Let’s be real for a second. Sitting down to look at a blank sample ncoer support form (DA Form 2166-9-1A) is basically the Army equivalent of staring into a void. You know you did stuff this year. You went to the field, you managed a hand receipt, you probably saved a private from making a life-altering mistake involving a Mustang at 24% APR. But when it comes time to put it on paper? Silence.
Most NCOs treat the support form like a chore they have to finish before they can go on pass. That’s a mistake. A massive one. Your support form isn't just "paperwork"; it’s the legal basis for your evaluation. If you don't put the right data in there, your rater is going to guess what you did. And trust me, you don't want your career left to someone else's memory.
What a Real Sample NCOER Support Form Actually Looks Like
Forget the "perfect" examples you see on those shady websites that charge for bullet libraries. A real, effective support form is messy, data-heavy, and specifically tied to the NCO leadership functions. It’s about the "how" and the "result," not just a list of duties.
Take the Character block. Most people just write "leads by example" or "always on time." Boring. Useless. A high-performing Staff Sergeant might instead record something like: "Developed a platoon-level ethics training that reduced UCMJ actions by 15% over six months." See the difference? One is a platitude. The other is a measurable fact.
You’ve got to think in terms of The Three Rs: Responsibility, Reform, and Result.
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Character and Presence
This isn't just about not failing a PT test. It’s about how you carry yourself when the mission gets sideways. If you’re looking at a sample ncoer support form, look for entries that mention the Army Values in action. For instance, did you volunteer for a community outreach program? Did you mentor a junior soldier through a difficult personal crisis that kept them in the fight? Put it in there.
Your "Presence" section should highlight your physical fitness, but also your professional bearing. If you graduated from Air Assault or earned the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) during the rating period, that’s a primary entry. Don't be humble. The Army doesn't reward humility on a DA Form 2166-9-1.
The Meat of the Matter: Intellect and Lead
This is where the "smart" work happens. Intellect isn't about how high your GT score is; it’s about how you solve problems.
I remember a Sergeant First Class who saved a brigade-level exercise because he figured out a way to patch a communications gap using an old-school relay system when the digital net went down. On his sample ncoer support form, he didn't just write "fixed radios." He wrote: "Engineered a contingency communication plan that maintained 100% connectivity for 48 hours during a total digital blackout."
That is the level of detail that gets you a "Most Qualified" (MQ).
Leading Others
Leadership is the hardest thing to quantify, but you have to do it. You’re not just "leading" soldiers; you’re developing them.
- How many of your soldiers got promoted?
- How many earned awards?
- Did you lead a team that won a "Best Squad" competition?
- Did you manage a budget? How much? (e.g., "Managed $2.4M in property with zero losses.")
Numbers are your best friend here. If you say you "trained soldiers," it’s weak. If you say you "planned and executed a three-day range that qualified 42 soldiers on the M4A1 with a 95% first-time pass rate," you’re speaking the language of the promotion board.
The Develop and Achieve Blocks: Where Careers Are Made
The "Develops" section is often the most neglected part of the NCOER process. People think it’s just for recruiters or drill sergeants. Nope. If you’re a Corporal or a Sergeant, you are developing people.
Did you conduct weekly NCOPDs? Did you counsel your soldiers on time, every time? (Wait, did you actually counsel them? Because the board can tell if you're faking the dates).
Achievement is the "so what" of the entire form. This is where you list the big wins. If your section passed a Commo inspection with no deficiencies, that goes here. If you oversaw the maintenance of 15 vehicles and kept a 98% Operational Readiness (OR) rate, that goes here.
Why You Should Never Copy-Paste
It’s tempting. I know. You find a "perfect" sample ncoer support form online, and you think, "Hey, I did something similar, I'll just swap the name."
Don't.
Board members—the senior Sergeants Major who sit in a room for weeks looking at thousands of these—have seen every "canned" bullet in existence. They know when a bullet is recycled. They want to see your voice and your specific impact. Use a sample for inspiration on structure, but the data has to be yours.
Honestly, the best way to handle this is to keep a "hero folder" or a "green notebook" throughout the year. Every time something good happens, jot it down. When the quarter ends and you need to update your support form, you aren't guessing. You have the receipts.
Practical Steps to Finishing Your Support Form Today
- Open the PDF. Stop procrastinating. Open the DA Form 2166-9-1A right now.
- Fill in the Administrative Data. It’s easy, it gets you moving, and it’s one less thing to worry about. Make sure your UIC and PMOS are correct.
- Draft Three "Big Wins." Don't worry about the wording yet. Just write down the three best things you did this year. "I fixed the generator when it died in the rain," or "I got PVT Snuffy to pass his run."
- Quantify Everything. Go back to those three wins. Add numbers. How many people were there? How much did it cost? How much time did it save?
- Align with the Rater's Goals. What does your boss care about? If your First Sergeant is obsessed with maintenance, make sure your achievements reflect how you helped the company's maintenance posture.
- Use Action Verbs. Start every bullet with a strong verb: Spearheaded, Orchestrated, Developed, Mentored, Executed, Managed, Improved. Avoid "Responsible for" like the plague. It’s passive and weak.
- Check the Dates. Ensure your counseling dates on the back of the form are realistic and match the rating period.
The support form is your voice in a room you aren't invited to. When the promotion board meets, you aren't there to explain yourself. This document is the only thing they have to judge your worth as a leader. Treat it with the respect your career deserves.
Once you’ve finished the draft, send it to a trusted mentor—not just your buddy, but someone who has actually sat on a board or consistently gets MQ ratings. Ask them to "red pen" it. It might hurt your feelings, but it’ll save your career.
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Actionable Next Steps
Start a digital "Performance Log" in your notes app today. For every week that passes, write one sentence about a task you completed and the result it had on the unit. By the time your next sample ncoer support form is due, you’ll have 52 data points ready to go, and you’ll never have to stare at a blank screen again. Also, ensure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader installed; the Army’s "smart" forms are notorious for breaking on older software or web browsers.