Back to the LOC Page

The term commonly used to describe the response to the LOC, the rebuttal, implies a strong negative response or argument. But a "rebuttal" is really nothing more than a written reply. The response provided by the receiver of an LOC or other administrative reprimand should be called an LOC Response or an LOC Answer. Because that's what it is. Just as the LOC is an attempt to communicate with the receiver, so also is the "rebuttal" an effort to communicate with the sender and provide clarification. Often the rebuttal is in 100% agreement with the LOC. Sometimes it refutes some of the accusations by providing previously unknown information. But, whatever the case, you should not let the perceived seriousness that the term, rebuttal, suggests stop you from providing one.

Letters of Counseling, in most cases, are well-deserved. The Air Force, in general, isn't out to "get" anyone. If you received a letter of counseling, give some serious consideration to the idea that you may have deserved it before challenging it and going up the chain of command to have it thrown out. Is it worth it? An LOC is really just a slap on the wrist and usually won't affect anyone's career.

However, if you believe you have been the victim of unfair treatment or a misunderstanding, the Air Force provides avenues of redress. And if you received an LOC unfairly, you should rebut it. It's your right to provide a response to the action and if you don't, it will be assumed by anyone with knowledge of the LOC, that is was fairly administered and that you agree with it.

Normally, when you receive a letter of counseling, the form has a line that you mark yes or no as to whether you intend to submit any paperwork in your defense. Check yes. If you didn't check yes initially, but later changed your mind and now want to submit something, you can. After all, this isn't the USSR. But any paperwork submitted must be submitted in a timely manner, generally within 3 days of receipt of the LOC. When you submit a response or rebuttal, it is required to be attached to or stored with the LOC as long as the LOC exists.

Below is an example of a rebuttal. Use the personal letter format and since it will become part of your formal records, make sure you date and sign it. The overall tone must be civil and considerate. Not only will your supervisor read it but the Commander and his staff and your future supervisors may read it as well. The goal is to be persuasive. The first paragraph should be positive. Start off with a positive statement such as "I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the letter of counseling received on 1 April 11 and would like to express my thanks for the consideration shown me by my supervisor and the squadron" or something similar along those lines.

In the second paragraph, explain the situation in detail but as clearly and briefly as possible. No one has time to read two or three type-written pages. Strike a neutral tone and state the facts that led up to the LOC. Then explain why you think the LOC wasn't deserved or provide previously unknown information.

In the final paragraph, call attention to your positive record. If you've been in the Air Force for four years without receiving any kind of disciplinary action, say so. If you have been in trouble in the past, avoid mentioning that and concentrate on some other positive accomplishment. Mention your involvement in the Honor Guard or Meals On Wheels, etc. Be polite but firm. Mention the IG in a positive way. By that I mean don't threaten to go to the IG. Just mention the IG in a polite way to let the reader know that you're aware of your options and resources. Something like I am committed to my career and the Air Force and want to make every effort to adhere to standards and improve my performance. To that end, I will make an appointment with the Area Defense Counsel to ensure I understand my responsibilities on and off-duty.

Use the last paragraph for closing comments. This will likely be the only time that you'll be invited to state your opinion on this matter so make sure everything you want to say is addressed. Let a friend proofread it to make sure it's understandable to a stranger.

Make two copies and keep one for your records. Give the original to the supervisor who gave you the LOC or his representative.

It's your right to go to the Inspector General's office on your base if you feel that you've been unfairly treated. If you intend to visit the IG, you should make every effort to let your supervisor know and give him or her a chance to withdraw the LOC before you go. Normally, if you indicate in your answer that you're considering going to the IG, the LOC will receive serious review and be withdrawn if it isn't fully supportable.

Letter of Counseling Rebuttal

A Direct Approach

MEMO FOR   1922nd CS/CCF

SUBJECT: Letter of Counseling Response, SSgt Moebius Traum

To whom it may concern,

My name is SSgt Moebius Traum. I work in the SCMM section and would like to address an LOC I recently received. I appreciate the opportunity to present my side of the story and would like to express my thanks for the consideration shown me by my supervisor and the squadron.

