Earning Criteria

• Communication
• Emotional Intelligence
• Team Building
• Ethics
• Submit the short answer worksheet with three short-answers to the provided scenarios that display knowledge and understanding of counseling skills in the areas of common life skills, basic financial skills, family care planning, Air Force standards, on-boarding, and career counseling. Please see Scenario Worksheet for guidance.
• Acquire real-world experience during the first sergeant shadowing period prior to First Sergeant Academy (FSA) attendance and following FSA graduation.
• Document the experience acquired during the first sergeant shadowing period by writing personal reflection identifying strengths, areas for improvement, and how the user believes basic counseling skills will be employed. The four foundational badge competencies (Emotional Intelligence, Communication, Team Building, and Ethics) should be applied as part of this reflection. Please see Professional Journal Template for guidance.
• Compile a portfolio that includes the scenario worksheet, which ties in the four foundational badges (Emotional Intelligence, Communication, Team Building, and Ethics), and professional journal documenting real-world experience obtained during the first sergeant shadowing period. Please see Portfolio Checklist for guidance.
• The portfolio was reviewed by the First Sergeants' Council according to the Life Skills Rubric and recommended for the award of the Life Skills Counseling badge.
• For additional information about the First Sergeants' digital badging initiative and the earning process, please see attached info sheet.