united states strategic command united states strategic command enlisted performance reports and...

United StatesStrategic Command


Enlisted Performance Reports and Awards 101

Enlisted Performance Reports and Awards 101

SMSgt SMSgt

Superintendent, Joint Intelligence CenterSuperintendent, Joint Intelligence Center

United States Strategic CommandUnited States Strategic Command

May 04

THIS BRIEFING IS UNCLASSIFIED:THIS BRIEFING IS UNCLASSIFIED:

OverviewOverview

• EPREPR– AdministriviaAdministrivia– Duty and job descriptionsDuty and job descriptions

• AwardsAwards– AdministriviaAdministrivia– Considerations before submissionConsiderations before submission– Out of guidance awardsOut of guidance awards– JustificationJustification

• Word Sculpting for EPRS and AwardsWord Sculpting for EPRS and Awards• Chiefs thoughts on EPRsChiefs thoughts on EPRs


EPR AdministriviaEPR Administrivia

• Ensure the following:Ensure the following:– Name all upper case Name all upper case

lettersletters– That all information That all information

matches rip givenmatches rip given– Watch your spacingWatch your spacing– Run SPELLCHECKRun SPELLCHECK– Make sure numbers Make sure numbers

over 1,000 have over 1,000 have commas in commas in appropriate placesappropriate places


EPR Administrivia Cont.EPR Administrivia Cont.

• Initial feedback date Initial feedback date must be after must be after supervision start datesupervision start date

• Date reports on or after Date reports on or after the closeout datesthe closeout dates

• Cannot mention Cannot mention separation or separation or retirementretirement

• Specify quarter for Specify quarter for awardsawards

• Do Not Use Do Not Use National National Command Authorities Command Authorities (NCA) replace with (NCA) replace with President or SECDEFPresident or SECDEF THIS BRIEFING IS UNCLASSIFIED:THIS BRIEFING IS UNCLASSIFIED:

EPR Administrivia Cont.EPR Administrivia Cont.

• When referring to time age or money use figures ( 3 When referring to time age or money use figures ( 3 days, 8 hours, 6 miles)days, 8 hours, 6 miles)

• Do Not Do Not date OP, OPA, OPB, or AF Advisor’s date OP, OPA, OPB, or AF Advisor’s signature blockssignature blocks

• Ensure concur Ensure concur • Be consistent throughout when you use items like % Be consistent throughout when you use items like %

or percentor percent• POTUS unauthorized abbreviationPOTUS unauthorized abbreviationNOTE:NOTE: More helpful suggestions on the use of More helpful suggestions on the use of

hyphenation and abbreviations can be found in the hyphenation and abbreviations can be found in the Global Operations Quick Reference Guide dated Global Operations Quick Reference Guide dated 2 Mar 042 Mar 04


EPR Duty and Job DescriptionsEPR Duty and Job Descriptions

• Duty Titles are not as Duty Titles are not as important as duty important as duty descriptionsdescriptions

• Ensure job descriptions Ensure job descriptions accurately reflect dutiesaccurately reflect duties

• How many people are How many people are supervised?supervised?

• How many and what type How many and what type of resources are they of resources are they responsible for?responsible for?

• What do they actually do What do they actually do and who are they working and who are they working or providing product to?or providing product to?


Awards AdministriviaAwards Administrivia

• Know when the people Know when the people you supervise are you supervise are scheduled to departscheduled to depart

• Prepare the award Prepare the award before ordering the before ordering the ADAPTs packageADAPTs package

• Award should flow and Award should flow and have transitions, bullets have transitions, bullets are for EPRS, not are for EPRS, not awardsawards


Awards Administrivia Cont.Awards Administrivia Cont.