On 22 July 08, when I reported to work as scheduled, MSgt Lewis called me into his office and presented me with a Letter of Counseling for Failure to Go. He believed that I was scheduled to work on 21 July 08 and that I did not show up for work. On the schedule I had, dated 18 July 08, I was not scheduled to work that day. The schedule was changed while I was on leave and no one gave me a copy or notified me that the schedule had changed and that I was scheduled to work. For that reason, I don't believe I should receive a Letter of Counseling.

I have been an Air Force member for over 4 years and have always worked hard to comply with all regulations and support my squadron. I have a good record and this is the first disciplinary action I have ever received. I request that the decision to present this LOC be reconsidered based on the fact that I did not willfully violate any order or instruction. Further, I request an audience with the First Sergeant to determine if this situation warrants attention by the Inspector General's office.

Sincerely,

SSgt Moebius Traum, USAF

MEMO FOR   1922nd CS/CCF

SUBJECT: Letter of Counseling Response, SSgt Phillip Traum

To whom it may concern,

My name is SSgt Phillip Traum and I am writing in response to a Letter of Counseling I received on 22 July 08. I would like to thank MSgt Johnson for the opportunity to respond to this incident.

On 21 July 08, I did not show up for work as scheduled. On the schedule I had, dated 18 July 08, I was not scheduled to work that day. The schedule was changed while I was on leave and I forgot to check with the workcenter on my return to see if there was any schedule changes. We have a standing policy to check with the workcenter on return from leave and I admit that I failed to do so. I didn't expect that there would be any changes and I was wrong.

I have been an Air Force member for over 4 years and have always worked hard to comply with all regulations and support my squadron. I have been active on the squadron baseball team and have volunteered for numerous squadron activities. Although I technically did violate workcenter policy, I believe I was complying with the spirit of its intent and only made a mistake. I value my reputation and my record and don't want to see it marred by this single act. I regret my actions and request that the decision to present this LOC be reconsidered based on my promise to adhere to all instructions in the future.

Sincerely,

SSgt Phillip Traum, USAF

MEMO FOR   1922nd CS/CCF

SUBJECT: Letter of Counseling Response, SSgt Moebius Traum

To whom it may concern,

Although I am not contesting the LOC received on 22 Jul 08, in the interest of clarification, I’d like to submit the following additional information.

On 22 July 08, when I reported to work as (I understood myself to be) scheduled, MSgt Lewis called me into his office and presented me with a Letter of Counseling for Failure to Go. He believed that I was scheduled to work on 21 July 08 and that I did not show up for work. On the schedule I had, dated 18 July 08, I was not scheduled to work that day. The schedule was changed while I was on leave and no one notified me of the schedule change. I did not intentionally fail to report for work. The unmanned shift was as much a product of a frequently changing schedule as inattentiveness on my part. In fact, over the past two months, there have been at least four instances of shift workers reporting for work on the wrong day or not at all because of frequent schedule changes in response to unscheduled leaves, short-notice TDYs, management changes, and a failure to communicate those changes to all shift workers. And, as of today, there are three different versions of the schedule posted in the workcenter which adds to the confusion.

It should be noted that I am the only recipient of an LOC although several co-workers have also inadvertently failed to show up for work because of unnoticed schedule changes. In addition, my failure to show up for work would not have been the issue it was if the other Airman who was scheduled to work had actually been there instead of fishing with the NCOIC. I have been in the Air Force for over 5 years and at both previous duty stations I did not miss a single day of work and was rarely late. These facts suggest that the working environment and workcenter supervision may be contributing factors to this on-going problem. As a gesture of my desire to improve my performance and make sure this does not happen again, I request the participation of my supervisor, our NCOIC, and the First Sergeant in analyzing the cause of and developing possible solutions to this chronic problem so that future occurrences may be avoided.

Very Respectfully,

SSgt Moebius Traum, USAF

MEMO FOR  

SUBJECT: Letter of Counseling Response, A1C Shammy Wow

To whom it may concern,

My name is A1C Shammy Wow. I work as an avionics specialist and would like to address an LOC I recently received. I appreciate the opportunity to present my side of the story and would like to express my thanks for the consideration shown me by my supervisor and the squadron.

