WELCOME TO THE THUNDERDOME
(Sponsor & Indoc)
The Crystal Ball
(CDBs)
Dependents, Dependas, and Development
(Mentorship & Family)
BZ or Bust
(Recognition)
Choose your Rate, Choose your Fate!
(Career & Retention)
100

True or False: Your assigned sponsor is automatically your command mentor for your entire tour.

False. While a sponsor helps you transition, mentorship is a personal relationship that should be chosen by the Sailor based on career goals and mutual trust.

100

True or False: A Sailor who has already decided to separate from the Navy does not need to have any more CDBs.

False. Sailors separating still require CDBs to assist with transition goals, SkillBridge opportunities, resume writing, and terminal leave planning.

100

The official command program/role acts as the primary, official communication link between command leadership and Navy families

The Command Ombudsman

100

Navy award giving 2 points on the sailor Advancement Exam score

NAM (Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal) 

100

Navy tool allows Sailors to log their daily military work hours and convert them into a Department of Labor-approved journeyman card

USMAP (United Services Military Apprenticeship Program).

200

True or False: Your job as a sponsor officially ends the moment you drop the new check-in at the barracks with a "good luck, shipmate" and point them toward the galley.

False. Sponsorship doesn't end at the quarterdeck. A good sponsor helps them integrate into the division, checks on their pay/housing, and makes sure they actually know how to get to work on day two.

200

This document is often brought up during a CDBs because it shows a sailors recommended career milestones, qualifications, and advancement paths. 

What is the LADR (learning and development roadmap)

200

A society that provides loan free grants for sailors and marines in need

Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society 

200

What is the maximum number of days of special liberty a Commanding Officer is authorized to grant a Sailor as a form of recognition?

4 days (consecutive).

200

The official Navy website allows Sailors to track their certifications, convert military experience into civilian college credits, and look up federal licensing

What is Navy COOL? (Credentialing Opportunities On-Line) 

300

The maximum number of days a command has to assign a sponsor to a newly gained Sailor after their orders are officially generated?

10 Days

300

What are the mandatory career milestones (time-based or paygrade-based) that trigger a required Command-level CDB?

Reporting (30 days), 24-month, 48-month, 60-month marks, C-Way eligibility, physical readiness test failures, or requests for commissioning programs.

300

The official Navy program that ensures a Sailor isn't given orders to a duty station that can't support their dependent's specialized medical or educational needs? 

EFMP (Exceptional Family Member Program)

300

Number of years for the Navy Good Conduct Medal

What is 3 years?

300

The Navy website where sailors log in to apply for jobs and hopefully get picked by the detailer

What is MyNavy Assignment?

400

The designated "Process Owner" responsible for managing the command's sponsor program day-to-day.

What is the Command Sponsor Coordinator?

400

Name three mandatory members of a command-level Career Development Board besides the Sailor who is being boarded.

Command Career Counselor (CCC), Departmental Career Counselor, LCPO (Chief), Division Officer, or the Department Head.

400

Your Sailor is going through a rough divorce and their work performance is dropping. What is the name of the 100% confidential counseling resource you should point them toward that doesn't go on their medical record?

What is Military OneSource (or the Military Family Life Counselor / MFLC).

400

The highest enlisted recognition program in the Navy, which results in the winner being automatically advanced to Chief Petty Officer?

What is the Sailor of the Year (SOY) Program (specifically the Navy-wide SOY winners).

400

A DOD program allows eligible active-duty Sailors to spend their last 180 days of service working in a civilian internship to ease their transition to the civilian workforce

What is DoD SkillBridge?

500

A sponsor gets a text from an inbound Sailor saying, "My flight got delayed, my household goods are lost, and I don’t know where to go." Roleplay the sponsor's immediate, supportive response and first three action steps.

Coordination with the duty section, contacting the housing office/Navy Lodge, and offering immediate transportation or reassurance

500

Roleplay a CDB for an E-5 who has twice failed the physical readiness test (PRT) and is feeling defeated. Show how the board can motivate them without being overly punitive.

Options could include: connecting them with a command fitness leader, discussing nutritional resources, and mapping out a recovery plan

500

A junior Sailor's spouse is highly active on a local spouse Facebook group and starts posting rumors about the command's deployment schedule. Roleplay how a peer or leader handles this situation delicately.

Demonstrate tactful, private counseling on OPSEC (Operations Security) risks while validating the spouse's anxiety or need for community support.

500

Name 3 grading areas tyically found on a Navy Evalutation that also serve as foundation for Sailor of the Year grading

Professional Expertise, Leadership, and Military Bearing/Character, Command/community involvement

500

Name three ways a command can recognize a Sailor's hard work outside of formal SOQ/SOY boards or Navy Achievement Medals (NAMs).

LOCs (Letters of Appreciation), Shipmate of the month, parking spots, Early Promote (EP) recommendations, or BZ public shoutouts at quarters

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