• Ensure the proper Ensure the proper routing, this will make routing, this will make the award process go the award process go fasterfaster

• Don’t use abbreviations Don’t use abbreviations in awardsin awards

• Don’t use office Don’t use office symbols, use symbols, use appropriate namesappropriate names

• Ensure you follow Ensure you follow instructions in ADAPTs instructions in ADAPTs packagepackage


Considerations Before Awards Submission

Considerations Before Awards Submission

• First off not everyone should or is going to get an First off not everyone should or is going to get an awardaward

• Completion of a tour is not a guarantee or sole Completion of a tour is not a guarantee or sole reason for an awardreason for an award

• Supervisor’s need to review and know information in Supervisor’s need to review and know information in subordinates personal information files (PIFs)subordinates personal information files (PIFs)

• Look at mid-tour awards for individuals who have Look at mid-tour awards for individuals who have been here for over three years and have superior been here for over three years and have superior performance that deserves recognitionperformance that deserves recognition


Considerations Before Awards Submission Cont.

Considerations Before Awards Submission Cont.

• Be aware of what is Be aware of what is considered the considered the appropriate level of appropriate level of award versus gradeaward versus grade

• Know what the Know what the regulation or SAI states regulation or SAI states about the awardabout the award

• Be prepared to write Be prepared to write extra justificationextra justification


Out of Guidance AwardsOut of Guidance Awards

• Know what they are Know what they are – Examples: Examples:

• SrA receiving JSCM, SrA receiving JSCM, • TSgt receiving DMSM, TSgt receiving DMSM, • Capt receiving DMSMCapt receiving DMSM

• Individual needs to have had serious Command Individual needs to have had serious Command impactimpact

• Winner of Command Quarterly and Yearly AwardsWinner of Command Quarterly and Yearly Awards• Serious senior level recognitionSerious senior level recognition


Award JustificationAward Justification

• Most significant Most significant accomplishments not accomplishments not already in awardalready in award

• Need to know all Need to know all quarterly awards and quarterly awards and yearly awardsyearly awards

– Division levelDivision level– Section levelSection level

• Needs to be at least a Needs to be at least a half pagehalf page

• Use bullet formatUse bullet format


Word Sculpting for EPRS and Awards

Word Sculpting for EPRS and Awards

• What is word What is word sculpting?sculpting?

– Consciously Consciously choosing each word choosing each word to convey maximum to convey maximum meaning as briefly meaning as briefly and concisely as and concisely as possiblepossible


Word SculptingWord Sculpting

• Wasted Words (search and eliminate)Wasted Words (search and eliminate)– Examples: (a, an, the, can, is, has, that, these, Examples: (a, an, the, can, is, has, that, these,

and which)and which)– Passive verbs are uselessPassive verbs are useless

• Restructure (say more with less)Restructure (say more with less)– When sculpting bullets thinkWhen sculpting bullets think

• Action wordsAction words• ImpactImpact• ResultResult


Word Sculpting Cont.Word Sculpting Cont.

• Idea of word sculpting is a powerful productIdea of word sculpting is a powerful product– Answers the “so what”Answers the “so what”– Provides impactProvides impact

• ImpactImpact– What is significantWhat is significant– Who is affectedWho is affected– Why should I careWhy should I care

• QuantifyQuantify– How bigHow big– How manyHow many– What percentWhat percent



• Avoid long wordsAvoid long words• Examples:Examples:

– Provides with – use provideProvides with – use provide– Intelligence – use intelIntelligence – use intel

• Set the hooksSet the hooks– Use attention gettersUse attention getters– Sell the readerSell the reader– Don’t need to be used on Don’t need to be used on

every lineevery line



• Power VerbsPower Verbs– Avoid weak verbs like submitted, provided, Avoid weak verbs like submitted, provided,

assisted, etcassisted, etc– Emulate with Implemented, Trained, Revamped. Emulate with Implemented, Trained, Revamped.