On 11 March 2010, I was suddenly awoken, unsure of who was at the door and blinded by the morning sunlight as I opened it. I asked for a moment to compose myself and to assess the situation in an informal manner. In no way was I disrespectful and spoke out as I would speak out to anyone who suddenly awoke me. In my confused state and without properly inspecting my room judgement was passed based upon a piece of garbage that was too large to fit in my trashcan and had been left by the door that morning before I fell asleep; waiting to be taken out when I awoke later that day. That alone should not have been reason to fail me on my room inspection and consideration due to the fact that the rest of the room was clean and the intention of properly disposing of this article recognized. For that reason I don't believe I should have received a Letter of Counseling.

Sincerely,

A1C Shammy Wow, USAF

MEMORANDUM FOR   TSGT MadeToGiveThisByTheCommander

FROM: SSGT GettingScrewed

SUBJECT: Response to Letter of Reprimand

1. Sir, I am writing this letter to discuss the issues regarding my letter of reprimand. It is my hope that, after reading this, you will find that I did not violate DOD 5210.42-R/AFMAN 10-3902 and that this action is not appropriate.

2. I believe the issue hinges on the fact that I didn't report passing out due to dehydration during a terrible flu on the same off-duty day that it happened (6 Jan 2010). After returning to duty the next morning and while discussing the event with my coworker, I realized this might be potentially disqualifying information (PDI) and reported it through the competent medical authority (CMA) at the hospital (7 Jan 2010). I do regret that I did not report it sooner, however I feel my circumstances may have been misunderstood and I may have been held to an unwritten (and unspoken) standard.

3. I might have thought about what happened more, but I had woken up dizzy during the middle of the night when it happened (I hydrated, felt better and went back to sleep), so that morning when I actually felt better, it seemed more like a bad dream than something to be concerned of. The rest of the day I was extremely preoccupied coping with the flu while doing my schoolwork and teaching my daughter.

4. In answering Lt Col TightWad's questions I stated, "At no time did I think my reliability was in question." Looking back, I believe he took that to mean that I decided there was no PDI. The fact is that I simply did not recognize or realize that there was PDI until I discussed the experience with my coworker the next morning at work. I did not "diagnose" myself - I have had no medical training as it relates to the Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) other than the squadron PRP training. Unfortunately, the only medical conditions the refresher PRP training identifies are "significant medical conditions as identified by the CMA" and the initial PRP training I took over a year ago only addresses the use of medications. Also critical to my charges, the PRP training does not give any time requirements for reporting PDI nor does DOD 5210.42-R/AFMAN 10-3902. The statement there in paragraph C2.7.1 says, "This is a 24 hours per day, seven days per week responsibility." I don't understand how I was expected to read that as "I have 24 hours to report PDI." My point is there was no violation.

5. I understand my delayed reporting looks bad for the unit and that there has been a recent rash of PDI under-reporting in our squadron (at least 10 other individuals), but I believe I am being punished before receiving the necessary instruction that would fix the lack of PRP training. Premature punishment also sets a deterring precedent. It sends a message that says, "If you delay reporting PDI for whatever reason, you are better off just keeping your mouth shut."

6. In case I still appear to have had a lack of PRP knowledge for my position, I have attached a written statement by TSgt Helpful who administered my remedial PRP training saying I passed the test before I was retrained. This shows my indoctrination of the current PRP training program was sufficient and I did not need remediation.

7. I have learned that I need to ask more questions and that it would help if I were in frequent contact with my supervisor. I apologize that I did not report the incident sooner and will endeavor to keep my supervisor involved with any abnormal situation in the future. Thank you for your fair consideration of my response.

Respectfully submitted,

Unfortunately GettingScrewed, SSgt, USAF

Attachments:
Statement regarding PRP test

MEMO FOR   009th IS CC/ 1st Sgt

SUBJECT: Letter of Reprimand Response, A1C John Long

To whom it may concern,

I am Airman First Class John Long, a Multi-Language Linguist and Signals Analyst in Voodoo Flight, and I would like to address a Letter of Reprimand I received on 6AUG2010. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by my chain of command to present my case, explain the circumstances leading up to the LOR, and with the utmost respect to my superiors, express my disagreement with the current circumstances.

