MILPER 26-281: FY27 United States Army Reserve (USAR) Active Guard Reserve (AGR) and Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) Staff Sergeant (SSG), Sergeant First Class (SFC), and Master Sergeant (MSG) Evaluation Board Announcement Message
A. AR 140-145 (Individual Mobilization Augmentee Program), 21 Mar 22.
B. AR 350-1 (Army Training and Leader Development), 1 Jun 25.
C. AR 600-8-19 (Enlisted Promotions and Demotions), 6 Mar 26.
D. AR 600-8-104 (Army Military Human Resource Records Management), 29 Jun 23.
E. AR 601-280 (Army Retention Program), 14 Apr 23.
F. AR 623-3 (Evaluation Reporting System), 14 Feb 25.
G. AR 635-200 (Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations), 30 Jun 25.
H. DA Pam 623-3 (Evaluation Reporting System), 12 Feb 25.
I. MILPER Message 21-213, 15 Jun 21, subject: Elimination of Department of Army (DA) Photos, and Race, Ethnicity and Gender Identification Data for Officer, Warrant Officer, and Enlisted Department of the Army Centralized Selection Boards..
J. MILPER Message 24-385, 20 Sep 24, subject: HQDA Centralized Promotions and Selection Board Guidance regarding Candidate Data Cards in ASBS 2.0
K. HQDA Memorandum, DAPE-ZA, Expanded application of Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) Bar to Continued Service.
1. This MILPER Message will expire NLT 20 Oct 27.
2. In accordance with (IAW) reference C, a Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) Board is scheduled to convene at the DA Secretariat, Fort Knox, KY, on or about 1 Dec 26, to evaluate United States Army Reserve (USAR), Active Guard Reserve (AGR) and Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) soldiers in the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSG), Sergeant First Class (SFC), and Master Sergeant (MSG) records.
3. This message contains important information. Pay close attention and read this message in its entirety.
4. Policy.
a. The board will evaluate the performance and potential of all eligible Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) for the purpose of creating an Order of Merit list (OML) to inform a myriad of human resource decisions designed to improve readiness, NCO professional development, and professionalism of the NCO Corps. Board OMLs rank NCOs in accordance with Army doctrine and proponent guidance based on talent (skills, knowledge, and behaviors), identifying NCOs as most qualified (MQ), fully qualified (FQ), not fully qualified (NFQ), and not fully qualified for retention (NFQ-R). These management decisions include but are not limited to:
(1) Selection for training to attend Senior Leaders Course (SLC) for SSGs and selection for training to attend Master Leaders Course (MLC) for SFCs.
(2) Selection, for MSGs, to attend the Sergeants Major Academy (SGM-A) Class 79 (scheduled to begin in the August 2028 timeframe) for the purpose of satisfying promotion requirements to the grade of Sergeant Major. Graduation of the SGM-A qualifies NCOs for potential promotion selection (pin-on) to the rank of Sergeant Major (SGM) based on requirements by military occupational specialty (MOS), as needed.
(3) Inform a monthly promotion selection process for pin-on to the next higher grade based on requirements by military occupational specialty (MOS), as needed.
(4) Inform assignment decisions to critical developmental positions or against strategic broadening opportunities to deliberately manage the talents each individual Soldier possesses instead of simply distributing people.
(5) Identify individual NCOs whose performance and potential is substandard (NFQ-R); resulting in the initiation of a Headquarters, Department of the Army Bar to Continued Service.
(6) Identify individual NCOs a subsequent (second) time as NFQ-R after having been previously identified as NFQ-R in their current grade; resulting in denial of continued service.
