How to Submit a Letter of Concern Before an OER

An Officer Evaluation Report (OER) can influence assignments, professional development, promotion opportunities and future command decisions. If you believe your rating chain has overlooked important facts, a carefully written letter of concern may give your rater an opportunity to review the record before the report is completed.

The letter should be factual, respectful and focused on specific evaluation issues. It is not a replacement for the formal OER appeal process, and it should not read like an emotional rebuttal. Its purpose is to identify possible errors while the rating period and report remain current.

For U.S. Army personnel living in Australia, practical details can add complexity. A soldier posted in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane or Darwin may work across different time zones, local offices and command arrangements while still following U.S. Army evaluation policy.

This guide explains how to prepare, route and document a pre-OER concern. General information about Army administrative processes is available in these Army administrative guides, but your command policy, rating chain and current regulations take priority.

Understand The Purpose Of The Letter

A letter of concern should alert the rater to a material issue before the OER is signed or referred. Examples include an inaccurate duty description, omitted achievement, incorrect dates, unsupported performance criticism or a rating that does not reflect documented counselling.

The document should not demand a particular box check, senior-rater narrative or promotion outcome. Instead, explain what appears inaccurate, identify the supporting evidence and state what correction or clarification you are requesting. A professional tone protects your credibility.

Confirm The Correct Timing

Raise the matter as early as possible during the preparation stage. If you wait until the report is already moving through the Evaluation Entry System, the rater may have less time to investigate facts or coordinate with the senior rater.

Check the relevant suspense date, local command instructions and the status of the report in the electronic workflow. Australian-based personnel should convert deadlines to local time rather than relying on a U.S. date displayed without a time zone. A report due on a Friday in the United States may require action early Saturday in Australia.

Build A Factual Record

Begin with the evaluation period, duty position, rating chain and the specific part of the OER that concerns you. Use dates, documents and measurable results. For example, refer to a completed operation, qualification, inspection result, training event or written counselling session.

Avoid broad claims such as “my rater is biased” unless you can identify conduct and evidence that support the concern. A clear chronology is more useful than assumptions about intent. If the issue involves discrimination, reprisal, harassment or unlawful command influence, seek advice through the appropriate Inspector General, Equal Opportunity or legal channel rather than relying only on the OER letter.

Documents To Assemble

• The current duty description and evaluation support form
• Counselling records, award citations and achievement summaries
• Emails, orders, training records or task completion evidence
• Relevant policy excerpts and the report suspense date

Write A Short, Professional Document

Use a clear subject line, such as “Request to Review Factual Information Before OER Completion.” Address the rater respectfully and identify yourself, your rank, position and evaluation period. A concise letter of one to three pages is usually easier to review than a lengthy narrative.

Organise the body into three parts: the concern, the evidence and the requested review. If several issues exist, use separate headings or short paragraphs for each one. Do not include personal attacks, speculation about motives or complaints unrelated to the OER.

Route It Through The Proper Channel

Send the letter through the established rating-chain process unless a regulation or command policy directs another route. Normally, this means giving it to the rater and keeping the intermediate or senior rater informed when appropriate. Ask for receipt confirmation without turning the request into a confrontation.

Use official military email or another approved system for sensitive material. A personal Gmail account, a public messaging app or an unsecured shared drive may create privacy and records-management problems. Australian personnel should also consider whether the message contains U.S. government information that must remain within approved systems.

Keep Proof Of Submission

Save the signed letter, attachments, transmission record and any reply. If you deliver a paper copy, request a date-stamped receipt or send it through a method that creates a verifiable record. An Officeworks printout may help with a clean working copy in Australia, but the official submission should still use the command’s accepted channel.

Maintain a simple timeline showing when you raised the concern, who received it and what response followed. Keep the records in a secure personal administrative file, not on an unauthorised cloud service. Do not alter official evaluation documents yourself after submission.

Language That Keeps The Focus

• “I respectfully request review of the following factual information.”
• “The attached record shows that this event occurred on…”
• “I request that the rater consider this information before finalising the report.”
• “I remain available to clarify the supporting documentation.”

Handle Disagreement During The Review

The rater may accept the correction, explain why the original assessment remains, or ask for additional evidence. A disagreement does not automatically mean the report is improper. Evaluation reports involve professional judgment, provided the judgment is grounded in observed performance and applicable standards.

Respond calmly and keep later communications focused on unresolved facts. Do not pressure colleagues to sign statements they cannot support. If a meeting occurs, prepare brief notes and send a factual follow-up email recording any agreed actions or outstanding issues.

Know When To Seek Further Advice

A letter of concern is most useful for correcting facts before completion. It may not resolve allegations of misconduct, reprisal, discrimination or a serious procedural violation. Those matters may require assistance from legal counsel, the Inspector General, Equal Opportunity personnel or another authorised adviser.

If the final OER contains significant errors, review the applicable appeal or administrative correction process promptly. Guidance on requesting a board review may be relevant to broader administrative matters, although an OER appeal has its own requirements and deadlines.

For personnel in Australia, local support may include a U.S. Army legal office or command representative serving the relevant installation or regional mission. Australian Defence Force contacts can provide local coordination in some settings, but they do not replace the U.S. Army rating chain or the governing OER rules.

A well-prepared pre-OER letter creates a documented opportunity for correction without inflaming the relationship between the officer and rater. Clear evidence, timely delivery and disciplined language give the concern the best chance of receiving serious consideration.