NCOER
AR 623-3 / DA PAM 623-3
MSG Name
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WHY DO WE DO A NCOER?
Purpose:
The DA 2166-8 provides evaluation information to
ensure that sound personnel management decisions can
be made and that an NCOs' potential can be fully
developed.
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NEW REG, NEW RULE,
SAME SOLDIERS
• REVISED FORM: 2166-8 has changed; The format was
enhanced to ease the complete process
• RATING PERIOD: The rating period for all NCO’s is now
by YYYYMMDD not just month and year as it was in the past
• NO MILITARY FLIP: The policy has changed to make the
front and back of the 2166-8 the same….no more flip
• COMMENTS ARE MANDATORY: Must have comments
on all blocks.
Various other changes are listed in both the Regulation and the
DA PAM (see AR 623-3 and DA Pam 623-3)
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NCO RATING CHAINS
These will consist of the rated NCO, the rater, the senior rater, and the reviewer.
Rater
•The rater will be the person (immediate supervisor) in the rating chain that
directs and is most responsible for the rated Soldier’s performance.
•The rater will be the immediate supervisor that monitors/observes the day to day
performance of the rated individual and directly guides the rated Soldier’s
participation in the organization’s mission.
•A rater will be an officer or NCO of the U.S. Armed Forces or an employee of a
DOD or U.S. Government agency (including non-appropriated fund rating
officials). Members of Allied Forces will not be not authorized to serve as raters.
•The rater will normally be the immediate supervisor, SGT or above, and senior
to the rated NCO by grade or date of rank (see AR 600–20), for a minimum
period of 90 consecutive days.
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NCO RATING CHAINS (cont)
Senior Rater
•A senior rater will be an officer or NCO of the U.S. Armed Forces or an employee of DOD
(including non-appropriated fund employees) who is senior to the rater by either pay grade or date
of rank. Members of allied forces are not authorized to be senior raters.
•A senior rater will be a supervisor over all other rating officials in the rated Soldier’s chain of
command or supervisory chain. The senior rater will be the immediate supervisor of the rater and
designated as the rated Soldier’s senior rater for a minimum period of 60 consecutive days (see
paras 3–44, 4–4c(2), and 5–11 for exceptions).
•Senior raters will be senior to the rater by either pay grade or date of rank. If an NCO is on a
recommended list for promotion or frocked to one of the top three NCO grades (1SG, SGM, or
CSM) and is serving in an authorized position for the new grade, then they may senior rate any
NCO they supervise, if after the rater’s promotion they will be senior in pay grade or date of rank
to the rated NCO.
•Commanders may appoint civilian employees of DOD, GS–09 and above (or equivalent), as
senior raters when a military supervisor is not available and when the civilian supervisor is in the
best position to accurately evaluate the NCO’s performance. The uniqueness of the other civilian
pay scales precludes the establishment of a general Armywide policy. Therefore, the minimum
grade for civilian senior raters holding other than GS pay grades is determined by local
commanders. The civilian senior rater will be officially designated on the published rating scheme
established by the local commander.
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•NCO RATING CHAINS
Reviewer
• These will include a reviewer who is in the U.S. Army. The reviewer will be an officer, CSM,
or SGM in the direct line of supervision and senior in pay grade or date of rank to the senior rater.
Promotable master sergeants may serve as reviewers, provided they are working in an authorized
CSM or SGM position.
• No minimum time period is required for reviewer qualification.
• Commanders may appoint officers of other U.S. military services or civilian employees of
DOD, GS–12 and above, or other equivalent civilian pay scales, as reviewers when—
(a) The grade and line-of-supervision requirements are met.
(b) Either the rater or senior rater is a uniformed Army official.
•In cases where both the rater and senior rater are other than uniformed Army rating officials and
no uniformed Army reviewer is available, either—
(a) The report will be reviewed by a uniformed Army officer in the rated NCO’s unit
administrative office. As an exception, this officer is not required to be senior to the
rater or senior rater.
(b) General/flag rank officers and SES civilians serving with any branch of the U.S.
Armed Forces may be appointed as reviewers.
•In cases where superseded in above requirements, when the rater or senior rater is a general
officer, officer of flag rank, or civilian with SES, Defense Intelligence Senior Level, or equivalent
DOD senior civil service rank and precedence, that official will also act as reviewer.
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NCOER Support Form
The support form communication process is characterized by initial and follow-up
face-to-face counseling between the rater and rated Soldier throughout the rating
period. This process is used to achieve the purpose of the DA 2166-8
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NCOER BULLET COMMENTS
IAW AR 623-3, Chapter
• Be short, concise, to the point. Bullets will not be longer than two lines,
preferably one; and no more than one bullet to a line.
• Start with action words (verbs) or possessive pronouns (his or her);
Personal pronouns he or she may be used; should use 'past' tense when
addressing NCO's performance and/or contributions.
• Be double-spaced between bullets
• Be preceded by a small letter 'o' to designate the start of the comment.
Each bullet comment must start with a small letter unless it's a proper
noun that is usually capitalized.
