Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog

LCDR Fitreps – Language for Writing Your Block 41

Posted on August 30, 2016

LCDRs all over Navy Medicine are busily writing their fitreps, so I wanted to offer some assistance.  Keep in mind that when you write your block 41, the narrative portion of your fitrep, you are writing it for the promotion board.  Many LCDRs struggle to find the right words to express all the things they’ve done, but it shouldn’t be that hard.  If you read the fiscal year 2017 promotion board precept and convening order, you’ll find the things promotion boards are looking for explained in the language they want to hear.  To facilitate your quest for the perfect block 41, here is some assistance:

1. Here is the board precept: FY-17 AC RC PRECEPT
2. Here is the board convening order: FY-17 AO5S CONVENING ORDER
3. Here is a link to the video podcast that will help you write your entire fitrep: Basic Anatomy of a FITREP
4. Here is a cheat sheet to use when drafting your block 41 on Word: Block 41 Word Template
5. Here are all the relevant quotes pulled from these documents.  Take your accomplishments, read these quotes, and use this language to put your accomplishments into verbiage that will be easy to brief at your own O5 promotion board.  For example, maybe the opening line of your fitrep will borrow the first quote from the convening order below and read, “LCDR Smith is already performing his duties at the level of a seasoned Commander!”

From the precept:

“a broad spectrum of experience, background, perspective, innovative talent, and a depth and breadth of vision, drawn from every facet of the society it serves and understanding of the world within which it operates.  The Navy needs innovative and bold male and female leaders to lead, think creatively, challenge assumptions, and take well-calculated risks that maximize effectiveness.”

“rich diversity of experience, backgrounds, perspective, innovative talent, and depth and breadth of vision”

“demonstrated potential to lead large organizations in a complex world composed of men and women coming from widely varying backgrounds.”

From the convening order:

“capable of performing the duties of the next higher pay grade”

“leadership, professional skills, integrity, management acumen, grounding business practices, and resourcefulness in difficult and challenging assignments.”

“adaptability, intelligent risk-taking, critical thinking, innovation, adherence to Navy and DoD ethical standards, physical fitness, and loyalty to the Navy core values.”

“capable of leading personnel from widely varying backgrounds and mentoring a diverse workforce while executing the Navy’s strategic diversity initiatives.”

“Proven and sustained superior performance in command or other leadership positions in difficult or challenging assignments”

“successful performance and leadership in combat conditions”

“officers with relevant graduate education, experience in specialized areas, and Navy and Joint Professional Military Education (JPME).”

“completion of graduate education and development of a subspecialty.  Degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School, the Naval War College and equivalent Service institutions, and civilian education programs that result in assignment of a subspecialty code or award of Additional Qualification Designation (AQD) codes are desirable.  Proven expertise from an experience tour utilizing that subspecialty is fundamental to the development of Navy Leaders.”

“opportunities to broaden their cultural awareness through experiences and education and to enable better communication in a global operating environment.”

“innovation and efficiency to ensure that we retain an adaptive, flexible, and effective spectrum of conflict.”

“ability to successfully change and to manage for efficiency.”

“think creatively, develop new ideas, take prudent risks, and maximize capabilities through sound management practices.”

“demonstrating innovative thinking, efficient management skills, prudent risk taking, and effective business practices”

“ability to operate effectively with the other Services”

“leaders with knowledge and experience in a variety of settings including operational medicine, joint medical operations, and current peacetime health care delivery initiatives.”

“exceptionally high professional operational, clinical, and business competence and intellectual capacity who have the ability to think analytically and express themselves articulately.”

“energy to create and communicate the organization’s vision”

“build and motivate teams to accomplish that vision”

“calculated risk-takers, inclusive in decision-making, and trusted by subordinates.”

“courage to stand on principles and demonstrate a clear potential to lead the Navy of the future.”

“recognize talent, mentor, coach, and develop juniors, and build the environment in which they can thrive”

“understand and use the best clinical practices and business tools in managing our military population’s health.”

“clearly understand Navy Medicine’s obligation to support the fleet and Marine Corps and demonstrate the capacity to meet the challenges of our commitment to maritime superiority.”

“broad knowledge necessary to support the operating forces and are acknowledged leaders within their operational, clinical, scientific, and business specialties”

“demonstrated exceptional managerial skill and professional competence in executive and staff roles both in the support of the fleet and Marine Corps and within the naval shore establishment.”

“served in a broad spectrum of assignments requiring expertise in diverse functional areas.”

“broad military and medical perspectives beyond the Department of the Navy.”

“demonstrated superior performance in the clinical, scientific, and/or operational settings.”