatic. Every time they have to explain what happened, they have to relive that trauma. Do not make them relive it more than once. Questions like "What happened?", "Why did she do that?", or "Why didn't you do ________ sooner?" can make them relive the trauma without actually helping you. Ensure your questions are focused on the present and near-future steps, such as "Would you like to talk to the Chaplain?", "Are you hurt?", and "How can I help?".
Work with the SARC to make sure that the Soldier, the VA, and YOU go together as a team to each location they need help with. This typically will include places such as Hospital, a Chaplain, Behavioral Health, an MFLC, the Provost Marshall's Office (MP police station), an attorney's office, and more. Be there with them physically, either in the waiting rooms of each appointment or in the meetings (depending on the wishes of the Soldier).
Since you are in the Soldier's chain of command, and the Soldier disclosed the sexual assault to you, you are required to conduct an unrestricted report.
Example Answer:
"If my Soldier was sexually assaulted, I would first make sure he was safe. I would keep him on the phone, drive to his location, make sure his assaulter wasn't still nearby, and advise him to run if they were. If I could not get to him quickly, I would ask my Soldier if there was a battle-buddy nearby that he trusted, and place my Soldier on hold to call the battle-buddy and get him to the location as quickly as I could. I would also call the police, my chain of command, and a SARC. I would ask the SARC to coordinate with the VA, the Chaplain (if my Soldier wanted to visit them), the Hospital, Behavioral Health, and any other Army Programs that my Soldier needs on my behalf so that I could be there for my Soldier. I would then take the Soldier off hold and advise them to preserve evidence for the SAFE Kit. Don't shower, keep the clothes and anything else that may have the assaulter's bodily fluids, and keep any evidence that proves who assaulted him. I would avoid questions that would make him relive the trauma he had just experienced, and escort them to all of the medical, emotional, and legal offices that he needs to visit."
Common Mistakes
What Would Change If...
If you aren't in their Chain Of Command, and you weren't otherwise a mandated reporter for some other hyper-specific reason (you're an MP, etc.), then the victim would be able to file a Restricted Report, as long as you didn't also notify anyone else that were a mandated reporter.
You would still do the right thing and follow the steps above, but make sure that it skipped your Platoon Leader on the way up the Chain of Command. Personal Courage is one of the Army Values, and you should have the courage to do what is right, even if someone above you might get in trouble.
"As a team leader, you show up to first formation 15 minutes early, and your Soldier doesn't. After some time passes, you call, and recieve no answer. What do you do?"
Main Points To Memorize:
If the Soldier has roommates, ask them if they have seen your Soldier up and moving. Coordinate with fellow team leaders to see if others are also missing. Tell your squad leader your Soldier is missing, inform them of your next steps, and ask permission to execute.
Leave the formation (before flag call if your squad leader is ok with it), and get to their location ASAP. Make sure they are not going through a medical or emotional crisis.
Get your Soldier to the help they need. Offer to drive them, don't let them go by themselves. If they insist they go with a spouse/other adult you trust, follow up with that person to ensure your Soldier is ok.
If this is a first-time offense, and the Soldier is genuinely a good Soldier that simply made a mistake, a verbal counseling or corrective action is typically appropriate. You don't want to damage the rapport and Esprit de Corps of an honest and hard-working Soldier over a one-time mistake. If this has happened before, or the Soldier consistantly makes mistakes, that shows a pattern that needs to be corrected. Get it on paper, counsel them, and make sure that in the event you need to recommend an Article 15 or Chapter, you have evidence proving that this Soldier needs it.
Example Answer:
"If my Soldier was about to be late to first formation and wasn't answering, I would ask his roomates or barracksmates if they have seen him. If he lives with a spouse, I would call them. If no one knew where my Soldier was or if they had already gotten up, I would inform my squad leader and recommend that I leave to track them down and make sure he was ok. Pending my squad leader's permission, I would leave ASAP and get to their barracks room or home. I would make sure they weren't hurt, in a mental crisis, or some other emergency situation. If they were, I would take them to the hospital or BH. If they simply slept through their alarm or something, I would either give them a verbal counseling if it is a first-time offense and they are genuienly a good Soldier that made an honest mistake, or a written counseling if it were a repeat offense. After 2 or 3 written counselings, I would recommend an Article 15. If that wasn't enough, and the Soldier continued to fail, I would recommend that Soldier be court marshelled or chaptered out of the Army."
Common Mistakes
"You receive a phone call at 0200 on Saturday morning. It is one of your Soldiers who says that he has been out drinking and needs a ride home. How do you respond?"
Main Points To Memorize:
First, make sure that the Soldier is safe. Make sure they are not hurt, they aren't so inhebriated that they could be a danger to themselves or others.
Second, offer them a ride home. If you are not nearby, ask a trusted battle buddy to go in your place. Get them home safe.
Before you talk to them about the importance of having a plan, getting their side of the story, or anything, wait until the next day to talk to them. They are not in the right state of mind to retain or understand what you need to instill in them.
