The purpose of this section is to discuss the OER Support Form.
In the Army, all Commissioned Officers receive Officer Evaluation Reports.  Also known as OERs, the Officer Evaluation Report is used to assess performance and determine potential for promotion and increased responsibility.  All Officers receive an OER at least once per year or as situations permit.

In order to position yourself for success, you must understand how to prepare your OER.  You must know what right looks like.  And, you must ensure your OER accurately reflects your accomplishments.  Your accomplishments must be specific and quantifiable.  In order to so, you must effectively utilize your OER Support Form. 

DA Form 67-9-1, also known as the OER Support Form is a “working document.”  The purpose of the OER Support Form is to capture key accomplishments during the rating period.  The OER Support Form has your rating chain (your Rater and Senior Rater), your job description, a section for goals, a section for accomplishments, a section for unique skills and a section for you to identify which jobs you are most qualified for.  Simply put, the OER Support Form is a simple and effective two-page document to input your goals and achievements.

Supervisors (Raters) are required to get an OER Support Form from you before they write your OER.  Your key to success is to ensure they get a complete, accurate and well written OER Support Form that they can plagiarize into an Officer Evaluation Report.  Here’s how it normally works.

At the beginning of any rating period, the rated Army Officer sits down with his or her supervisor for an initial counseling.  During the initial counseling, the supervisor outlines performance expectations, identifies conduct expectations and shares unit goals via his or her own OER Support Form.  In essence, their OER Support Form usually covers areas such as training, Soldier Care, Unit Readiness and personal goals.  Each one of these sections might have 3 to 5 specific goals.

Once the initial counseling is complete, the Rated Officer normally has 30 days to prepare his or her own OER Support Form.  They take into consideration their supervisor’s goals, expectations and OER Support Form and then set their own goals for their duty position.  Once their OER Support Form is complete, they give their supervisor a copy.

Next, the rated officer keeps a working copy of his or her OER Support Form for his personal files.  Each week, or each month, the officer inputs his or her key accomplishments on their OER Support Form.  Accomplishments might include operational readiness rates, reenlistments, promotions, Soldiers graduating from School, etc.  This allows the Officer to keep track of his many accomplishments and also gives him quantifiable achievements that will eventually be reflected on his OER. 

Remember, 12-months is a long time.  If you wait until the end of your rating period, you will likely forget many of your major accomplishments during the past 12-months.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Be proactive and update your OER Support Form minimum once per month.

As the next 90 days pass by, continue to update, edit and review your OER Support Form.  Make it as organized and quanitifiable as possible.   When you sit down with your supervisor in 90 days for a follow-up counseling, give your supervisor a copy of your “working” OER Support Form.  That way, you can show your supervisor an organized list of your accomplishments during the past three months. 

If your supervisor knows what they are doing, they should transcribe this information onto your Junior Officer Developmental Support Form (JODSF).  Keep in mind the JODSF is normally for First Lieutenants and Second Lieutenants.  Captains and above normally don’t fill out a JODSF (based upon my experience).

Every 90 days, the supervisor should follow up with the Officer with additional follow-up counseling.  They should repeat the process listed above throughout the rating period.  When the rating period is complete, the officer should update, review and finalize his OER Support Form and give a copy to his supervisor.

If you can pull it off, the OER Support Form should replicate the OER “performance” section.  In other words, you should write your achievements in a paragraph form, so that it flows smoothly.  That way, your supervisor can copy and paste your OER Support Form achievements directly into your Officer Evaluation Report.  Sure, they might make a few changes to it, but probably not.  Remember, your boss is very busy.  Your objective is to make things easier for them.

By following my advice on your own OER Support Form, you can position yourself for success in your military career.

Leave the OER Support Form page and check out our new ARNG Officer Career Guide.