Study guide
11.1 Training Management: ICTL, the Digital Job Book, and Sergeant's Time Training
Army Promotion Board SGT/SSG
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1 The Promotion Board Process, Eligibility, and Preparation
1.1 AR 600-8-19 Board Eligibility, TIS/TIG Zones, and PME Requirements 1.2 Board Proceedings, Protocol, Uniform Inspection, and Boardroom Bearing 1.3 Promotion Points, the AFT Conversion, IPPS-A, and Monthly Cutoff Scores 1.4 Board Preparation: Study Plan, Current Events, and World Affairs 1.5 Situational Questions, ICTL Proficiency, and Board Scenario Technique
2 Uniform Standards, Grooming, and Awards (AR 670-1, AD 2025-18, AR 600-8-22)
2.1 ASU and AGSU Configuration, Insignia, Badges, and Awards Placement 2.2 Hair, Cosmetics, Fingernails, and Jewelry Standards (AD 2025-18) 2.3 Wear of Combat Uniforms, Duty Accessories, and Body Modification & Tattoo Policies 2.4 Facial Hair, Medical Exceptions to Policy, and Religious Accommodation 2.5 The Army Awards and Decorations System (AR 600-8-22)
3 Army Leadership & Doctrine (ADP 6-22 & FM 6-22)
3.1 The Army Leadership Requirements Model: Attributes and Competencies 3.2 Leadership Levels, Dynamics, Command Climate, and the Warrior Ethos 3.3 The Counseling Process (ATP 6-22.1 & DA Form 4856) 3.4 The Evaluation Reporting System & NCOER (AR 623-3 & DA Form 2166-9 Series)
4 Customs, Courtesies, and Military Traditions (AR 600-25 & TC 3-21.5)
4.1 Saluting Protocols, Courtesies to Officers, and Hand Salute Standards 4.2 National Flag Etiquette, Colors, Reveille, Retreat, and Honors to the Nation 4.3 Drill and Ceremonies Fundamentals (TC 3-21.5) and Formations 4.4 Rank Structure, Chain of Command, the NCO Support Channel, and Unit Organization
5 Army History, Heritage, and Creeds
5.1 Army Birthday, Continental Army Foundations, and Historical Milestones 5.2 Evolution of the NCO Corps and the Sergeant Major of the Army 5.3 Major American Campaigns and Military Battle History 5.4 The Army Values, The Soldier's Creed, and The NCO Creed
6 Army Programs, Command Policy, and Soldier Readiness
6.1 SHARP Under AR 600-52: Reporting Options, Complaint Processing, and the OSTC 6.2 The Military Equal Opportunity and Harassment Prevention Program (AR 600-20, Chapter 6) 6.3 Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) and SUDCC (AR 600-85) 6.4 Soldier and Family Support Programs: AER, Red Cross, ACS, EFMP, and BOSS 6.5 Suicide Prevention, Behavioral Health, and Resilience 6.6 Prohibited Activities: Extremism, Retaliation, Prohibited Relationships, and Political Activity 6.7 Retention, Reenlistment, and the Career Counseling of Subordinates
7 Tactical Combat Casualty Care & First Aid (TC 4-02.1 & ATP 4-02.83)
7.1 TCCC Phases of Care: Care Under Fire, Tactical Field Care, and TACEVAC 7.2 MARCH PAWS Assessment: Massive Hemorrhage and Airway Management 7.3 Respiration, Circulation, Shock, Burns, and Environmental Injuries 7.4 9-Line MEDEVAC Request Protocol and Tactical Evacuation Procedures
8 CBRN Defense & Force Protection (ATP 3-11.32 & AR 525-13)
8.1 CBRN Hazards, Chemical Agent Classifications, and Physiological Effects 8.2 MOPP Gear Levels, Protective Mask PMCS, and Decontamination 8.3 Antiterrorism, Physical Security, and Force Protection Conditions (AR 525-13)
9 Weapons, Land Navigation, and Physical Readiness
9.1 M4/M16 Rifle Characteristics, Clearing, Malfunctions, and Weapons Safety (TC 3-22.9) 9.2 Map Reading, Grid Coordinates, and Marginal Information (TC 3-25.26) 9.3 Land Navigation: Terrain Features, Azimuths, Intersection, and Resection 9.4 Holistic Health and Fitness, the Army Fitness Test, and the Combat Field Test 9.5 The Army Body Composition Program and the Waist-to-Height Standard (AD 2026-13) 9.6 Crew-Served Weapons, Sidearms, and Munitions
10 Military Justice, the Law of War, and Duty
10.1 The UCMJ, Article 15 Non-Judicial Punishment, and Courts-Martial 10.2 The Code of Conduct, the Law of War, and Rules of Engagement 10.3 Guard Duty, the Three General Orders, and Operations Security
11 Training Management and Unit Sustainment
11.1 Training Management: ICTL, the Digital Job Book, and Sergeant's Time Training 11.2 Maintenance, Supply Discipline, and Property Accountability
11.1 Training Management: ICTL, the Digital Job Book, and Sergeant's Time Training
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
AR 350-1 governs Army training and leader development, and AR 600-8-19 paragraph 3-11b requires promotion board candidates to show proficiency on assigned Individual Critical Tasks at their skill level.
The Individual Critical Task List aligns individual tasks to the unit's mission essential task list; proficiency is recorded in the Small Unit Leader Tool and Digital Job Book on the Army Training Network.