(7) Identify select NCOs for potential involuntary early separation, if necessary, under the authority of the Qualitative Service Program (QSP) due to strength limitations, budgetary constraints, a reduction in force, or to align the force by MOS and grade to ensure a desired grade and experience mix is balanced across occupational career paths.
b. The established eligibility criteria for consideration by this board ensures identification of highly qualified, broadly skilled, experienced NCO leaders who have been developed to assume higher levels of responsibility.
c. Once established as eligible for consideration by the board, Soldiers are not authorized to opt out of consideration. All eligible NCOs will be evaluated and placed on an OML.
d. All USAR (AGR) and IMA NCOs will learn their OML standing through the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army (IPPS-A). Based on this annual evaluation, NCOs will be able to identify how they compare with their peers by career progression MOS (CPMOS) and rank. Instructions on how to access this will be provided when the board results are released.
e. Soldiers may elect to OPT-OUT of consideration for SGM-A selection. The opportunity to OPT-OUT of SGM-A Class 79 consideration will run concurrently with My Board File availability as outlined in paragraph 7. All eligible MSGs must access their My Board File (MBF) at the Army Selection Boards System (ASBS) website: https://mbf.hrc.army.mil/ Select the card labeled with the board name, then select either: “I WANT TO BE CONSIDERED” or “I DO NOT WANT TO BE CONSIDERED” from the popup. The Soldier may change their selection until the opt-out consideration window is closed. To change the opt-out selection, select the “Change My Decision” button on the left side under the “OPT-IN/OUT” Sub-Header.
NOTE: MSGs who do not make an election during the MBF Opt-Out period are considered for selection/attendance.
5. Board eligibility criteria (for consideration and placement on an OML).
a. Eligibility criteria will be set and firmly established as of 1 Nov 26, 0001 EST for this board. Changes made after this DTG will not impact eligibility. It is essential all commanders, S-1s, and affected NCOs take appropriate action to ensure data accuracy prior to this established DTG. Eligibility data (rank, grade entry date, basic active service date, date of birth, MOS reclassification, etc.) changes after 1 Nov 26 will not impact board eligibility.
b. All eligible NCOs will have access to the My Board File (MBF) application. All NCOs who do not receive a formal auto-generated email and believe they are eligible for evaluation by this board (based on the eligibility criteria) must personally take action to contact: Regular Army and USAR AGR at usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-espd-promotions-pre-board@army.mil, USAR IMA at usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.rpmd-ima-irr-branch@army.mil, prior to 1 Nov 26 in order to verify eligibility. Failure to do this will not constitute reconsideration later. As previously established (ref C), there are no provisions to evaluate NCOs later for inclusion onto this OML.
c. This board will consider and evaluate the records of all USAR AGR and IMA Soldiers meeting the following criteria:
USAR AGR / IMA
SSG
AGR / IMA GED
1 May 2023 and earlier
AGR BASD
1 Apr 2007 and later
AGR / IMA DOB
1 Apr 1971 and later
USAR AGR / IMA
SFC
AGR / IMA GED
1 May 2024 and earlier
AGR BASD
1 Apr 2005 and later
AGR / IMA DOB
1 Apr 1971 and later
USAR AGR / IMA
MSG / 1SG
AGR / IMA GED
1 Jun 2025 and earlier
AGR BASD
1 Jul 2003 and later
AGR / IMA DOB
1 Jul 1973 and later
6. Ineligibility criteria.
a. All SSG, SFC, and MSG/1SG who have an approved retirement (IMREPR 9Y).
b. All SSG, SFC, and MSG/1SG with an approved retirement/involuntary separation date under the QMP (IMREPER codes 9M and 9L).
c. All SSG, SFC, and MSG/1SG awarded special reporting code (SRC) 09U in lieu of an MOS.
d. All 1SG/MSG with a reservation in the Army Training Reservation and Resource System (ATRRS) to attend the SGM-A (Class 78 or earlier) to include all associated training paths.
e. Retiree recalls of USAR sanctuary Soldiers serving in an active status.
f. A Cadet in the Green to Gold Active-Duty Option program for the purpose of attaining a commission.