Sometime in the month of June, I was notified that I was on the list for Date of Separation Rollbacks, and that I would be separating from the Air Force on 31AUG2010 instead of 4SEP2013 as stated by my contract. This was due to previous disciplinary actions for events that transpired off-duty. I was given the simple instructions that I must continue my duties as an Airman, and that I must also prepare for separation, which I was told included completing several mandatory appointments, and creating a professional resume to secure employment after discharge. During the month of July, I successfully completed as many appointments permitted in such a short period of time, and updated my whereabouts on J-Signout for accountability purposes, often times weeks in advance. My chain of command was aware that I was separating and that I had several appointments on a weekly basis that would cause me to be away from my office. Upon completion of my resume, I began to receive job offers and requests for interviews.

On Tue, 27JUL2010, I unwisely scheduled a last minute job interview for the next morning of Wed, 28JUL2010. I spent the evening preparing for the appointment, and forgot to inform my supervisor and chain of command of the appointment. Later that evening, I realized that I hadn't informed anyone of my plans, and informed my wingman via text message to update my J-Signout the following morning since I would be out of the office and wanted to be accounted for if needed. In retrospect, I realize that before relying solely on the wingman concept, which often fails due to human error or negligence, I should have instead contacted one of the many links in my chain of command, despite the late hour. I could have also contacted them the next morning to inform them of my whereabouts. Unfortunately, my wingman had undergone surgery prior to receiving my message, and due to the medication he was on, easily, and understandably forgot to update my whereabouts the next morning.

I acknowledge responsibility for my error in judgment, and realize that I had several better options available to me at the time that I failed to use. While I agree that I was definitely in the wrong, I strongly disagree with the severity of my punishment. I have contacted the Area Defense Council and the IG to inform me of my rights and to advise me how to best deal with this unfortunate circumstance. I have also done my own research into the matter as suggested by several NCOs to better understand the full scope of options available to leadership to correct breaches of policy. As I understand it, a Letter of Reprimand is used to correct either a repetitive misbehavior after other means have been exhausted, or to correct a clear and intentional breach or disregard to the rules of conduct. I strongly disagree that either of these situations are the case.

In my three years of service I have never had any disciplinary action that has been work related. In the scope of work I am an exemplary employee and coworker and I often come in to work early, work through lunch, and stay late. I have always updated my status and whereabouts on J-Signout prior to this incident and have never had any legitimate problems at work. I feel that this was an isolated incident and it never has been, or will be repeated. Upon being informed of my error, I received counseling from my supervisor and flight chief and I made it clear to them that I understood the impact of my actions and the mistakes that I made. Furthermore, I gave a clear understanding of the steps I would take in the future to prevent said action from ever being repeated, and worked with my supervisor to implement these preventative measures.

I would also ask for it to be taken into consideration the stressful nature of preparing for a major life change, especially on such short notice. I was informed that I would be separating well under the 90-day customary threshold, and I felt a strong sense of urgency to plan for the future of my family. This includes seeking employment in the civilian sector, and having to go to job interviews to do so. I'd also like to point out, that although I was repeatedly assured that I would indeed be separating on 31AUG2010 by my chain of command, I was repeatedly informed by personnel flight that this was not the case, which left me in a state of uncertainty and perpetually preoccupied with the conflict in information I was given.

While I realize that I have had administrative action against me before this, I would like to point out that this particular incident is of a completely different nature than my prior transgressions. Again, I would also point out that it has not happened before in my career, not during basic training, either of my lengthy tech schools, or active duty. Finally, as this incident was clearly unintended and not a blatant and purposeful transgression to conduct or policy, I would respectfully ask that taking all these factors into consideration the LOR be rescinded or reduced to a lesser form of counseling. I believe an LOR to be an extreme form of punishment for a single, isolated incident, and under the circumstances is more of a punishment than a corrective measure.

