How to Write an EPR

The Summary

• Introduction: a single line for the Additional Rater to describe the ratee's performance.
• accomplishment
• accomplishment
• accomplishment
• accomplishment
• Summary: a single line for the Additional Rater to summarize the ratee's performance and make a promotion statement.

The Summary: Just as the introductory line was a masterpiece of concise expression, the summary line must sum up the impression the writer is trying to convey.

Sample summary statements:

• -- Exceptional performer--further challenge with most difficult tasks--promote ahead of peers!
• -- Dynamic and distinguished NCO; leads by example; sets high, attainable standards--promote immediately
• -- Driven SNCO with outstanding results. Continue to entrust with increasing responsibility--Promote now!

As you can see, the summary isn't an accomplishment. It's a statement describing how the Additional Rater views the ratee. And the promotion statement is more or less a tradition. This statement has very little, if any, influence over whether a person actually gets promoted.

Some people think that if a promotion statement isn't included in the EPR, it indicates that the Additional Rater doesn't think the person should be promoted and is communicating that to the commander by this surreptitious means. More likely it means that the Additional Rater merely overlooked it. I've seen just as many EPRs with it as without. If deserved, the promotion statement should be included --just because it's expected.

If the person being rated is a SSgt or above, many squadrons insist on stratification. This is usually done within the first line of Block V, Rater's Comments. But, if you had something else in mind for that opening line and just couldn't fit it into the introduction, you can squeeze it into the summary line.

Sample stratification/summary statements:

• -- My #1 of 16 TSgts! Superior performance across the board--give him bigger challenges--promote now!
• -- My number one SSgt; proven, exemplary track record confirms he is ready for immediate promotion!
• -- Best of shop 5-levels, hard working airman. Quickly site qualified. Challenge with more responsibilities.

You shouldn't make more than one stratification statement. If you already made a stratification statement in the introductory line, don't do it again here.

Note: Don't leave a lot of white space or unused space at the end of a bullet statement. Officially, white space is OK. Because the goal is to accurately describe the ratee's performance with no unnecessary clutter so inevitably white space will naturally occur. But, if you want to go the extra mile, if you want to demonstrate that your troop is important to you and worthy of a good rating, this is where you can demonstrate a little extra effort. Reword the statement so that there is no more than five or six spaces at the end of each statement. Make that block just chock full of text --as if you just couldn't say enough good things about this character. When the Additional Rater or future reviewers of the EPR see how well it was written and how someone labored over it, it should make them realize that this person was viewed as a person worth the effort. In real life though, even if you do spend an extra couple of hours consuming all the white space, it could all be lost if the chain of command edits it.

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