7. Suspense dates are as follows:
NCOER
NLT 20 Nov 26
Letter to the President of the Board
NLT 1700 EDT 20 Nov 26
AMHRR updates
NLT 1700 EDT 20 Nov 26
My Board File (MBF) availability timeline
1 Oct 26 – 20 Nov 26
8. Written Communication to the Board:
a. Soldiers eligible for evaluation may write to the president of the board to provide documents and information drawing attention to any matter concerning themselves that they feel is important to their consideration (ref C). Although written communication is authorized, it is only encouraged when there is something that is not provided in the Soldier’s records that the Soldier feels will have an impact on the board’s deliberations. Correspondence will be addressed to: President, FY27 USAR AGR and IMA SSG, SFC, MSG Evaluation Board, AHRC-PDV-S, 1600 Spearhead Division Ave, Fort Knox, KY 40122-5407. Signed correspondence (including all enclosures) must be uploaded as a single pdf document and organized in the manner to be presented to the board. The preferred submission method for matters of mitigation is via upload through the Army Selection Board System (ASBS) at https://mbf.hrc.army.mil/. Do not send correspondence to iPERMS. Third party communications from other parties on behalf of eligible NCOs will not be accepted by the evaluation board. Communications containing criticism or reflection upon the character, conduct, or motives of eligible NCOs will not be accepted. Letters must be uploaded NLT 20 Nov 26.
9. Evaluation Reports:
a. Senior raters should provide a current and accurate evaluation for NCOs considered by the selection board. HRC will carefully screen evaluations for format inconsistencies or impermissible content. To that end, the suspenses listed below are established to ensure sufficient processing time prior to the board convene date. Senior raters retain the authority to submit regular reports up to 90 days from the thru date of the report, as specified in AR 623-3, para 3-9b(3)(b)7(f). Senior raters may consider submitting an optional NCOER based upon intervening suspenses as appropriate in order to ensure it is seen by the board. Reminder, optional reports are at the discretion of the rating chain.
b. In order to be considered by the board, all mandatory or optional Non-Commissioned Officer Evaluation Reports (NCOER) / Academic Evaluation Reports (AER) must be received, error free, by the HRC Evaluations Branch NLT 20 Nov 26. To ensure reports are received at HRC by this date, commanders at all levels must ensure any applicable evaluation reports for eligible NCOs are expeditiously processed.
c. NCOERs will be prepared on the appropriate DA Form 2166-9 series NCOER form within the Evaluation Entry System (EES) and submitted to HRC via EES. If unable to access and submit evaluations within EES, hard copy DA Form 2166 series NCOERs can be prepared and mailed to: Commander, USA HRC, ATTN: AHRC-PDV-ER, 1600 Spearhead Division Ave, Dept. #470, Fort Knox KY 40122-5407. Access to EES is available at the following link: https://evaluations.hrc.army.mil. If unable to access EES, DA Form 2166-9 series NCOERs can be obtained from the Army Publishing Directorate’s webpage at the following link: https://www.apd.army.mil/.
(1) Sending NCOERs by email is only for deployed units or deployed rating officials and should only be used for deployed units who created .pdf-f evaluations outside of EES. A standard operating procedure covering process for scanning and emailing NCOERs from deployed units is available upon request.
(2) All non-deployed units or rating officials with ink-signed or older version forms not useable in EES must mail printed NCOERs to Commander, USA HRC, ATTN: AHRC-PDV-ER, 1600 Spearhead Division Ave, Dept. #470, Fort Knox, KY 40122-5407.
d. Code 09, Complete-the-Record Report.
(1) A code 09, Complete-the-Record NCOER, is “optional” for NCOs who meet the criteria pursuant to AR 623-3, paragraph 3-57.
(2) The required “Thru Date” for Complete-the-Record Reports (Code 09) is 22 Aug 26. All Complete-the-Record NCOERs for this board will be required to be prepared and submitted on the appropriate DA Form 2166-9 within EES or found on the Army Publishing Directorate’s webpage.
(3) Refer to AR 623-3, paragraph 3-57, to determine eligibility for submitting a Complete-the-Record report; all criteria must be met to receive this report.