With the Utmost Respect,

A1C John Long, USAF
009th Intelligence Squadron, Voodoo Flight

Hi, I am NO ONE. I am an avionics specialist with the 763rd mxs and would like to discuss the LOC that I received for an incident that occurred on the 23 Aug 2010. I am grateful for the chance to be able to explain my actions and my opinion on the LOC I was given for it.

On the 23 Aug 2010 I missed a dental appointment scheduled for 0900. I had gone to the appointment but I had mistakenly read the wrong appointment receipt and went at 1330. I had made the two appointments a month and a half earlier and one was for the 22 July 2010 at 1330 and the other was for the 23 Aug 2010 at 0900. I am sorry that I missed the appointment but I had every intention of being there. I had scheduled the appointments myself to take care of pre-existing issues in preparation for deployments. The appointments were not mandatory and I don't even know if a letter of absence was issued. I was very upfront and honest with my section chief and first sergeant when the incident occurred. I notified them before anyone else had. This is my first infraction since entering the Air Force over a year ago. I received no prior counseling of any kind concerning this issue before I was given the LOC. I understand why the LOC was given but I don't believe it is an honest reflection of my behavior or attitude towards work or the Air Force. Until this incident occurred, my Air Force record was flawless. I'm a BMT honor graduate; I earned distinguished graduate and the wingman award from Keesler; I also earned top graduate and the ace award from Sheppard and since entering the operational side I have finished my four volumes of CDC's in two and half months and have nearly completed all my five level upgrade training in five months. I also participated in volunteering opportunities where I spent a Saturday cleaning up a school and I spent my Thanksgiving serving the less fortunate at a Salvation Army. Since arriving at Nellis I have become a respectable technician, team member and Airman. I welcome anyone who reads this to talk to the airman and supervisors I work with about my behavior and attitude towards work and the Air Force before using this LOC as a reference.

Sincerely,
NO ONE, USAF

SUBJECT: Letter of Reprimand Response, TSgt Daniel L. Williams

To whom it may concern,

I am TSgt Daniel Williams, a Specialist assistant NCOIC, and I would like to address the LOR I received for my third consecutive PT failure. I would like to express my gratitude to both my Commander and First Sergeant for allowing me this opportunity to respond. I would like to first state that I fully understand the importance of adhering to Air Force standards. They are necessary and absolute. There is no excuse for failing to meet the fitness standard so many times. Because of my failure, I will not be able to effectively hold my Airmen to Air Force Standards and that is completely unacceptable to me.

I love being in the military. It has been my life for the past 14 years and I feel that I have served honorably. The military has afforded me many opportunities and taught me various skills. I have had the distinct pleasure of serving under strong leaders and their mentorship has better prepared me for life in all aspects. I am grateful for all that the Air Force has provided for me.

Once again I would like to express my gratitude to my supervision for affording me this opportunity.

Sincerely,

TSgt Daniel L. Williams

MEMORANDUM FOR TSGT CHEREE NOTTING

FROM: SSGT JAMES G. BOND

SUBJECT: Response to Letter of Reprimand, dated 23 Dec 10

1. Ma'am, I respectfully offer this statement as evidence for you to consider before you make a final determination as to the resolution of this matter.

2. Ma'am, while I recognize that my handling of the situation could have been better, I did not knowingly or purposefully intend to be negligent in the performance of my duties. I respectfully ask that you consider all of the evidence attached in making your decision as to whether or not I actually did what I am accused of doing.

3. On 22 Dec 2010 at approximately 1300 hours, I reported to the Command section to perform secretarial duties. At 1400; due to the lack of heat, I was generally concerned for my health and safety. I was continuously shivering and my legs and arms were beginning to stiffen. I made the conscious decision to relocate to one of the few warm places in the building. I made sure all the phones were transferred, so that the duties I was responsible for could still be preformed. I noticed my body was unable to warm itself, which may have been a result to cold stress. I then asked SSgt Hojohn if he could watch the phones for me while I went to the bowling alley to warm up. While unknowingly and unaware that I may have been making a poor choice in judgment, the general concern was for my health due to the frigid weather. I do recognize that I need to do a better job in the future of making better decisions as an NCO, and I apologize for any behavior that you found to be negligent or unprofessional.

