how to write a military biography

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SPC Torres, Jacob born in Puerto Rico and raised in Florida. Graduated high school at Harmony High School on May 25, 2018. Sworn in July 30, 2018. SPC Torres attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and graduated November 30, 2018. SPC Torres went back home to Florida for hometown recruiting and got married December 7,2018. SPC Torres arrived at Fort Benning for his first duty station December 16, 2018.

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Biography Template

Go here to download a template for an official Air Force biography (updated 16 July 2024).

Thanks to Robert Doby for the contribution.

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Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog

Neither the department of the navy nor any other component of the department of defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this blog., cv, military bio, and letter of intent templates.

Posted on July 26, 2017 Updated on May 18, 2020

Every nominative position requires you to submit a CV, military bio, and letter of intent (LOI), so I always have these documents ready. People are always e-mailing me and asking for templates, so here are some Word documents you can use as you see fit. I’ll also put them in the Useful Documents page .

For CVs there are many, many acceptable formats.  Here is my personal CV:

CAPT Schofer CV – 5 MAY 2020

Here is my military bio:

CAPT Schofer Military Bio – 5 MAY 2020

Here is an old LOI I’ve used:

CDR Schofer LOI

Here is a LOI template created by CDR Melissa Austin when she was an EA:

LOI Template

Here are the BUMED templates if you want a slightly different flavor:

CV Example – BUMED

Letter of Intent Example – BUMED

Military Biography Example – BUMED

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This entry was posted in Bio , CV , LOI and tagged Bio , CV , LOI .

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15 thoughts on “ CV, Military Bio, and Letter of Intent Templates ”

CDR Schofer. Two comments:

1) your personal cellphone is in your posted CV 2) double spaces still with a proportional font!?! – http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html

in all seriousness, thank you for your blog as it’s been a great resource

Hey, no one said I was an English major. And I love talking to people…

CDR Schofer,

I continue to be impressed by your work with the MC Career Blog. It is a testament to your leadership and desire to help people grow in their professional lives. I joined the Navy 17 years ago, first spending 10 years in the line community as an NFO, and then laterally transferring to the MC.

I just completed a year as Chief Resident, and your website was a daily reminder of why I wanted to take on the role. I finally got my own website up and running after being inspired by you for the past few years.

Thank you for the motivation and inspiration to keep serving.

Wishing you all the best. Jason Valadao, MD LCDR MC USN Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton

[…] This PDF contains a list of necessary qualifications. Any interested applicant should submit a CV/BIO/LOI to CDR Frank Mullens at BUMED with Specialty Leader and Detailer […]

[…] interested parties need to send a current Bio and CV to CAPT Vincent L DeCicco, Deputy Medical Officer of the Marine Corps & Fleet Marine Force […]

[…] book). All interested parties need Detailer/Specialty Leader concurrence and should forward a CV/BIO and letter of intent (LOI) to their Specialty Leader by 15 November. The goal is to have the individuals identified by […]

[…] CV, BIO, and Letter of Intent needed for […]

[…] Action: Disseminate the request for Navy Medicine nominations for the 2018 MHS Female Physician Leadership Course nominees to the Regions, operational commands and BUMED Codes. Eligible nominees are female Navy physicians at the O-4-select, O-4, or junior O-5 levels (less than 2 years TIG). Navy Reserve Physicians are also eligible. Complete nomination packets are due by 05 JAN 2018. A complete packet will include the nomination form, a 250 word or less letter of endorsement from the nominator and the nominee’s CV. […]

[…] Interested candidates should send an e­mail to CAPT Thomas J. Nelson (e-mail address is in the global) no later than Friday, 29 December 2017 with the following attachments (templates available here): […]

[…] officers interested should submit packages (CV/BIO/contact info/Detailer concurrence) to CAPT Christopher Quarles (contact info in the global address […]

[…] Applications are due 31 MAR. CV, Bio, and Letter of Intent templates can be found here. […]

[…] CV […]

One is usually not allowed to use command letterhead unless you are the commander/CO or have by-direction authority and the purposes of the letterhead are representative as to the command as a whole. Most letters, then, also would require serialization.

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How to Write a Personal Military Biography

Samuel hamilton.

Personal military biographies are used to identify the accomplishments and abilities of current or former service members. Writing a personal military biography is similar to generating a standard resume, though greater attention is paid to your military training, awards and stations than your civilian education and job experience. Because there are many ways to format this information, personal military biographies offer you an opportunity to highlight the elements of your military career about which you are most proud.

List your personal demographic information including name, branch, rank, deployment status, current location of deployment, age, date of birth and hometown.

List your military history in chronological order, starting with your first military experience. Include your enlistment information, all training you received and all units and locations to which you have been deployed.

Identify any military awards and honors you have received. Include military decorations such as Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars, service ribbons for active-duty participation and qualifications achieved through training.