(4) All other reports (mandatory or optional), excluding Complete-the-Record Reports (Code 09), will have “Thru Dates” that reflect the date of the event that is the reason for the report.
e. Reports which are received by HRC Evaluations Branch for processing by 20 Aug 26 will be placed in the NCO’s Army Military Human Resource Record (AMHRR) and their board file prior to board voting, assuming the evaluation is relatively free of errors. This suspense date is for receipt of evaluations by HRC Evaluations Branch, not for submission to AMHRR. If an evaluation is seen as working in the Evaluation Reporting System (ERS) with a received by date of 20 Nov 26 or earlier and the evaluation is free of errors, it will be completed in time for the selection board.
f. NCOs with missing NCOERs from their AMHRR should first check the status of the report in either EES or ERS. This will identify any evaluations not completed (either on hold, returned, or rejected) due to errors. NCOs with questions about NCOER policy or procedural matters can contact an Evaluations Branch point of contact (POC) for resolution at usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-eval-policy@army.mil. Soldiers should not be concerned if an evaluation in the AMHRR is not yet in their board file. Board Support personnel will ensure all board files are updated prior to the board convene date. g. AERs.
(1) AERs prepared on NOV 2015 dated forms having “THRU DATES” of 31 Aug 19 and earlier must be mailed hard copy to CDR, USA HRC, ATTN: AHRC-PDV-ER, 1600 Spearhead Division Ave, Dept #470, Fort Knox, KY 40122-5407. Emailing of AERs is not authorized and will not be accepted. DA Form 1059 series AERs, dated NOV 2015 will no longer be utilized for AERs with a THRU date of 1 Sep 19 or after. DA Form 1059 series AERs dated NOV 2015 received having a THRU date of 1 Sep 19 or later are invalid and will not be processed.
(2) AERs prepared on MAR 2019 dated forms are prepared by using the Evaluation Entry System (EES) or on a fillable .pdf-f version form. Only the military school or institute of training that issued the AER is authorized to submit completed AERs in EES.
(a) Effective 1 December 2019, DA Form 1059 or DA Form 1059-2 AERs dated MAR 2019 will be initiated, processed, and submitted using EES. There are no exceptions or alternate means for submission of these AERs. E-mail and hard copy submissions of a DA Form 1059 or DA Form 1059-2 AER will be considered invalid and will not be processed by HRC.
(b) DA Form 1059-1 AERs dated MAR 2019 .pdf-f forms are the only reports authorized to use the AER File Upload tool in EES.
h. Career managers, board support personnel and Interactive Personnel Electronic Records Management System (iPERMS) support personnel are not authorized to place any evaluations directly into the AMHRR. All evaluations must process through the HRC Evaluations Branch using normal processing channels into the AMHRR and then into the NCO’s board file.
10. This board will utilize the “MBF” application.
a. MBF Opens: 1 Oct 26 and closes: 2359 EDT on 20 Nov 26.
b. This board will utilize the My Board File (MBF) application in Army Selection Board System (ASBS 2.0). MBF is a secure, web-based application with DMDC sign on and authentication to allow Soldiers in the zones of consideration one location to review and certify their entire board file. It is comprised of files from the Performance folder of the AMHRR, and a Candidate Data Card that summarizes data as detailed below in subparagraph g.
c. MBF is available to all service members regardless of their status on a evaluation board. A separate tile is created on MBF when the member meets eligibility criteria. Service members should take advantage of the live promotion board file to make corrections before being placed on a promotion board.
e. After reviewing the MBF, NCOs must select one of the following four options when viewing MBF:
(1) “Reviewed with no actions taken.”
(2) “I have reviewed the information in My Board File, and I will take action to make corrections to my file.”
(3) “I certify that the information in My Board File is correct and complete to the best of my knowledge.”