Training is planned and executed to standard using the eight-step training model, and every task is written as a task, conditions, and standards statement.
Sergeant's Time Training is dedicated, protected, hands-on training time in which the NCO is the primary trainer of individual and collective tasks, and it earns no promotion points.
A task is rated GO or NO-GO against the published standard; there is no partial credit, and a NO-GO drives retraining until the Soldier performs the task to standard.
Last updated: September 2026
Training Management: ICTL, the Digital Job Book, and Sergeant's Time Training
Core Principle: The NCO Creed says "competence is my watchword." AR 350-1 (Army Training and Leader Development) is where that watchword becomes a system. And AR 600-8-19, paragraph 3-11b makes it a board requirement: a candidate must show proficiency on assigned Individual Critical Tasks at their skill level.
1. From the Mission to the Individual Task
Army training nests. A board question about training is really asking whether you understand that chain:
- Level Product
- Higher headquarters mission What the unit must be able to do
- Mission Essential Task List (METL) The commander's short list of collective tasks the unit must master
- Collective tasks What a squad, platoon, or company does together
Individual Critical Task List (ICTL) The individual tasks, by MOS and skill level, that enable those collective tasks
Task, conditions, and standards How one individual task is trained and evaluated
AR 600-8-19 requires that Soldiers show proficiency at their assigned Individual Critical Tasks aligned with the unit's mission essential task list at their current skill level — SPC at skill level 1, SGT at skill level 2 — as reflected in the Small Unit Leader Tool / Digital Job Book , both on the Army Training Network at atn.army.mil . Where an ICTL does not exist in the Digital Job Book, the board president verifies MOS proficiency with the Soldier's leadership .
Pull your Digital Job Book before the board. Confirm your tasks are marked trained, that the dates are current, and that you can talk through two or three of them step by step.
2. Task, Conditions, and Standards
Every Army task is written the same way, and an NCO must be able to state all three parts:
Task: what is to be performed, stated as an action — "Perform a function check on an M4 carbine."
Conditions: the circumstances and the equipment provided — "Given an M4 carbine, a magazine, and dummy ammunition, in daylight, in a field environment."
Standards: the measurable criterion for success — "Perform all steps in sequence without error."
Evaluation is GO or NO-GO. There is no partial credit and no curve. A NO-GO drives retraining until the Soldier performs the task to standard — retraining is the point, not the penalty.
3. The Eight-Step Training Model
- Step Action
- 1 Plan the training
- 2 Train and certify leaders
- 3 Recon the site
- 4 Issue the plan
- 5 Rehearse
- 6 Execute
- 7 Conduct an after action review (AAR)
- 8 Retrain
Two steps get skipped in practice and both are graded on a board. Step 2 exists because an uncertified trainer teaches the wrong standard to the whole squad. Step 8 exists because training that ends at the AAR has not changed anything.
4. Principles of Training
Commanders and other leaders are responsible for training.
NCOs train individuals, crews, and small teams.
Train as you will fight.
Train to standard, not to time.
Train to sustain.
Conduct multi-echelon and concurrent training to make the most of available time.
Train to develop agile leaders and organizations.
The second principle is the NCO's charter: individual training is an NCO responsibility , and it is the reason a squad leader — not a lieutenant — is accountable for whether a Soldier can perform their tasks.
5. Sergeant's Time Training
Sergeant's Time Training (STT) is dedicated, protected training time in which the NCO is the primary trainer . Its characteristics:
Hands-on and performance-oriented. Not a classroom brief.
Protected. Details, appointments, and taskings are kept off the calendar.
Resourced. Equipment, ammunition, ranges, and time are allocated in advance.
Trained to standard , evaluated GO or NO-GO, and retrained .
Led by the NCO , with the officer chain present to observe and resource rather than to run it.
One administrative fact a board may test: no promotion points are granted for on-the-job training or on-the-job experience, including Sergeant's Time Training , under AR 600-8-19, paragraph 3-17b(2). STT builds competence, not points.
6. Risk Management
Risk management is integrated into every training plan, not bolted on. The five steps:
Identify hazards.
Assess hazards to determine risk.
Develop controls and make risk decisions.
Implement controls.
Supervise and evaluate.
Risk decisions are made at the level that can allocate the resources to control the risk — an NCO does not accept a high risk that only a commander can mitigate. Composite risk levels run extremely high, high, moderate, and low.
7. The After Action Review
An AAR is a professional discussion , not a critique, and it is led rather than lectured. The four questions:
What was planned?
What actually happened?
Why did it happen that way?
What do we sustain and what do we improve?
Rules that make an AAR work: everyone participates , rank is left outside , the discussion is anchored to the standard rather than to opinion, and the improve items feed directly into the retrain step .
8. Systems an NCO Uses
- System Purpose
- Army Training Network (atn.army.mil) Home of the Digital Job Book and Small Unit Leader Tool
Digital Training Management System (DTMS) Official record of weapons qualification and record fitness test scores; feeds promotion points
Army Training Requirements and Resources System (ATRRS) Course seats, school reservations, and the transcript that drives military education promotion points
- Army Training Information System (ATIS) Records body composition screening and other training data
- ArmyIgnited Tuition assistance and civilian education
These are promotion-point systems as well as training systems. A weapons qualification that never reaches DTMS is worth zero points, and a school that never posts to ATRRS is worth zero points, regardless of what the Soldier actually did.