ADC - OPR and EPR AREA DEFENSE COUNSEL BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La FACT SHEET ON OFFICER AND ENLISTED REFERRAL PERFORMANCE REPORTS 1. You have just been notified that your Enlisted Performance Report (EPR) is being rated as a referral EPR. You are confused as to what this means and what your next step should be. This fact sheet is designed to give you information concerning referral EPRs and what actions you can take. 2. Referral EPRs are defined in AFI 36-2406, paragraph 3.9. A report that contains any of the following ratings is referral and must be referred to the rate: a. An evaluator marks "Does Not Meet Standards" in any performance factor in section V (OPR), or b. An evaluator places a mark in the far left block of any performance factor in section III or marks a rating of "1" in section IV (EPR). c. Comments in the report, or the attachments, are derogatory in nature, imply/refer to behavior incompatible with or not meeting minimum acceptable standards of personal or professional conduct, character, judgment or integrity, and/or refer to disciplinary actions. 3. An EPR is not referral unless it meets the requirements listed above. Comments in the EPR that refer to behavior not meeting minimum acceptable standards of personal conduct, character, or integrity must be compatible with the ratings in AF Form 910 and 911, section III. 4. If a rating or comment causes a report to become a referral report, you must be given the chance to comment on the report. The procedures are governed by AFI 36-2406, paragraph 3.9.6 (see attached). You will have to sign and date an acknowledgment that verifies your receipt of the referral memorandum but this signature does not indicate whether or not you will provide remarks regarding the referral report. 5. Once you have received this referral form letter and a copy of your OPR/EPR, you have 10 calendar days to respond. It is important that you do not wait until the "last minute" to seek assistance. If you do so, the ADC may not be able to schedule for assistance. Waiting does not entitle you to additional response time, however, if you need additional response time, you must request it from the evaluator named in your referral letter. You should comment on the report, by endorsement to the original of the referral letter. 6. Although brevity is usually in your best interest, pertinent comments and attachments should be presented as a part of your response so that they may be taken into consideration by the next evaluator. You should not write anything about character, conduct, integrity, or motives of the evaluator unless your comments along these lines are fully substantiated and documented. If you should need any assistance writing your comments, contact customer service at the MPF. 7. Once you have completed this step, send the EPR, referral letter, and your comments to the evaluator named in the referral letter. To insure receipt, you should hand deliver the items or, if the evaluator named in the referral letter is geographically separated from you, send it by certified mail with return requested. 8. The evaluator will then review your comments before adding comments or upgrades the ratings in the reports so that the conditions making it a referral EPR no longer apply, further quality action associated with referral performance need not be taken. 9. This fact sheet was intended to give you an overview of your options concerning referral EPRs. If you should have any further questions, please feel free to call the Area Defense Counsel at 781-8355.