All Soldiers should feel that they can go to their leadership in a time of need. Harsh punishment for seeking help in a time of need will ensure they do not go to you when they need help, which cripples you as a leader. Be there for your Soldier at least once. However, talk to them if they failed to plan an adequate way to get home. Let them know they should go with buddies, have spare money for an Uber, or have some other plan before going out. If they consistantly call you in "crisis" because they don't plan ahead, stop that pattern of behavior by counseling, and move on to more severe punishments after that.
If simply talking it out and counselings aren't enough, or the Soldier's relationship with alcohol was affecting their job performance or personal life, recommend ASAP. Alcoholism is beyond your level to try and help them through, you need professional help at that point.
Example Answer:
"If my Soldier called drunk needing a ride,I would give him one. I would make sure he is safe, drive to his location (or ask a battle buddy if I was out of town), pick him up, and bring him home safe. I would wait until they were sober, and talk to them about the importance of planning ahead. I would emphasise I would always be there as a last-resort, and that they should never resort todriving drunk. However, if it happened consistantly, and the Soldier failed to develop a better plan to get home, I would counsel them, and eventually recommend ASAP."
Common Mistakes
"Your Soldier comes up to you and announces she is pregnant, and she doesn't know what steps to take. She is also concerned about how this will affect her career. What do you tell her? What steps do you take?"
Main Points To Memorize:
Her medical needs are important, and making sure that her primary care provider is in the loop and giving her the medical help she needs is crucial. The primary care provider's assessment will also be important in getting the proper profile and Army Programs set into place.
Let your Soldier know that she will be marked as non-deployable during the duration of the pregnancy and 1 year after the end of the pregnancy.
Notify her that she will not be required to take AFTs (for record or diagnostic) during the pregnancy and 1 year after the end of the pregnancy. She will also not be required to pass height and weight, and is not subject to the ABCP.
P3T is a modified PT plan that is centered around maintining physical fitness while protecting the well-being of the mother and the baby. You Soldier will be eligible to forgo normal unit PT in the morning to participate in P3T not only during the pregnancy, but also 180 days after. Soldiers that feel they are ready to return to unit PT before the 180 days are up are allowed to waive their P3T time and return early.
After she recieves her profile from her primary care provider, you Soldier is authorized to wear the pregnancy variations of the ACUs. If the duty day calls for a Class A or Class B uniform (such as promotion boards, payday activities, etc.), she will NOT be required to purchase or wear new AGSUs. She may still participate in the activity in the maternity ACUs.
To ensure that at least one parent is home with their child, all birthparents (Soldiers who physically give birth) are deferred or excused for 365 days after the birth of their child from all continuous duty events that are in excess of 1 normal duty day/shift, such as deployments, mobilizations, field trainings, rotations, overnight ranges, PME courses, and other forms of TDY. If both parents are military, the mother may transfer this over to the spouse or co-parent (if operationally feasible). Soldiers may temporarily waive a portion of their year without it ending early, but that time is not added to extend the end-date. If the Soldier is still lactating by the end of the year, they may get 3-month extensions (no more than 8 extensions) through their doctor.
Just because she is non-deployable does NOT mean that she is less valuable to the Army. Although there will be adjustments in her training during and after the pregnancy, it will not negatively impact her long-term career. She can still train, learn, sharpen her skillset, and pass on her knowledge to Soldiers assigned to her. Let her know that, as her leader, you have her back and want her to keep killing it.
Example Answer:
"If my Soldier came to me to help better understand what to do next, I would assure her that I would help her through the process and that it will not negatively impact her career. I would tell her to schedule an appointment with her primary care provider first so that she could get the proper care and profile in place for the subsequent steps. I would let her know she would not be required to take AFTs or be placed on ABCP for up to a year after the pregnancy, but advise her to follow her primary care provider's advice on exercise and diet to ensure she can return to fighting shape and ability in the proper time. I would let her know she is non-deployable, and that she will not be required to participate in overnight trainings for 1 year after birth. I would advise her to purchase maternity OCPs when her other OCPs no longer fit, and let her know she will be able to go to promotion boards in them if she desires to promote. I would direct her to P3T for PT in the morning. I would assure her that she is still a valued member of the team, and that she can continue to be an inspiration and guide to those she is in charge of, and a great help to her battle buddies."
Common Mistakes
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This website is an extension of The Board Questions Podcast. I created the podcast first because I was ejected from my first board. I was brand new to the Army, just sent on rotation to Germany after OSUT, and my squad leader had it in his head that every one of his soldiers would attend a soldier of them month board. I knew nothing, got chewed up and spit out, and failed. I refused to accept that as a final result.
I decided to build something that I needed. I gathered the questions, studied the regs, and used an AI voice to create The Board Questions Podcast. I used the podcast the study up, I won my battalion's Soldier of the Quarter board, and have worked hard to help as many soldiers as possible prepare.
Not everyone learns from audio, so I built this website. However, if you'd like to suppliment your studies by listening to the podcast as well, each of the topics by difficulty episodes covers the exact same questions that are covered on this site. The podcast even has explainations for each answer, some additional memorizational guides, and repetition chapters to help you go over it while your ear and mind are free, like commuting, playing video games, or doing chores.
Feel free to listen!
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