Letter of Reprimand in the Army

June 22, 2026

A Letter of Reprimand in the Army is governed by AR 600-37, available for download at this link.

A letter of reprimand is, essentially, a one-two page memorandum from an Officer that is issued to a subordinate and describes specific behavior that is against Army policy. The reprimand should specify what Army policies were violated.

A letter of reprimand in the Army can be issued to any Enlisted Soldier by a Soldier's immediate Commander, higher-level Commander, rater/intermediate rater/senior rater, or any General Officer. A letter of reprimand (LOR) in the Army can be issued to any Officer by any Commander of said Officer, as long as the appropriate General Officer approves, or any General Officer. The most common letter of reprimand in the Army is a GOMOR, which is simply an LOR signed by a General Officer.

If a GOMOR is issued, then it gets served on the Soldier in question along with all evidence that serves a basis for the rebuttal. After being provided with a period of time (typically 7-14 days), the recipient gets to submit a rebuttal. A rebuttal should include a detailed response to the factual basis for the reprimand, as well as character evidence. A good GOMOR rebuttal should, if applicable, include an appropriate amount of additional evidence, that a lawyer can help collect. The Soldier's rebuttal gets routed through the chain of command, who make recommendations on where the GOMOR should be filed. After consideration of the rebuttal and all recommendations, the GOMOR filing authority (usually the General Court-Martial Convening Authority, or GCMCA) decides whether to file the GOMOR in the Soldier's local file (counseling packet) or AMHRR.

If a letter of reprimand in the Army is issued by anyone other than a General Officer, there are two different routes that can be taken. If the issuing authority only wishes to file the LOR in the Soldiers local file, then he/she does not have to give the Soldier in question the supporting documentation or provide him with the opportunity to submit a rebuttal. However, if the issuing authority wants to file the letter of reprimand in the Soldier's AMHRR, he/she must provide the Soldier with the supporting documentation and allow him/her to write a rebuttal. The reprimand, along with the Soldier's rebuttal packet, can then be routed to the GCMCA. The GCMCA can decide to file the letter of reprimand in the Soldier's AMHRR or local file.

If a Soldier receives a letter of reprimand in the Army from an Officer other than a General Officer, it often provides a false sense of security. In these situations, if the Soldier is given the opportunity to submit a rebuttal, the LOR can still be filed in the Soldier's AMHRR if forwarded to the GCMCA. This makes a good rebuttal even more important.

If a letter of reprimand in the Army is filed in a Soldier's AMHRR, serious consequences can follow. For Officers, a permanently filed (AMHRR) GOMOR can result in the initiation of elimination or a two-time non-select for promotion. For Enlisted, a permanently filed (AMHRR) can result in the initiation of separation or a separation through the Army Qualitative Management Program (QMP).

Any Soldier that has been issued a letter of reprimand in the Army should immediately consult an experienced Military Defense Lawyer. A well-crafted rebuttal to an LOR, which should include additional evidence collected by a lawyer, can result in the case being dropped. Furthermore, a letter of reprimand rebuttal should serve as a baseline for any future Defense at a Board of Inquiry or Separation Board - a bad rebuttal can, ultimately, result in separation from the Army. To contrast, a good rebuttal can ultimately lead to retention at a Board of Inquiry or Separation Board. While JAGs are available to assist, they are often over-worked, inexperienced, and unwilling or unable to provide adequate advice/assistance when a Soldier is issued a letter of reprimand in the Army. A civilian Military Lawyer can be retained, which allows a Soldier to be represented by a proven lawyer with good former client reviews.

This Article was written by Attorney Matthew Barry. Attorney Barry is highly rated by former clients and has a proven track record of success. He has extensive experience with all types of Military Adverse Actions, including those related to letters of reprimand in the Army.

The Law Office of Matthew Barry represents Servicemembers worldwide. He has offices on the East Coast, West Coast, and in the Central U.S.