Describe the military schooling you have received. This includes any and all post-boot camp training you received.

List your rank ascension history in chronological order starting with your first ranking. Include the date at which you received each rank.

Detail your family history including your parents, siblings, spouse and any children you may have.

Identify any civilian schooling you have received such as high school or college.

About the Author

Samuel Hamilton has been writing since 2002. His work has appeared in “The Penn,” “The Antithesis,” “New Growth Arts Review" and “Deek” magazine. Hamilton holds a Master of Arts in English education from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master of Arts in composition from the University of Florida.

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Characteristics of Narrative Essays

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Army Bio Template

An Army Bio Template is a structured format used to detail the professional and personal background of military personnel, capturing their career trajectory, achievements, training, and more. To simplify the creation of such bios, we've designed a template that's accessible and user-friendly. Our Army Bio Template is readily available in formats including Word and Google Docs.

About this Template

Contents of the template:.

• Personal Information: Essential details such as name, rank, date, and place of birth.
• Contact Information: Mailing address, email, and phone number for easy communication.
• Education: Academic qualifications, institutions, and graduation years.
• Army Career & Assignments: A chronological overview of assignments, locations, durations, and responsibilities.
• Professional Development & Training: Highlighting specialized training and development programs attended.
• Awards & Decorations: Honors, medals, and awards achieved during service.
• Personal Interests & Volunteer Work: A glimpse into the individual’s passions outside of their military duties.
• Testimonials: Quotes and remarks from colleagues and superiors validating the individual’s contributions and character.

Why Use This Template:

• Consistency: Ensures a uniform presentation for all army personnel bios.
• User-Friendly: Designed with ease of use in mind, making it straightforward to fill out.
• Time-saving: Eliminates the guesswork and reduces the time taken to format and organize the information.
• Professional Presentation: A polished and organized layout enhances readability and the professional image of the individual.
• Promotion Boards: Offering a concise snapshot of an individual’s career and achievements.
• Transfer Requests: Showcasing experience and qualifications when seeking new postings.
• Public Speaking Engagements: Providing event organizers with background information on the speaker.
• Networking Events: Giving a quick overview for peers and superiors from other units or services.
• Military Publications: Serving as a ready reference for features or profiles.

Related Templates

Teacher Bio Template

1 Page Biography Template

Artist Biography Template

Navy Biography Template

Character Biography Template

Biography Outline Template

Professional Biography Template

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Aesthetic Bio Template

Work Bio Template

We value your contribution.

How to Write a Short Bio (With Examples for Military Transition)

by Keith Kappel | Sep 2, 2022 | Business Resources | 2 comments

Step 1: Check the Limitations  

Step 2: make a list  .

• Who Are You? This generally includes your name, and your relevant title/position. If your bio is for a start-up business, note that your day-job title may or may not be relevant to this question (though it might fit into one of the next two questions). 
• Are You Qualified? What qualifications do you have relevant to your title/position (or perhaps aspiring title/position)? This is a great place for relevant education and experience in the field, or even a related field. Relevance is the key word for this question. We aren’t trying to list every qualification and certificate you’ve earned in your lifetime, just the 1-3 most relevant to the audience of the bio. 
• What Makes You Different? This is a chance to show some personality and differentiate yourself from others in your field. It’s a great place to showcase hobbies, indirectly-related experiences (particularly military service if it’s not in one of the first two sections), your family, pets, or anything else that you want to be part of your personal branding as an individual. 
• Who Are You? Ryan Smith, CEO of EnTRIPreneur Airlines, Retired Veteran.   
• Qualifications? 22 years and 5,000 hours flying the C-130, Licensed/Certified Commercial Pilot (for single and multi-engine), Masters in Business Administration from Colorado State University  
• Differences? Loves travel, snorkeling, scuba diving, pizza, Denver Broncos  

Step 3: Trim To Relevant Data Points  

A note on military service : For some things you might get asked to do a bio for, it’s important to consider who else is going to be included. For instance, for a Bunker Labs project, every bio we feature probably belongs to a Veteran or military spouse. Because of this, we probably don’t want to just say “Veteran” or “retired Veteran” because it’s just too vague.  

Be specific  

• Who Are You? Ryan Smith, CEO of EnTRIPreneur Airlines, Retired Naval Aviator (24 years)
• Qualifications? Licensed/Certified Commercial Pilot (for single and multi-engine), Masters in Business Administration from Colorado State University
• Differences? Loves scuba diving, Denver Broncos  

Step 4: Making Sentences  

Important Note : Bios are always written in the third person, which means you use your own name, or he/she/they pronouns when referring to yourself as appropriate. The words “I” or “me” should never appear in a bio.   