4. Since July 2009, I have completed over 432 decorations, with this one mistake that equates to a 99.76% accuracy rate. Generally those numbers are worthy of an award, but in my case it's an LOR. I acknowledge responsibility for my error, and realize attention to detail is an important core value. While I agree that I was definitely in the wrong, I strongly disagree with the severity of my punishment. As I understand it, a Letter of Reprimand is used to correct either a repetitive misbehavior after other means have been exhausted, or to correct a clear and intentional breach or disregard to the rules of conduct. I strongly disagree that either of these situations are the case.

5. Ma'am, I hope that my explanation above demonstrates I did not intend to neglect my duties, nor did I just decide to conveniently transfer the phones solely for my benefit without a valid reason. I've thoroughly enjoyed my military career to this point and will continue to enjoy it until I retire some years from now. In over 11 years of enlisted service, including over 4 years in the Air Force Legal Operations Agency, I have been working hard to comply with all regulations and to restore my good record. I consider my reputation to be a valuable asset, and having my integrity continually questioned upsets me deeply. I am submitting this rebuttal so that my integrity will no longer be questioned and so that my reputation will be restored.

6. Ma'am, based upon the above, I respectfully request that you find that I did not commit the offense and consider rescinding the LOR or dropping it to a lower level action, such as a verbal counseling or an LOC. I regret my actions and request that the decision to present this LOR be reconsidered based on my promise to adhere to all instructions in the future

7. Ma'am, thank you for your time and for considering my side of this situation.

            Respectfully submitted,

JAMES G. BOND, SSgt, USAF
Knowledge Operations Manager

2 March 2011

To Whom It May Concern:

SUBJECT: Letter of Counseling Response, SrA

Although I am not contesting the LOC received on 1 Mar 2011, in the interest of clarification, I'd like to submit the following additional information. On 22 February 2011 I was verbally counseled on not ensuring the vehicles were washed. During this time I stated my reasoning behind my decision. I was shift leader during that week and only had four airmen working on the floor. In the training I received, from my understanding was to ensure that patients were taken care off. Also, that we would have to ensure that in-flight emergencies have proper manning. As shift leader I made the decision to provide the available bodies for patient care and in-flight emergencies. I believed this to be the best decision at the time. Also, I would like to add that the vehicles had not been washed for a period of three weeks before I was counseled about this issue. I understand the importance of getting weekly and monthly details completed. However, I must point out that in various training sessions I was told to ensure that patient care was priority. Thus, justifying my decision as shift leader to ensure that patient care was taken care of.

It should be noted that I am a recipient of an LOC when other several co-workers have also inadvertently failed to complete weekly and monthly details. I have been in the Air Force for over four years and at both my previous duty and deployment locations I have always been trained to provide medical care to patients first. As a gesture of my desire to improve my performance I request that we receive proper training on how to handle these types of situations. I request the participation of fellow co-workers on how we can properly handle future similar situations. I have faith in my fellow co-workers that if we address this situation in an open forum we are able to analyze the situation and find a common solution to reduce the risk of this incident from occurring again.

, SrA, USAF
Aerospace Medical Technician

20 May 2011

To Whom It May Concern:

SUBJECT: Letter of Counseling Response, A1C That Guy

I am A1C That Guy, a Geospatial Intelligence Analyst, and I would like to address an LOC I received for my May 19, 2011 PT failure. I would first like to state that I fully understand the Air Force's and the 1 SOSS PT standards. They are very necessary and absolute. There is zero excuse for me to have failed to meet the standard that I have been trained to meet. With this failure, I have not only disgraced myself, but I have let down my entire squadron.

I love my job in the Air Force and being a part of the military community. So I will do everything within my power to correct this glaring problem. Firstly, in addition to the 2 days of standard flight PT, I will be doing an additional 3 days of PT in order to get myself back into the physical readiness that is demanded of me. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to correct my mistake, and I look forward to the time that I can be looked upon in the high standing that I strive for in my military career.

Sincerely,

A1C That Guy