• A specific example can be used only once; therefore, the rater must
decide under which responsibility the bullet fits best (or is most
applicable).
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BULLET EXPLANATION
Part IVa - NCO Values:
•Values are what soldiers, as a profession, judge to be right. They are the moral, ethical and professional attributes of
character. Values are the heart and soul of a great Army.
•The rater will answer each question by placing an "X" in either the 'yes' or 'no' box. Bullets comments are used to
explain any area where the rated NCO is particularly strong or needs improvement. Bullet comments are mandatory
for a 'no' rating and must be specific.
Parts IVb-f - NCO Responsibilities:
•Excellence rating means the NCO clearly exceeds standards and is better than most others. Excellence is
demonstrated by specific examples and measurable results; it is special and unusual and achieved by only a few.
•Success rating indicates the NCO meets all standards. The majority of ratings will fall into this category. It indicates
that the NCO is fully competitive for schooling and promotion. The goal of NCO counseling is to bring all NCOs to
this level.
•Needs Improvement rating is used to indicate some weakness. It means the NCO has missed meeting some
standards.
Part Va - Potential (Rater's Portion):
•Among the Best rating represents the NCO who meets or exceeds all standards. It means the NCO is strongly
recommended for promotion.
•Fully Capable indicates the NCO meets all standards and is recommended for promotion.
Marginal represents the NCO who has demonstrated poor performance, failed to meet one of more standards and
should not be promoted at this time.
•Special Note: NCOs who received one or more 'needs improvement' rating in parts IVb-f cannot receive a rating of
'among the best'; however, NCOs receiving all 'success' ratings may receive a rating of 'among the best' or 'fully
capable.'
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BULLET EXPLANATION
Part Vb - Positions in which rated NCO could best serve the Army at his/her current or next grade:
•The rater lists up to three (at least two) different duty position in which the rated NCO could best serve the Army at
the current or next grade. Past selection boards have identified this area as a useful tool in evaluating the capability of
the NCO to perform in positions of progressive responsibility.
•The requirement is for the current or next grade; therefore, do not recommend a SSG to serve as a 1SG or a SGT to
serve in a position normally identified for junior enlisted soldiers.
•The recommended positions should coincide with the NCO’s overall rating. For example, a SSG who receives a
'marginal' rating based on poor leadership skills should not be recommended to serve in a higher leadership position
such as platoon sergeant or section chief.
Parts Vc and d - Overall Performance/Potential (Senior Rater)
•Success/Superior - a "1" or "2" rating represents a very good, solid performance and is a strong recommendation for
promotion. As a general rule, the 1-3 ratings are interpreted as this:
"1" = cream of the crop; promote immediately;
"2" = a solid citizen; strong recommendation for promotion;
"3" = a good performance; promote if allocations allow
•Fair - a "4" rating represents NCOs who may require additional training/observation and should not be promoted at
this time.
•Poor - a "5" rating represents NCOs who are weak or deficient and, in the opinion of the senior rater, need
significant improvement or training in one or more areas. These NCO should not be considered for promotion and
may be considered for denial of continued service under the Qualitative Management Program.
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The PMOS is “O”,
Verify dates are
Correct
Not a zero, ex…31B3O
Brackets are ONLY
for FROCKED NCO’s
If Soldier is not
Available for signature,
Leave it blank.
Counseling Dates are
Mandatory
Completed by the rater.
Typewritten or handwritten
Mandatory
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--Lead off
with your
strongest
excellence
bullet
*Enter PASS, FAIL, PROFILE
and the date (YYYYMMDD).
*Within 12 month period.
If no APFT within 12 months.