Orchestrated, etcOrchestrated, etc• Keep the focus and directionKeep the focus and direction

– Need to ensure we educate the reader on the Need to ensure we educate the reader on the individuals accomplishment, rather then the individuals accomplishment, rather then the eventevent

– Don’t leave your reader with questions in their Don’t leave your reader with questions in their mind as to what his/her conclusion should bemind as to what his/her conclusion should be



• Ho-Hum WritingHo-Hum Writing– Try to AvoidTry to Avoid

• Don’t write long Don’t write long bulletsbullets

• Can the Can the nicknames and nicknames and acronymsacronyms

• Wastes Wastes Space/too much Space/too much blank paperblank paper



• Pay attention to detailsPay attention to details– Format and spellingFormat and spelling– Capital LettersCapital Letters– Correct use of hyphensCorrect use of hyphens– Numbers entryNumbers entry– Unit DesignationsUnit Designations

• If ending is spelled out then use st, d, or thIf ending is spelled out then use st, d, or th• If it is abbreviated omit the above endingsIf it is abbreviated omit the above endings


Chief’s Thoughts on EPRsChief’s Thoughts on EPRs

• Make sure wording on Make sure wording on the back matches the back matches marking on the frontmarking on the front

• Don’t use ratee’s Don’t use ratee’s names in the report names in the report

(Exception senior (Exception senior rater’s block)rater’s block)

• Use Bullet StatementsUse Bullet Statements– Don’t write sentenceDon’t write sentence– Start each bullet Start each bullet

with action verbwith action verbTHIS BRIEFING IS UNCLASSIFIED:THIS BRIEFING IS UNCLASSIFIED:

Chief’s Thoughts on EPRs Cont.Chief’s Thoughts on EPRs Cont.

• Use promotion statements, but don’t make Use promotion statements, but don’t make promotion statements because you canpromotion statements because you can

• Do not make recommendations for PME, making Do not make recommendations for PME, making recommendations for PME shows lack of knowledge recommendations for PME shows lack of knowledge for the EPR/PME systemfor the EPR/PME system

• Remember to show the “so what” in each bulletRemember to show the “so what” in each bullet– Should show what person didShould show what person did– How well the person didHow well the person did– What the impact was What the impact was

• Duty Titles are not as important as duty descriptionsDuty Titles are not as important as duty descriptions



• Really important to Really important to capture person’s capture person’s responsibilitiesresponsibilities

– How many troops How many troops does he/she does he/she supervise?supervise?

– What resources are What resources are they responsible they responsible for?for?



• If a troop has messed up within the reporting periodIf a troop has messed up within the reporting period– Don’t try to cover up when writing the EPR, not fair to Don’t try to cover up when writing the EPR, not fair to

other troopsother troops

• Know when reports are due on the personnel you Know when reports are due on the personnel you supervise. DON’T SUBMIT EPRS LATE!!!supervise. DON’T SUBMIT EPRS LATE!!!

– When you get the RIP, start writing a bullet a day, When you get the RIP, start writing a bullet a day, instead of waiting till the last minute to try and cram instead of waiting till the last minute to try and cram the EPR togetherthe EPR together

• If a troop is not performing up to standards and you If a troop is not performing up to standards and you have had to counsel, ensure that you document ithave had to counsel, ensure that you document it

– Let them know their shortfalls and how they can Let them know their shortfalls and how they can improve. If they still fall short DOCUMENT!!!improve. If they still fall short DOCUMENT!!!

– Reflect this documentation honestly when it comes Reflect this documentation honestly when it comes report timereport time



• If you need to write a If you need to write a less then stellar report less then stellar report make sure your ducks make sure your ducks are in line with the are in line with the appropriate appropriate documentationdocumentation

• If you do have a stellar If you do have a stellar troop make sure that it troop make sure that it is reflected in EPR, it is reflected in EPR, it should jump out and should jump out and grab the readergrab the reader






UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED

united states strategic command united states strategic command enlisted performance reports and...

Documents

awards submission

use of hyphenation

award process

package award

awards dont use office

midtour awards

appropriate level of

award supervisors