How to Use EES to View an OER from a Previous Command

An Officer Evaluation Report (OER) can remain important long after a move, reassignment, or change of command. It may support a promotion packet, a records correction, a command application, or a review of your professional history. The Evaluation Entry System (EES) is one of the Army systems used to manage and view evaluation reports, including completed OERs.

For Army personnel living in Australia, access can involve extra planning. A Common Access Card (CAC), a compatible reader, and a reliable connection to U.S. Army services may be harder to arrange from Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, or a remote posting. EES Army is an informational resource rather than an official government portal, so always compare guidance with current Army instructions and your unit’s personnel office.

Confirm the OER Is Eligible to View

EES generally displays evaluation reports that have completed the required workflow and reached the appropriate Army records systems. An OER from a previous command may be visible if it was signed, processed, and filed correctly. A draft, rejected report, or report still waiting for an appeal or correction may not appear in the same place.

The report might also be associated with a previous rating period rather than your current unit. This means you should search by the relevant dates and command relationship instead of expecting the newest document to appear first. Reports prepared during a change of duty station, deployment, or temporary assignment can have processing histories that make them less obvious.

An OER that is missing from EES is not automatically proof that it was never completed. It may be held in another Army records system, awaiting a final action, or affected by a mismatch in your personnel information. Keep the report period, former unit, senior rater, and approximate completion date available before starting the search.

Prepare CAC and Network Access

EES access normally depends on a valid CAC and a computer configured to recognise military certificates. Check that the card is current, inserted correctly, and supported by the browser and certificate software. If you are accessing the system from Australia, a personal laptop, hotel Wi-Fi, or Defence accommodation network may not provide the same result as a managed U.S. Government workstation.

Time zones can also affect support and processing. A soldier in Perth may be several hours ahead of a unit or help desk in the continental United States, while someone in Sydney or Canberra may need to contact U.S. administrators during the Australian evening. Planning around these differences avoids treating a delayed response as a technical failure.

Use the official sign-in path provided by your unit or personnel office, and be cautious with unofficial pages that request CAC information. The EES Army resource centre can help explain related administrative terms and processes, but it does not replace Army authentication, system support, or records officials.

Sign In and Locate the Evaluation

Insert your CAC and open a supported browser. When prompted, select the authentication certificate intended for identification rather than the signing certificate, if both are shown. Enter your PIN only in the legitimate military sign-in window. If the browser repeatedly returns to the login screen, close all browser sessions, reconnect the CAC, and try again after checking certificate settings.

Once inside EES, look for the area covering evaluations, completed reports, or personal evaluation history. The exact labels can change as Army systems are updated, so focus on the record type rather than a particular button name. Select the OER category and review the available date ranges, status indicators, and command information.

Open the report that matches the previous rating period. Check the rated officer details, duty position, rating chain, report period, and signatures. A report may open as a PDF or a system-generated view. Allow pop-ups for the trusted military site if the record appears to load but no document window opens.

Check the Report for Accuracy

Viewing an old OER is useful only if you confirm that it is the correct report. Compare the report period with your assignment dates and verify that the senior rater and rater belong to the command you remember. Pay attention to whether the document is marked complete, signed, referred, corrected, or otherwise subject to an administrative action.

Save a permitted copy in a secure location if Army policy allows it. Do not send evaluation reports through ordinary personal email or store them in an unprotected shared folder. A secure personnel record, approved drive, or authorised professional file may be more suitable. Australian privacy expectations and workplace policies also matter when handling records on local devices or networks.

If you need the OER for a promotion or selection packet, check whether the receiving office wants a full report, a restricted version, or a document pulled directly from an official personnel system. A screenshot may show that a record exists, but it may not satisfy a formal submission requirement.

Resolve Missing or Incomplete Records

If the previous OER does not appear, first confirm that you searched the correct rating period and report type. Then check whether the report was fully signed and submitted. Your former S-1, unit administrator, battalion human resources section, or servicing personnel office may be able to confirm the report’s status and identify where processing stopped.

Keep copies of relevant evidence, such as assignment orders, rating-chain information, an approved copy of the OER, and correspondence about corrections. Avoid creating duplicate submissions without guidance, because multiple versions can complicate the record. Ask the responsible office whether the matter should be handled through EES, iPERMS, the Army Evaluation Entry System support channel, or a formal records correction process.

An OER issue is separate from a DD-214 issue, even though both may arise after leaving a command or changing service status. For reserve and National Guard personnel, a dedicated DD-214 request guide can help distinguish discharge-document requests from evaluation-record enquiries. Keeping those processes separate makes it easier to direct each request to the right office and preserve a clean personnel history.