An Analysis of the Department of the Army Photograph and the Impact on Army Promotion Board Scores

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of the Department of the Army Photograph (DA Photo) to Army promotion and selection boards. One hundred and eighty-four officers, representing 7 different geographical locations, were placed in blind test groups to discern the effect of a “good” and “bad” DA Photo in a mock military promotion board. The significant finding was that a DA Photo judged to be good by a panel of Army Personnel Command Officers did not predict an increase or decrease in a promotion board score; however, a DA Photo judged to be bad by the same panel of officers can be a predictor of a decrease in overall promotion board score.