Dissapointed to hear a company command is apologizing for not having more to say on an OER. Maybe misreading that, but it implies the officer is not providing written feedback or counseling until the OER. It also implies the officer needs training in how to write an OER.
The boards have enough time to read where you stand apart from just the block checks. Write ups like a Highly Qualified / Center of Mass that says - great performance by my #3 company commander of 6 is pretty straight forward, but if the enumeration is in the top 10% of those company commander with whom I've served in 23 years...well, the board will look at that more favorably vs the first OER.
The write up absolutley matters given a rater's profile. The board members can see how many ratings a SR or Rater has, so a HQ/COM OER writting by an officer with his first go is obviously restricted...so the write up matters. In the end, a board is looking at consistency over a period of time. No one OER is going to kill an officer's chances at promotion or selection for command - it's the 'whole person' concept what ever that means to you.
As for NCOERs, I welcome the change. Across the board, we as an institution lack discipline when rating NCOs. Just my opinion, but sit on a board and you will see what I'm talking about. When every NCO is a 1-1 "cream of the crop" (per the AR), then nobody is cream of the crop, and a board memeber will need to rely moreso on what the rater shows. Also, SGT NCOERs are much different from SSG/SFC NCOERs in that most of the young NCOs are still growing in their leadership capability much like a LT is. As such, the NCOER should be shaped to depict where they are in their career. If I'm looking at a SFC or SSG NCOER, I need much more detail to articulate how they will serve the Army as MSGs or SGMs. On a side note, I've seen the Marine NCOER, and despite the little picture they have to show the number of folks who should be in the particular block (you know what I'm talking about Marines) - it keeps people honest - just my two cents.
Again, consistency over time will show - and top performers will have more 'top block's' than not...in the end, it ain't about the block check. It's about the whole fie - education, missing documents, picture, evaluations, letters if applicable (warrant officer selections/nomination boards), and jobs held.
http://www.army.mil/article/144961 - Ask your assignment officer for the brief. I know AV Branch has it.
