wrote on Dec 24^th, 2002 at 7:36pm:

...but apparently "two block" also has some special connotation when discussing officer evaluation reports

I'm not an Alaskan miner, but I can ellaborate on the Army side of this discussion.  

On the old Officer Evaluation Report (OER), there used to be numbers next to the senior rater evaluation boxes.  The senior rater would mark the box (or block) next to what type of officer he thought you were -- 1 being the best, and 4 meaning you ought to be kicked out of the army.

Over time, the evaluation system became so overinflated that every officer was receiving a top rating, referred to as a "top block" or a "one block."  Any officer who received a "two block" was considered sub-par.  A 3 or 4 was certain death to a career.

5-6 years ago, the Army changed their evaluation system.  The new OER did away with the numbers next to the blocks.  Words accompany the blocks (Above Center of Mass, Center of Mass, Below Center of Mass -- Retain, and Below Center of Mass -- Do Not Retain.  The new system limits a senior rater to  giving out up to 50% of his rating pool in the top block, the rest have to be Center of Mass, or they are automatically downgraded to Center of Mass if the senoir rater gives out too many "top blocks."

People still refer to the Center of Mass rating as a "two block," but with the current evaluation system, it is no longer the kiss of death it once was.  

I, too, wondered why someone would use "two block" as a screen name.  I just assumed it had a different meaning than the Army one I knew.  And I was too embarassed to ask.  

Chris