(4) “I have not viewed the documents.”
f. MBF should be validated against IPPS-A and IPERMS data. Where errors exist and corrections cannot be made by unit HR Professionals due to security or scope of the change, the service member should contact their career manager. Current career managers can be identified at the following URL: https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/TADD%20Career%20Management%20Landing%20Page.
g. Candidate Data Cards: MBF will leverage ASBS 2.0 Candidate Data Cards, specifically designed for the promotion and selection process, as a summarized document representing a servicemember’s AMHRR. Evaluation data and Duty History summarized on the Candidate Data Card is sourced from EES. If discrepancies are discovered and cannot be corrected through IPPS-A, Soldiers may submit a Letter to the Board President by following paragraph 8 of this message. Candidate Data Cards replace the record brief in ASBS 2.0.
h. Candidate Data Cards are not source documents; they are used as a summary of information for selection boards. Board Members will be reminded that the Candidate Data Card may not contain up-to-date information and they should review the Soldier’s AMHRR. The Army has transitioned to the Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A). Pursuant to this transition, data on the selection board Candidate Data Card may not accurately reflect information contained in a Soldier’s file. Any inconsistencies, errors, or blank data noted on the Candidate Data Card should not be viewed as a failure on the Soldier’s part to update the promotion file and should not reflect negatively on the individual.
I. NCO’s needing assistance updating their AMHRR or data within IPPS-A should contact their S1/MPD/MIL HR office. Leadership should ensure that all eligible NCOs access, thoroughly review and certify their board file. Soldiers can familiarize themselves with the ASBS 2.0 MBF by viewing “AMBF Soldier Demonstration” brief (PowerPoint) which can accessed at: https://www.milsuite.mil/book/community/spaces/apf/s1net/ncoevaluationboards
j. NCOs are responsible for reviewing and updating their board file. HRC Career Managers will not review individual board files since this is a responsibility for each individual NCO. Failure to update the MBF does not constitute a basis for reconsideration.
c. Please see your local unit HR professional to submit required AMHRR board documents into iPERMS using the web upload feature. Click AMHRR Required Document List to access the AMHRR required document list. Please ensure the DOD ID number is contained in the body of the document(s) or written legibly in the upper right-hand corner of the document(s).
d. All AMHRR update submissions must be received NLT 20 Nov 26 to allow for sufficient processing time. Ensure the word “BOARD” is in the comment field of the batch for priority processing. Write down the batch number for future reference. All updates to the Performance folder of the AMHRR will populate to your board file but there is typically a delay involved.
e. The iPERMS Board Support Team does not have access to systems that update the board file, IPPS-A or Data Cards. The DA Secretariat will need to synchronize your My Board File with your iPERMS record for any updates or changes that were made in your iPERMS Performance folder.
f. For resolution of duplicate, inverted, misfiled documents, duplicate evaluation reports, masking of documents, or request for corrections, submit a Board Correction Form to usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.iperms-board-support@army.mil. Correctly filed authorized documents will not be removed.
g. Transcripts submitted to iPERMS must comply with AR 600-8-104, Required Document List.
12. Official photographs.
MILPER Message 21-213 extends MILPER Message 20-209, 8 Jul 20, subject: Elimination of Department of Army (DA) Photos, and Race, Ethnicity and Gender Identification Data for Officer, Warrant Officer, and Enlisted Department of the Army Centralized Selection Boards until rescinded, on a future date yet to be determined.
13. Military Schools Branch (MSB). The SGM-A CL79 Master Sergeant School Selection List will be posted on the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC), MSB website and constitutes official notification of assignment. Assignment instructions (AI) to the resident course for fully eligible Soldiers will be processed NLT 180 days prior to school start date. The link will be provided in a separate MILPER Message at a later date.
g. Candidate Data Card Updates: local S1/MPD. IMA go to the IMA Team POC link below.
h. EPS POC for AGR Soldiers: RPMD (Reserve Personnel Management Directorate) Enlisted Actions Team. AGR Soldiers requesting an update to their candidate data cards will submit a Personnel Actions Request (PAR) through IPPS-A. Workflow template is 000000000034152, Workflow Template Name is RC_HRC_RPMD_RPS_EPS_EAT_AGR. POC for IMA Soldiers: IMA Team usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.rpmd-irr-ima-branch@army.mil