// DA FORM 2166-9 SERIES · BULLET CONSTRUCTION, UPGRADE & POLICY CHECK · AR / DA PAM 623-3

BULLET BUILDER

0 chars
SGT9-1 · direct
SSG9-2 · org
SFC9-2 · org
MSG/1SG9-2 · org
↑ Readiness
⏱ Time saved
$ Resources
◍ People built
⚠ Risk cut
◎ Mission enabled
Tip: the strongest "so what" names who benefited and by how much — e.g. "raising platoon readiness from 71% to 98%."

FORGED OUTPUT

HIGHLY QUALIFIED
Fill the fields and hit FORGE. NCOER format: action verb – result. Bracket [ ] marks a spot that still needs a hard number. Bullets start lowercase after the "o", per DA PAM 623-3 para 3-6.
STRENGTH
—

UPGRADE ENGINE — WEAK ➜ STRONG ➜ COMPLIANT

Paste an existing bullet. The engine strips weak language and passive phrasing, flags missing metrics and the "so what," and runs a live AR 623-3 para 3-18 compliance scan for prohibited content.

SENIOR RATER OVERALL POTENTIAL (PART V)

AR 623-3 · grade-plate NCOER

The rater assesses performance (Part IV); the senior rater assesses potential here in Part V and owns this box check. These four boxes rank the NCO's potential against others of the same grade the senior rater has rated. The top block is a managed profile — see the calculator below.

MOST
QUALIFIED
Potential exceeds peers; strong for secondary-zone promotion. Capped at ≈24% of reports.
HIGHLY
QUALIFIED
Strong potential above the majority. The intended norm — stays fully competitive for promotion.
QUALIFIED
Adequate potential, at or below the majority of the senior rater's population.
NOT
QUALIFIED
Potential below standard. Must be justified in the narrative.

Sources: HRC Grade-Plate NCOER module; NCOER Performance Measures Supplement. Verify against current HRC / EES guidance.

RATER BOX SCALE — PERFORMANCE (SSG–1SG/MSG · 2166-9-2)

4-box · Part IV

On the organizational-level form the rater uses a four-box performance scale. The two upper boxes are reserved for the upper third of NCOs at that grade, with FAR EXCEEDED further stratifying the best of that third. If any attribute/competency is marked below standard, EES grays out the two top overall boxes.

FAR
EXCEEDED
Best of the upper third. Enduring effect on mission, Soldiers, unit, Army.
EXCEEDED
Upper third. Disciplined initiative; immediate impact above standard.
MET
STANDARD
The majority. Meets & enforces standard; positive mission impact.
DID NOT
MEET
Below standard. Minimal effort; negative effect. Must be justified.

Source: NCOER Performance Measures Supplement (HRC); Grade-Plate Module 3. SGT (2166-9-1) uses a 2-box scale (MET / DID NOT MEET).

MOST QUALIFIED PROFILE CALCULATOR

24% managed profile

The top-block (MOST QUALIFIED) rate must stay at or below 24% of the reports a senior rater has rendered at a given grade. Enter how many reports you've rendered at this grade to see how many MQ ratings the profile supports and when the next unlocks. The silver bullet lets a senior rater render one MQ within their first four reports before the 24% math would otherwise allow it.

Published unlock points (HRC): 2nd MQ ≥ report 9 · 3rd ≥ 13 · 4th ≥ 17 · 5th ≥ 21. Confirm against current EES profile logic — percentages can change.

✓ BULLET FORMAT RULES DO

  • Short, concise, to the point — no longer than two lines, preferably one; one bullet per line. DA PAM 623-3, 3-6/3-7
  • Start with an action verb (past tense) or possessive pronoun (his/her). DA PAM 623-3, 3-7(2)
  • Preceded by a lowercase "o"; start lowercase unless a proper noun. DA PAM 623-3, 3-6
  • At least one bullet per block (c–i) regardless of the box check. DA PAM 623-3
  • A specific example is used only once — place it under the most applicable responsibility. DA PAM 623-3, 3-7(5)
  • Only spell-exempt acronyms are those in the ABCA database. AR 623-3, 3-17(D)

✕ PROHIBITED CONTENT DON'T

  • References to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or national origin. AR 623-3, 3-18
  • Comments on an incomplete (formal or informal) investigation. AR 623-3, 3-19a
  • Mention of voluntary ASAP entry not previously detected by the chain of command. AR 623-3, 3-24a
  • Profile / medical comments unless duty performance was actually affected. DA PAM 623-3, Tbl 3-4
  • Prohibited language & writing techniques generally. AR 623-3, Ch 3, para 3-18

§ RATING-CHAIN & TIME MINIMUMS

  • Rater: immediate supervisor, min 90 rated days. AR 623-3, 2-5
  • Senior Rater: rater's supervisor, min 60 days; also serves as reviewer. AR 623-3, 2-7
  • Reviewer: officer/CSM/SGM senior to the SR; no min time. AR 623-3, 2-8
  • Rated NCO signs last; signature verifies admin data only, not agreement. AR 623-3, 2-10b

⌗ GRADE-PLATE FORMS

  • 2166-9-1 — SGT (direct level). Rater bullets; SR potential box unconstrained. AR 623-3
  • 2166-9-2 — SSG–1SG/MSG (organizational). Rater bullets + SR narrative; SR potential capped at 24%. AR 623-3
  • 2166-9-3 — CSM/SGM (strategic). Narrative throughout; SR potential capped at 24%. AR 623-3
  • Rater addresses Army Values, Discipline, and SHARP/EO/EEO in Part IV. HRC Module 3

Current governing publications: AR 623-3 and DA PAM 623-3 (Evaluation Reporting System), executed in EES. Policy text above is summarized for drafting reference — always confirm against the live version on the Army Publishing Directorate (armypubs.army.mil) and current HRC/MILPER messages.