• Who Are You? So, with the trimmed list I had in Step 2, I might try something like:  “A Retired Naval Aviator of 24 years, Ryan Smith is now the CEO of EnTRIPreneur Airlines, an executive travel service.”   
• Qualifications? And my second sentence might be something like:  “Ryan earned his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University, and maintains a Commercial Pilot’s License for single and multi-engine aircraft.”   
• Differences? My final sentence(s) might be:  “When Ryan isn’t cheering on his Denver Broncos, he’s mapping out his next scuba diving trip! His next stop is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.”  

A note on adding humor: Some people want their bio to be funny. This goes wrong far more often than it goes right. Our best advice: avoid adding humor to your bio. 

Step 5: Final Checks  

More guidance  .

I understand that this should be written in the third person, but it sounds weird to me. What’s wrong with first person anyway?

Hey, Simone! There are a few reasons we write bios in third person, but there are some who feel a bio in first person is just fine, but (and this is key) it really depends on the context. Particularly, if your bio is the ONLY bio appearing wherever it’s appearing (probably the “about us” section of a website or on a social media page, then a 1st person bio is probably fine and more natural. However, as you can imagine, this is a relatively new use for a bio, and since grammar and writing rules tend to evolve much more slowly than technology, it’s taken a while for it to get formal recognition.

However, to answer your original question: 1.) Third person tends to be the most clear and the most neutral. It’s like reading an encyclopedia entry. It feels the most professional because its what we’re used to associating with professionals in the same way we think of a business suit as professional dress. These things can change over time, but it tends to change slowly.

2.) Writing in third person gives the impression someone wrote it ABOUT you rather than you writing it yourself (even though this is almost never the case). Imagine you’re in a bar, you’re watching a pool tournament on the television. A person in the bar sits next to you and says “I’m Megan and I’m the best pool shooter in the bar.” Someone else sits on the other side of you and says “Jill is the best pool shooter in the bar.” Which person are you more likely to believe? The person bragging about themselves, or the person evaluating someone else’s abilities? Most people discount the person bragging on themselves. It removes an air of perceived subjectivity and makes it feel more objective. Some people have an inherent rejection of anything they perceive as bragging. Third person lends authority to any accomplishments you list, and removes that stigma of bragging, because it sounds like a neutral party is listing them for you.

3.) Imagine you’re reading a book, and it’s written in 1st person, so you’re seeing the story through the main character’s eyes. I opened the door, I saw a woman standing behind a desk, etc. Now imagine if every single chapter, or even every few paragraphs, the main character changed between 3-4 different main characters. As a reader, you’d get confused which “I” you’re reading about now. When bios appear, they often appear in groups of multiple bios (such as in a Bunker Labs program guide or lookbook). This can create an awkward effect for the reader if they’re all written in first person.

I hope that helps!

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Biography/Bio

There are several types and formats of bios. Bios are used for informal purposes such as maintaining information for the Flight or Squadron Commander or more structured, formal requirements such as award submissions. We need more examples. If you have one, please donate for the cause. Thanks!

Captain Evangeline Jones is a Clinical Nurse, Family Health Clinic at Wilford Hall Surgical Center at Lackland AFB, Texas. As a clinical nurse, she is responsible for coordinating patient care for a defined enrolled population through a continuum in order to achieve optimal patient outcomes in relation to clinical care, quality and cost-effectiveness. She provides direct clinical care to patients requiring the intervention of a professional nurse, triages patients who present on a walk-in basis ensuring appropriate level of care provided. Captain Jones provides risk factor counseling and preventive service to include Health and Wellness center or other prevention programs as appropriate.

Captain Jones entered as direct commission on March 2013 and went to Commissioned Officer Training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Captain Jones completed her Bachelors in Science of Nursing at Goldfarb Nursing School Barnes Jewish College at Saint Louis, Missouri. She took the accelerated Bachelors of Science in Nursing which she completed in one year and 3 months. Her first bachelor s degree was Behavioral Sciences completed last November 1994 in Manila Philippines. Captain Jones had her Masters of Science in Human Resources Management in 2003 at Troy State University in Montgomery, Alabama. Prior to her current position, she worked as Clinical Nurse at Medical Surgical Unit Orthopedics at San Antonio Military Medical Center.

Captain Jones was deployed in Bagram, Afghanistan last October 2014 till April 2015 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and FREEDOM S SENTINEL where she responded to 52 rocket attacks and three mass casualty events involving 36 patients. She served as a care team leader and charge nurse leading 27 staff and providing expert and quality nursing care to 2,200 patients.

