Sample Rater & Senior Rater Army OER Bullet Comments

Today, I want to share some sample Army OER Rater & Senior Rater bullets and comments. I’ll use some real comments from my own OERs, and I’ll share examples that viewers submitted to me. I’ve changed each person’s name to protect their identity. Let’s get started.

Writing OERs

As you move up through the ranks as an Army Officer, normally beginning at the rank of Captain, you will write OERs for your subordinate officers. This is an important task you should not take lightly. In fact, you should put SERIOUS thought and consideration into each person’s comments, whether you are their rater or senior rater, because their OER has a huge impact on their future promotions and assignments.

Be specific, not vague. Don’t make generalized comments. Try to keep your emotions of out it and be factual. My best piece of advice is to edit your OER comments at least THREE times (over a period of several days) before you finalize it. This will allow you to think through the comment and create the best (and most accurate) version possible.

Sample Army OER Rater Comments

Sample Army OER Rater Bullet# 1

During this rating period, CPT Holmes has demonstrated that he is an excellent Officer and company commander. Since assuming command, CPT Holmes improved morale by developing an effective rewards program resulting in 15 Achievement Medals, 8 Driver’s Badges, and numerous coins and COA’s. He also promoted six soldiers and re-enlisted 4 of 5 eligible soldiers. CPT Holmes improved APFT-qualified soldiers from 20 to 33, and graduated 10 soldiers from NCOES and MOSQ schools.  CPT Holmes improved his assigned strength by 7% and physically present for duty strength by 19%. He achieved these results by conducting five recruiting events and enrolling 38 Soldiers in the State G-Rap Program. Moreover, he did not have one soldier on non-val pay during the entire rating period. CPT Holmes was the recipient of a Certificate of Honorable Mention from the ATAG of Maryland for the recruiting and retention efforts. In order to improve unit readiness, CPT Holmes established a Family Support Group and monthly newsletter. CPT Holmes completed all logistical missions on time and to standard; to include fuel transport, Class V delivery and a high-profile support mission for the USMC. CPT Holmes simultaneously served on an ADSW tour for three months as the G3 Project Officer. He also graduated the Information Operations 101 Course.

Comments on Potential for Promotion: CPT Holmes has demonstrated the potential to serve in senior company grade and junior field grade assignments in CSS. Promote ahead of peers; unlimited potential.

Sample Army OER Rater Bullet # 2 

CPT Holmes did an amazing job creating a technically and tactically proficient company that is motivated, trained and disciplined and capable of completing any combat deployment. At all times, his company provided world-class combat service support to our battalion. Some highlights include 590.5 man hours of maintenance completed, 100+ vehicles repaired, and Operational Readiness Rate in excess of 94%, prepared 6,000 meals, issued 8,000 gallons of fuel, and issued 200,000 rounds of ammunition without incident. In January 2009, he deployed his company to Washington D.C. in support of the 56th Presidential Inauguration and successfully operated a Traffic Control Point. To improve his unit readiness, CPT Holmes increased his unit strength from 85 to 101, a 20% increase. He also improved the DMOS rate from 88% to 93% while maintaining a non-val pay rate of less than 1%. Moreover, he promoted 17 soldiers, graduated 52 soldiers from military schools and extended 9 of 11 eligible soldiers. To recognize his Soldiers’ performance, he presented 53 achievement awards and presented 2 Soldiers with the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe. To improve his professional development, he completed 4 military courses to include: Combined Arms Exercise (CAX), Project Management, Strategic Planning and Basic Accounting.

Comments on Potential for Promotion: CPT Holmes is a talented logistician and leader who has demonstrated the potential to serve in senior company grade and field-grade positions within the CSS field. Give him tough assignments; he will excel in any position. Promote ahead of peers. Unlimited potential.

Sample Army OER Rater Bullet # 3

During this short rating period, CPT Holmes did an exceptional job leading his Soldiers. CPT Holmes is an experienced, confident, loyal and ultimate team player and leader who always does whatever it takes to make sure the mission is done and done right. In addition to providing world class combat service support to our battalion, he also significantly improved the readiness and morale of his company. Some of his key accomplishments include 5 re-enlistments, 6 promotions, 19 Soldiers graduated from either MOSQ or NCOES, and a company Non-Val Pay of less than 1%. Next, his Maintenance Section maintained an Operational Readiness Rate in excess of 95%, while repairing 10+ vehicles. He completed his change-of-command inventory with zero discrepancies or shortages. Finally, CPT Holmes was selected to serve as the 70th Regiment S4 Officer, a position above his current pay-grade. He will be greatly missed in our battalion and within his company.

Comments on Potential for Promotion: CPT Holmes is an intelligent, disciplined and professional leader, officer and logistician. Continue to give him the toughest assignments. He is sure to excel. He has a very bright future ahead of him. Unlimited potential. Promote ahead of peers.

Sample Army OER Senior Rater Comments

As a senior rater, you have a vital role in the promotion eligibility and career opportunities for the people you evaluate. When promotion boards review the person’s evaluation reports, they will focus on the senior rater comments, not the rater’s comments.

Therefore, it’s critical that you do your job well and make sure the report is accurate, factual, and detailed. That means that everyone gets an OER that reflects their actual performance and potential. In other words, you don’t give a dirt-bag officer a marginal OER because you feel bad for him. Instead, you give him a dirt-bag OER.

You make sure your average officers get average OERs. And you ensure your studs and superstars get a “superstar” type of OER. Don’t play it safe. Don’t be scared to write an OER that needs to be written. Does that make sense? After all, the Army relies on you to evaluate your subordinates’ potential and performance.

In addition, you must ensure the information you write in the senior rater section of the OER is as specific as possible. When possible, use numbers, goals, specific achievements, readiness rates, Soldiers trained, and any other quantifiable number you can get. This is what the promotion boards are looking for. If you just use “generic statements” you are doing the person you senior rate a huge injustice.