WHAT SENIOR LEADERS SAY "MOST QUALIFIED" MEANS

SMA / HRC / doctrine

The 24% top-block cap and the "identify the best talent" philosophy came directly from the Sergeant Major of the Army and his Senior Enlisted Council. These are the themes senior raters are told to apply. Quotes are condensed; see each source for full context.

Highly Qualified is the new norm — an NCO stays fully competitive for promotion on HQ reports, provided they finish their required professional military education.
SGM Stephen McDermid HRC Evaluations Branch · on the intent of the 24% cap
Army News Service, "senior raters may identify just 24 percent most qualified," Jul 2015
The cap lets promotion boards see who the best actually are — it makes the NCOER a true discriminator of talent, which is what it is supposed to do.
SMA Daniel Dailey 16th Sergeant Major of the Army
Army News Service, Jul 2015 (paraphrased)
Counseling is what makes an honest rating possible. When senior raters skipped counseling all year, they shied away from anything but a top block — that is how inflation happened.
SMA Daniel Dailey on why counseling curbs inflation
DVIDS, Mar 2016 (paraphrased)
Leaders must know your population and identify your very best. Decide up front what your standard is for FAR EXCEEDED (performance) and MOST QUALIFIED (potential).
HRC Profiling Guidance rating-official best practice (per ATP 6-22.1 counseling)
HRC Rater/Senior Rater Profile module
Reserve the top block for those who are truly deserving. The box check matters, but the narrative is just as significant — it must quantify and support the box.
HRC Grade-Plate NCOER Guidance on senior rater narratives
HRC Module 3, Grade Plate NCOERs

THE DISTINCTION LEADERS HAMMER: PERFORMANCE vs POTENTIAL

The single most-repeated coaching point: the rater box (FAR EXCEEDED) is about what the NCO did; the senior rater box (MOST QUALIFIED) is about how far the NCO can go. They are separate judgments and can differ on the same report.

FAR EXCEEDED STANDARD — PERFORMANCE (RATER)

  • Performed extraordinarily above Army standards and organizational goals
  • The rare exception — an all-"far exceeded" report is reserved for the very best performers
  • Justify it: tell the story with metrics in the bullets
  • Measured against the majority in the rater's population at that grade

MOST QUALIFIED — POTENTIAL (SENIOR RATER)

  • Potential exceeds the majority; strong for promotion in the secondary zone and ahead of peers
  • Constrained to ≈24% of that grade — the managed profile
  • Narrative must amplify the box and recommend promotion, key assignment, and schooling
  • Paired with two successive assignments + one broadening assignment (Part V)

Source: New NCOER rollout (Army.mil, 2014); HRC Grade-Plate & Profiling modules; NCOER Performance Measures Supplement.

TOP-BLOCK CHECKLIST — WHAT EARNS IT, WHAT KILLS IT

SIGNALS THAT EARN THE TOP BLOCK

  • Impact that reaches beyond the NCO's own lane — platoon, company, or the Army
  • Hard metrics that a board can compare against peers
  • Disciplined initiative and mission-command behaviors, named in the narrative
  • Demonstrated readiness for the NEXT grade, not just mastery of the current one
  • Documented counseling that supports the rating all year

WHAT GETS A REPORT RETURNED OR DOWNGRADED

  • Mentioning the box check in the narrative ("MOST QUALIFIED NCO," "if my profile allowed...")
  • Board language like "6+ NCO" — prohibited; report is returned
  • Checking MQ when the profile is over 24% — EES grays it out; on paper it is a "misfire" and downgrades to HQ
  • Pooling — routing an NCO to a bigger-population senior rater to protect a top block (violates AR 623-3)
  • Generic filler ("supported SHARP program") that spends a line without showing performance

Source: HRC Profiling module (prohibited narrative comments, misfire rule); Profiles & Rater Tendencies FAQ (pooling). Confirm against current EES logic and AR 623-3.

BULLET LIBRARY — BY COMPETENCY

tap any line to load into Upgrade Engine

SAVED BULLETS

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NCOER format: Bullets are action–result statements — past-tense action verb, quantified where possible, with a clear "so what." The rater assesses performance (Part IV); the senior rater assesses potential (Part V) and owns the constrained top-block profile. See the Senior Leader Voice tab for what earns the top block.
Disclaimer: This is an unofficial drafting aid, not an official form or authoritative source. Policy summaries reflect AR 623-3 / DA PAM 623-3 as researched in 2026 and may lag the live regulation. Verify every entry against the current publications on armypubs.army.mil and your rating-chain guidance. All work stays in your browser.