Great points! Your performance in BOLC is one (small) part of what you establish as your professional reputation. What the academic evaluation report (AER) says about that performance tells only one side of that story. What your peers and trainers think about your performance tells another (arguably more important) side. Ideally, both will match and reflect well on your competence and work ethic and leadership and etc and etc and etc.

The same concept is true at your unit. Your Soldiers and peers won’t have the opportunity (or desire) to read your AER. They will establish their opinions on your “officership” based on your daily actions. All of this will continue to feed that professional reputation you started at BOLC. It may or may not produce an evaluation report that fully captures your capabilities as an officer. It will again form just one part of the story of who you are as a Leader. Then, when you move to a new position or a new installation, some part of that story will make the move with you and part of it will be re-written by your daily performance.

It’s a great point, and I’m glad you highlighted it. The mark of a good officer is striving for excellence in all assignments, starting with BOLC, and continuing in the months and years that follow. This all contributes to your reputation in a unit, within your branch, among your peers, and with senior leaders. The longer your career lasts, the more your reputation will start to influence assignments and opportunities over the words on a piece of paper. So, start building the reputation early and be a consistent professional. It’s a simple recipe for success.

Thanks for helping to add some valuable perspective to the conversation!

~Jeff