The only way to write an accurate OER is to be actively involved with each officer throughout the entire OER process. That means that you must interact with everyone you senior rate, throughout the entire rating period. You need to learn their strengths, weaknesses, personalities, goals, desires, etc. If you don’t do this, you really aren’t qualified to provide senior rater bullets (just my thoughts). Just keep this in mind before you prepare more OERs.

One of the best things you can do is sit down with each one of the officers you senior rate at least once a quarter, so you can learn more about them. Even if you can only invest 20-minutes with each person that you senior rate, each quarter, you should do it. Talk to them. Ask questions. Listen. Find out what makes them tick, what their goals are, and what they think about their own performance. Take notes. You will learn more in 20-minutes that you could through 50 emails or 10 phone conversations.

You should also have frequent talks with the officer’s rater to find out what they think about the person. But whatever you do, make sure you form your own judgment. Don’t let the rater persuade you that someone is a superstar or dud. Trust your own instincts and do your own homework. You owe it to each person that you senior rate to do that.

What I’d like to do in the rest of this page is give you some examples of Army OER senior rater bullets and sample senior rater comments. You can use this information as a reference when you are preparing your senior rater comments. Listed below are five sample senior rater bullets from actual OERs. Some are excellent, while others are average. I just want to share different perspectives to get you thinking.

To write proper comments for each block you fill out as a rater you have to do three things. First, you need a rater philosophy that allows you to discern what constitutes a good and average rating You have to talk to of the officers you rate and ensure they understand your philosophy. Second, you have to spend time with and actually know the officers you rate. If you don’t you will always make poor choices. Finally, you have to dig through ADRP 6-22 and FM 6-22 to develop the comments for each officer. ~ John C. via Rally Point

Sample Senior Rater Bullets # 1

MAJ James is a vital asset to our unit and the Texas Army National Guard as a whole. MAJ James is very committed to helping his organization, in any capacity. MAJ James is a future Battalion Commander. He is a talented leader and logistician, capable of leading a large number of Soldiers and accomplishing any mission. His maturity and skill set well exceed his peers. He is the type of officer that could excel in any position, in any unit. He is a “plug and play” type guy. You could stick him in any position and he would figure out how to succeed. He displays and enormous amount of initiative and self-motivation. Continue to challenge this officer with the toughest assignments. I know he will excel. Unlimited potential. Promote ahead of peers.

Sample Senior Rater Bullets # 2

A self-starter with the honed ability to operate autonomously in challenging environments best describes this capable young commander. During the rating period, this commander improved the overall readiness indicators for his company, to include DMOSQ, Non-Val Pay, Strength, Medical Readiness, and educational posture for the Soldiers under his charge. During the 56^th Presidential Inauguration, he led his Soldiers to man a key traffic control point without incident and ensured the security of his operational space. He shows acumen for complex logistical challenges that will serve him well in positions of greater responsibility. This fine officer will succeed.

Sample Senior Rater Bullets # 3

CPT Snuffy is a superb officer with unlimited potential for advancement. He completed a successful Company Command where his company continued to improve and excel in all aspects of support operations: OR rating, Maintenance Readiness and Recruiting and Retention. In addition to his exceptional leadership skills, he is also a talented staff officer, planner and logistician. CPT Snuffy’s skill-set and experience exceeds that of his peers. He will excel in troop leadership and staff positions. He was selected to become the S4 of a MACOM, an O4 position. He as a very bright future ahead of him, promote ahead of peers.

Sample Senior Rater Bullets # 4

During this rating period CPT James performed far beyond his years of experience. Even though his primary responsibilities were as a logistical planner, he was able to contribute significantly to the CPXs and preparation of the MRX. CPT James performed all tasks assigned to him during this period under very stressful and contentious conditions. He always maintained a professional demeanor and earned the respect of his peers and superiors. CPT James is a truly talented officer and has the potential to serve on battalion and brigade level staffs very successfully. Upon completion of this assignment, he should be afforded the opportunity to command at the company level as soon as possible in order to round out his experience at the junior officer level.

Sample Senior Rater Bullets # 5 

CPT Smith has performed exceptionally as an officer and Company Commander while in command of A Company. The company completed all assigned missions, to include a high profile mission during AT-09 supporting the U.S. Marine Corps. CPT Smith has increased the strength of his company and developed an awards recognition program that has raised morale in his unit. CPT Smith has received recognition in his support of INARNG recruiting efforts and should be considered a valuable asset to the INARNG in the future ahead of him. He should be promoted at first opportunity.

The Senior Rater Potential Evaluation (SRPE) documents an employee’s leadership potential to serve in positions of increased responsibility and grade. Comments made the by senior rater are among the most important parts of the SRPE. Therefore, it is imperative that senior raters understand its purpose and use language that will accurately and effectively convey the employee’s leadership potential. ~ Army Writer

Final Thoughts

When you are writing Army OER Rater & Senior Rater Bullets and Comments yourself, make sure you use the right words. Be as specific as possible and use numbers, percentages, and whatever specific achievements you can find. This is much better than creating a generic OER. You owe it to your people (whether they are good, average, or bad) to write accurate and detailed OERs. To do this, you must make sure you make the time to do their counseling AND you take your time preparing the OER itself.

What are your thoughts? Please share any sample rater or senior rater Army OER Bullets and Comments you have with the rest of our community. Just leave a comment below to do so.

Other Posts You Might Enjoy:

1. How to Fast Track Your Military Career
2. The Officer NCO Relationship in the Army
3. Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) HHC XO Duties and Responsibilities
4. Managing Two Levels Down in the Army
5. Military Career Tips

Sincerely,








Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com

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