How to Add a Memorandum of Exception to Your iPERMS Record

An iPERMS memorandum of exception, often called Memo Ex, formally records an administrative action that cannot be completed through the ordinary evaluation-entry route. It may support a late, corrected or manually handled NCOER, OER or AER under the permissions attached to the soldier’s record.

It is not a substitute for the evaluation and does not award promotion points or change an outcome by itself. If a report is wrong, a correction or appeal may still be required. The memo explains why the normal route could not be used and records the authority for the next step.

iPERMS is a U.S. Army system, not the standard Australian Defence Force personnel system. Australian Defence Force members should confirm the process with their own personnel branch. Australian-based civilians supporting a U.S. Army unit should act only when their duties and credentials provide access; civilian employment alone does not create an iPERMS record.

The workable sequence is to verify the affected record, assemble evidence, submit through the authorised transaction and preserve proof of completion. Current command directions and Army security policy take precedence over any general online guide.

What the memorandum exception records

A valid memorandum identifies the affected soldier and evaluation, the period involved, the reason for the exception, the exact action requested and the approving authority. Each statement should match the underlying record.

Do not confuse it with an evaluation, an extension request, an appeal or a general memorandum for the record; each follows a different route. For orientation to iPERMS terms and related tools, general iPERMS guidance is useful, but it is not an official Army authority.

Confirm the issue and the correct route

Sign in through the identity path authorised for your role and compare the iPERMS entry with the source packet. Check the report type, dates, status and responsible rater, and determine whether a normal edit, correction or extension is available. If a standard action fits, use it rather than creating an exception.

Locked records require particular care. Where a manager must reopen a profile before an authorised evaluator can act, follow the unlock rater profiles process and its audit requirements. Unlocking access is not itself the memorandum exception and does not replace approval of the underlying personnel action.

A practical submission checklist

Build a packet on the template prescribed by the S1 or HR office, then include these core elements:

• Identify the soldier, including the EDIPI if required, and specify the evaluation type and covered period.
• Explain the exception concisely, using only facts that can be supported by official records.
• State the requested action, such as creating, correcting, completing or acknowledging the evaluation.
• Attach source evidence, including the original report, approval, loss statement or command directive.
• Obtain the required form, approving official, signature method and effective date required locally.
• Provide a secure contact route, including Australian time-zone information for follow-up.

Check names, dates and action language across every attachment. Mark convenience copies as unofficial; a PDF emailed in Australian offices is not part of the record until the prescribed transaction and approvals are complete.

Submit through the authorised iPERMS workflow

Interface wording can vary by iPERMS release and role. Open the affected evaluation or request area, select the available Add or Request Memorandum of Exception action, complete the fields, attach the approved packet and submit. If the action is absent, do not attach the memo to an unrelated evaluation; ask the rater, S1 or military personnel specialist to raise it through the authorised personnel workflow.

Some accounts can request the action but cannot approve or file it, while other workflows require the request to be raised through IPPS-A before the evaluation is completed in iPERMS. Follow the command’s digital signature and approval route rather than treating an email saying “please attach” as final approval.

Because the systems often operate on different clocks, record the submission date and time. A request sent from Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne late on Friday may show the next U.S. business day in its history, even when Australian daylight time has already changed.

Track routing and verify the record

After submission, monitor the task queue, notifications and record history until the status is approved or completed. A sent status proves only delivery. If the request is returned, read the stated reason and correct the packet through the same request instead of creating a duplicate.

Once completed, confirm that the memorandum is associated with the correct evaluation and that any authorised field change is visible. Save the confirmation and a non-sensitive copy of the final packet. If the document reached the wrong recipient, report it through the command’s privacy or information-security channel.

Apply Australian time, privacy and document realities

Deadlines need two dates: the deadline visible in iPERMS and the Australian local deadline. iPERMS may display U.S. system time. Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne normally observe AEST or AEDT; Adelaide uses ACST or ACDT, and Perth uses AWST. Convert the deadline before deciding whether a same-day request is late.

Australian public holidays, weekends and courier practices can affect physical supporting documents. Use an Army-approved transmission or tracking method rather than personal email, consumer file-sharing accounts or unaddressed courier deliveries. A civilian organisation holding a working copy may also be subject to the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and its own security procedures.

The control principle resembles civilian practice: retain the working file separately from the issued document. That traceability is common in project teams across Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, while a sheet metal workflow offers a civilian analogy rather than Army policy. A properly completed exception leaves a clear chain from the original evaluation through supporting evidence and approval to the authorised update.