COER Rebuttals and Appeals

An evaluation can make or break a career. It is important to know your rights and respond swiftly when issues with an evaluation arise.  The Law Office of Shannon James understands the rebuttal process and will be an aggressive advocate for you. A rebuttal is simply filed in an officer’s e-OPF, it does correct a COER. Officers must use other remedies such as the Complaint and Redress Process in order to attempt to correct a COER.

According to the most recent COA regulations, the Performance Rating and Reviewing Officials Statement (ROS) are a whopping 40% of the precept scoring for promotion boards. Promotion Boards will review years of COERs in a Commissioned Corps officer’s e-OPF. It is imperative that an officer verifies their report’s accuracy before it becomes a part of their file. 

Commissioned Corps officers are assigned to many different services throughout the world and oftentimes in isolated locations. Further, there can be a disconnect in an agency’s understanding of the Public Health Service, which can put Commissioned Corps officers at a disadvantage. 

Every service has its own way of evaluating performance with a unique “code.”  What might be assumed to be a complimentary evaluation in one service could spell the beginning of the end in another.  A poorly written COER could be an innocent mistake but end up with unintended consequences.  As such it is very important for Commissioned Corps officers to work with their raters to help them understand the nuances associated with Commissioned Corps evaluations.

It is ultimately the responsibility of the Commissioned Corps officer to make sure their COERs are accurate, but if not, corrections need to be timely.  Don’t wait until it is too late. The Law Office of Shannon James understands how to navigate the administrative maze.