Leave blank
Same with HT/WT
Mandatory Bullet
Comments
For All Ratings
NCOs receiving one or more
“excellence” cannot receive a
marginal
Or NCOs receiving “needs
improvement
Cannot receive “among the best”
List at least 2
Future Duty
Positions
--S/R focus on
promotion,
schools,
assignments
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SAMPLE BULLETS
COMPETENCE
o responsible for the operational readiness rate average of 96 per cent for ten consecutive months (success)
o received a 100 per cent rating from the command inspection program. (excellence)
o awarded the region commander’s coin for winning the resource and cadet management award (excellence)
o totally committed to quality control of awards, NCO-ERs & OERs, none late or returned utilizing expertise (success)
o successfully completed 25 semester hours of college with a GPA of 3.75 (success)
o selected to train unit commanders and 1SGs on personnel procedures and policies (success)
o improved PSB processing rate from 75 per cent to 96 per cent by conducting SIDPERS related training for PSB personnel
(excellence)
o responsible for seven out of nine mechanics receiving their mechanics' badge (excellence)
o improved the processing rate of pay actions from 65 per cent to 94 per cent in less than three months (excellence)
o completed the battalion's monthly Unit Status Report (USR) requirement for the past six months with zero defects
(excellence)
o received commendable rating during division command inspection; only company in battalion to receive all 'GOs' and
praise from ADC-S (excellence)
PHYSICAL FITNESS & MILITARY BEARING
o achieved the highest score in the company in the most recent APFT, scoring 357 on the extended scale (excellence)
o awarded the Physical Fitness Badge (excellence)
o improved APFT score by 40 points (excellence)
o leads by example during tough, vigorous physical training (success)
o developed the unit’s physical training program resulting in the unit’s average being raised by 25 points (success)
o implemented an aggressive, robust, and diverse PT program ensuring all soldiers in the section passed the APFT (success)
o exhibits superb confidence and infectious enthusiasm with every task/mission without regard to level of difficulty
(success)
o a dynamic and energetic NCO who excels in all areas, routinely scores above 290 on each APFT and sets the example for
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all (excellence)
SAMPLE BULLETS
LEADERSHIP
o selected over 13 staff sergeants for deployment to Bosnia as Operations NCOIC (success)
o selected over 12 SFCs and 2 MSGs to be first sergeant (excellence)
o mentored one soldier to win division soldier of the year and two to win battalion soldier of the year (excellence)
o took charge and led log pack convoys throughout Task Force Eagle’s AOR servicing seven remote sites (success)
o provided sound counsel and mentoring, encouraging team members to exceed standards (success)
o routinely assumes leadership role as NCOIC during absence of incumbent (success)
o always leads from the front with limited guidance and supervision (success)
o achieved three honor platoon awards during rating period (excellence)
o in the absence of an officer, commanded the detachment on two separate missions at JRTC (success)
o expertise and experience were sought daily by officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers throughout the Corps
(success)
o leads by example and enforces high standards of excellence in all areas (success)
TRAINING
o ensured soldiers were proficient and trained in CTT, weapons qualification and MOS related skills (success)
o trained the company in MOUT training in preparation for JRTC (success)
o superb trainer - his platoon averaged 98 per cent first time 'GO’ on armor crewman test II (excellence)
o trained team to score 85 per cent during NBC testing (successful)
o trained section to score 97 per cent during .50 cal avenger gunnery evaluation (excellence)
o extraordinary NCOPD and Sergeant's Time program ensured young soldiers were prepared to support the total Army
(success)
o an extraordinary trainer; his students maintain the highest overall pass rate in the course (excellence)
o possesses the unique ability to capture and hold the attention and imagination of soldiers during training sessions (success)
o planned and executed quarterly NCOPD sessions that focused on NCO Values and responsibility for taking care of soldiers
(success)
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SAMPLE BULLETS
Strong Senior Rater Performance and Potential Bullets
o promote to SFC immediately
o most definitely in top five percent of all SSGs I have worked with in 11 years of service
o a caring and gifted leader whose performance marks him as the quintessential professional
o trusted by commanders, leaders, and soldiers; a superb role model
o absolutely outstanding NCO whose performance and abilities clearly outdistance that of his peers
o capitalize on his leadership abilities and select for drill sergeant school
o clearly capable of serving with distinction in the most demanding and critical assignments
o unlimited potential and versatility; deserves accelerated promotion to master sergeant
o promote first time eligible in the secondary zone
o outstanding steward of battalion resources; S1 audits conducted recouped $100K in unauthorized Bank of America credit
card entitlements
o outperforms 99 percent of his peers; clearly the best NCO in the battalion
o already selected for promotion to SFC, this NCO will advance rapidly through the ranks to Sergeant Major
o an exceptionally talented and gifted NCO who consistently produces superb results – a must select for promotion
o select now for appointment to command sergeant major – soldiers deserve his leadership
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Codes and Reasons for Submission
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 First enter “First”
See AR 623-3, para 5-20a
2 Annual Report enter “Annual”
See AR 623-3 para 3-45
3 Change of Rater enter “Change of Rater”
See AR 623-3 para 3-44
5 Relief for Cause enter “Relief for Cause”
See AR 623-3 para 3-59
6 Depart Temporary Duty, PCS, Special Duty enter “Depart TDY”
See AR 623-3 para 3-48
7 60 day Option report enter “60 day opt”
See AR 623-3 para 3-62
8 Senior rater option enter “SR-Option”
See AR 623-3 para 3-61
9 Complete the record enter “Complete Rec”
See AR 623-3 para 3-60
10 Extended Annual enter “ Ext Annual”
See AR 623-3 para 3-46
12 Relief from ADT, ADSW, AT, TTAD, or CO-TTAD enter “REFRAD”
See AR 623-3 para 3-48
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Non-rated time Codes
CODE
A
C
D
E
F
I
M
P
Q
R
S
T
W
X
Z
REASON
AWOL/Desertion/ Unsatisfactory participant
Confinement in military or civilian detention facility
Temporary disability retirement list
Leave in excess of 30 days
Under arrest
In transit between duty stations, leave, PTDY, and TDY
Missing in Action
Patient
Lack of rater qualification
New recruiter program
Student at military or civilian school
On TDY/Special Duty/ TCS less than 90 calendar days
Prisoner of War
Inactive National Guard or Standby Reserve
None of the above
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