Content area
Full text
The counseling section of Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) and former selection board members have stated that Marine Corps selection boards can no longer look for Marines to promote; they must look for Marines not to promote. Our performance reporting has changed the evaluation process from one that always selects those who demonstrate the greatest merit, achievement, and potential, to one that selects those with the most perfect records. Who has not seen a good Marine get passed over and wondered how another got selected? We must improve the existing performance evaluation system (PES) until a new one can be implemented.
We are an organization of truly outstanding individuals, yet no one is perfect. Over the years we have driven fitness reporting to the limit, adopting a "zero-defect reporting" mentality. Instead of exercising good leadership by looking Marines in the eyes and calling it like we see it, we hand them glowing, inflated reports which continue to depreciate in value. This is no revelation, but what reporting senior (RS) would deflate a Marine's report, knowing that other Marines will be given perfect reports to better their promotion opportunities?
Downsizing and stiff competition for promotion have made the fitness report increasingly important. Although the PES order remains the same, "detractors" such as "EX" markings are being viewed as adverse. The effects can be seen by the HQMC Performance Evaluation Review Board (PERB) through which appeals are made for the removal of records from a Marine's official file. Over the past few years, the PERB has seen a significant increase in total applications for removal of reports. According to the PERB, the reasons vary, but frequent requests are made to remove reports that contain "EX" markings and bottom rankings (e.g., ranked number "5 of 5" outstanding Marines)-because the MRO believes the marks are adverse.
By the PES order, the marks are not adverse and the reports must remain, but in reality the marks can have an adverse affect on the MRO's career. The PES order identifies one of the criteria for an...