EDUCATION 1994 Bachelors of Science degree in Behavioral Sciences, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila Philippines 2003 Masters of Science in Human Resources Management, Troy State University, Montgomery, Ala 2011 Bachelors of Science in Accelerated Nursing, Goldfarb School of Nursing Barnes Jewish College, Saint Louis, Missouri 2013 Commissioned Officer Training, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala 2014 Critical Care Combat Course, Camp Bullis, San Antonio, Texas 2016 Nursing Service Management, Fort Sam Houston, Texas

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Air Force Commendation Medal Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster National Defense Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal with four bronze stars Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border Air Force Training Ribbon NATO Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION 2nd Lieutenant, June 2012-June 2014 1st Lieutenant, June 2014-June 2016 Captain, June 2016-present

Below is the format required for submission for awards with AF Form 1206 Ref AFI 36-2805 Special Trophies and Awards - Attch 2

(SAMPLE - BIOGRAPHY)

SENIOR AIRMAN JOHN Q. DOE

123-45-6789

AFSC: 3M031, Services Apprentice

Senior Airman John Q. Doe is a Services Apprentice assigned to the Ford's Dining Facility as a shift leader, Jones Air Force Base, Texas. He is 27 years old. Airman Doe was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on 1 August 1966. He attended Central High School, graduating as class salutatorian in May 1984. He lettered each year in football, basketball, and baseball. He served as student body president and was a member of the math and science club. After graduating from high school, Airman Doe was locally employed. He served as a church council officer for the Good Shepherd Church in Covington, Kentucky. He subsequently enlisted in the Air Force in 1990 and arrived at Lackland AFB, Texas, in October 1990 for basic training. Upon graduation, he received a direct-duty assignment to the First Services Squadron, Jones AFB, Texas, arriving in December 1990. Since arriving at Jones AFB, he has served in a variety of positions, including store room clerk and his current assignment. Airman Doe is an active member of the Big Brothers Association and assisted in his unit's Thanksgiving dinner to feed the homeless this past year. His military awards include the National Defense Service Medal and the Air Force Training Ribbon. He attends Lucas College in Smith, Texas, and is working toward a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration.

NOTE: Single-space the narrative portion of the biography. Double-space between name, SSN, and AFSC.

Here's an example of the type of bio commonly required by squadrons to maintain personl information on file for the Commmander.

Use this form for contributions and comments.

Contact [email protected]

How to write a military bio for a promotion board?

To write a military bio for a promotion board, include relevant personal and professional information, such as education, training, deployments, and awards. Tailor the bio to highlight accomplishments and demonstrate leadership and potential for the next rank.

1. How long should a military bio be for a promotion board?

Aim for one to two pages, keeping it concise and to the point.

2. What should be included in a military bio?

Include personal information, education, training, deployments, awards, and any other relevant experience.

3. How should military accomplishments be highlighted in a bio?

Focus on specific accomplishments, such as successful missions or projects, and demonstrate the impact of your contributions.

4. Should I include non-military experience in my bio?

Only include non-military experience if it is relevant to your leadership and professional development.

5. How should I demonstrate leadership potential in my bio?

Highlight instances where you have shown leadership, taken initiative, and successfully led teams or projects.

6. Is it important to include education and training in a military bio?

Yes, include any relevant education, training, and professional development to showcase your qualifications.

7. Can I include personal hobbies and interests in my bio?

Unless they are directly relevant to your military career or demonstrate leadership qualities, it’s best to focus on professional information.

8. How should I address any challenges or setbacks in my military bio?

Briefly mention challenges and setbacks, but focus on how you overcame them and what you learned from the experience.

9. Should I include references in my military bio?

References are not typically included in a military bio, but you can provide them separately if requested.

10. Is it important to use specific examples and metrics in a military bio?

Yes, using specific examples and metrics can help demonstrate the impact of your actions and accomplishments.

11. How important is it to tailor a military bio for a specific promotion board?

It’s essential to tailor your bio to highlight relevant accomplishments and qualifications for the specific promotion you are seeking.

12. Should I include future career goals in my military bio?

While it’s not necessary, you can briefly mention future career goals if they align with your promotion aspirations.

13. How should I format a military bio for a promotion board?

Follow any specific formatting guidelines provided, and use a clear and professional layout with consistent formatting.

14. Should I include a professional photo in my military bio?

If a professional photo is required or recommended, include it according to the promotion board’s guidelines.

15. How should I conclude a military bio for a promotion board?

Conclude with a brief summary of your qualifications and a statement expressing your readiness for the next level of leadership.

About Nick Oetken

Nick grew up in San Diego, California, but now lives in Arizona with his wife Julie and their five boys. He served in the military for over 15 years. In the Navy for the first ten years, where he was Master at Arms during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. He then moved to the Army, transferring to the Blue to Green program, where he became an MP for his final five years of service during Operation Iraq Freedom, where he received the Purple Heart. He enjoys writing about all types of firearms and enjoys passing on his extensive knowledge to all readers of his articles. Nick is also a keen hunter and tries to get out into the field as often as he can.

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