When Raters and Senior Raters Fail Their Duties

2017-01-04T11:17:37-05:00

Throughout my career, I had senior officers tell me in my own career, I would be the best career manager for myself. While I recognize my involvement in my own career was vital, I know that many others also play an important part in career management. Other people who play integral roles are Assignments Officers, who are charged with filling the needs of the service regardless of personal preference. Beyond that, it is each officer’s rater and senior rater who have the most impact on a career. This is a lesson I learned the hard way during my 30 years of service.

As a Company Commander in the early 90’s in Germany, I received a 2-block for my first command OER. The Brigade Commander who wrote that report was changing command about nine months later. He told my Battalion Commander he would not do a senior rater option OER. I had to choose between leaving command when he did, or staying and receiving one from the next Commander. I chose to stay and, 60 days later with just enough time for the new Commander to senior rate me, I changed command. I was the first Captain he evaluated so there was no profile for a board to compare me to the other officers he would senior rate. While it did not seem fair to me to have such an important evaluation from someone who barely knew me, he told me that it would not hurt me.

Fast forward three years later to my time in Alaska, on the day my first major promotion list came out, I was shocked to see I was not selected. It turned out that the 2nd command OER was the reason for my non-selection.

In 2006, I commanded an Army Reserve Battalion and my senior rater was the Assistant Division Commander (ADC). He was leaving about 10.5 months into my command tenure. Knowing what happened to me as a Company Commander, I requested a Senior Rater option OER through my Brigade. I was surprised to hear the Brigade S-1 NCO say that the ADC would not do any Senior Rater Option reports. I raised the issue with my Brigade commander explaining the incoming ADC would not qualify to evaluate me. Echoing what I heard in Germany, my Brigade Commander told me that it would not hurt me. Two months later, I received my OER with no senior rater comments because he didn’t have enough time in the position to write them. Two years later, this OER contributed to me not being selected for Colonel - something that happened three more times.

In 2012, I was mobilized with my reserve unit, serving as the full time deputy of an Exercise Branch. My rater was the Branch Chief and the senior rater was the Group (O6-level command) Commander. While I had pretty much given up hope on promotion to Colonel by this time, I fully expected an above center mass (ACOM) OER based on our accomplishments. I was disappointed and upset to receive a Center of Mass OER. During my office call with the commander, she told me that for whatever reason the Army was not going to promote me to Colonel. Thus, she was going to save her ACOM ratings for those she felt had potential to get promoted. Two promotion boards later; I was selected for Colonel, but it was too late in my career to serve in any positions before I hit my mandatory retirement date.

While the disappointment has eased over time, I still wonder what could have been if one of these raters and senior raters did something differently. I cannot change the past, but I do want to share my observations for rated officers, OER raters, and senior raters in order to prevent what happened to me from happening to other officers.

If you are a rated officer, it is imperative to understand the regulation on evaluations (Army Regulation 623-3 for Army Officers). Know the timeline not only for when you are due, but also for other raters and senior raters. Politely demand an evaluation when you have served long enough to qualify for one. Do not hesitate to complete your support form. While this can be burdensome, it is often the best way for the senior rater so see what you have accomplished. Above all, do your best in whatever position you hold.

If you are an officer’s rater and senior rater, you owe it to that officer to be fair. Fair means giving an officer an evaluation by the two people who know him/her the best. Raters need to go to bat for that officer, especially if the officer is filling a key duty which has a great impact on promotion potential. Leaders owe it to an officer to do the extra work required if that officer can get an OER prior to their annual report.

I know that OER systems and reports have changed over the past few years, but the purpose of evaluations has not changed. It is the way the Army measures potential for promotion and ability to serve with increased responsibility. Raters and senior raters are charged with the responsibility not only to take care of their officers, but also to take care of the futures of the U.S. military.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jan 4 at 2017 1:44 PM

2017-01-04T13:44:26-05:00

Sounds like a case of "Gapitis" which likely didn't help you during the 3rd crunch at the Board. They're looking to meet a number and your record gave them a convenient way to put you below the line. I don't know if you ever sat boards. On the Navy side, every report is signed off by the Reporting Senior so the words belong to us. I see those have been split up on the Army side. Problem is the process isn't being managed correctly and there's a typically large variation on what it means or doesn't mean. I don't know if the Reporting Senior Average is a managed thing on the Army side like it is Navy. That can create another bag of worms if not properly managed. I've seen too many Newbie Skippers use short cycle Fitreps to move their average down, much to the detriment of the SM. Bottom line, I wouldn't put if all on the RS gap issue. You likely were 3rd crunch on those occasions and this would have been a contributing factor. But you likely wouldn't have been there except for other stuff going on. Maybe an Army type with board experience can weigh in. Mine was a number of times for JO and SO.

Response by William Barry made Aug 21 at 2019 11:22 PM

2019-08-21T23:22:42-04:00

I work for the department of mental health in Massachusetts. your direct supervisor is your rater I guess then it gets passed up the chain say to your food service supervisor. Anyway I recently had a situation when a promotion was held up because my "senior rater" i.e. the food service director simply would not give me a reference. She hated the fact that I was a union executive board member. we had a major problem with drain flies and I brought it to infection control after I served dinner 3 nights in a row with flies all around. She asked me about it and I told her you and I are food service professionals just different pay grades. I protected the clients and workers and the hospital. I thought it was a win for everyone. She was eventually told write the reference to by the Assistant Director for Operations in the hospital. He knew how seriously I take my responsibility to the clients and the hospital. Unfortunately she got in trouble for not getting the situation handled quickly. After I reminded the infection control nurse that all the patients were subjected to this as well as 50 kitchen staff of all pay grades it was handled.I am now a mental health worker one that fills in as a lead(mhw2) and liked pretty well for the effort I make. NOBODY gets top block(exceeds); most people get a meets the standard or below standard. you may occasionally get an extra mile award or employee of the month but no one gets exceeds usually.

She was not fair and played dirty with my EPRS(employee personal review system) but now I am a MHW1 about to get promoted again. She is retired now because upper management got wise to her and applied pressure to fix the kitchen situation. Her assistant did not get the top job thank god. Anyway point being is do you job the way you know it should be done and upper management will fix these reports to be correct.

Response by MAJ Geiter Dunn made Aug 22 at 2019 2:13 PM

2019-08-22T14:13:38-04:00

The promotion system is broken in the Army. They tried. Lord did they try. The "mass" system (above, center, below) only works if your senior rater has a mature file; it's worthess with less than 20 ratings. Guess what that means. At least 20 rated officers get a worthless rating. If your eager doesn't know, or believe in using the correct wording, you're screwed. If your rater is trying to "correct" the Army's (or the local) rating and awards inflation, you're screwed. If your rater or senior rater aren't careful with word choice and punctuation, you're screwed. If you PCS with the "promise" that your OER will be coming shortly, you're screwed. If you have a lazy rater or senior rater, you're screwed. If you volunteer for any "unusual" assignment that the board doesn't have thetime to familiarize itself with (despite the value to the Army at the time), you're screwed.
Promotion Boards have all of a few seconds to review most OERs/ORBs, and 90% of above or below the line decisions are made that quickly.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 22 at 2019 3:31 PM

2019-08-22T15:31:29-04:00

I am going on a tangent here. I witnessed a 1SG who wrote a terrible NCOER for a great NCO. Either he was ignorant, apathetic, or both.