Staff sergeants and senior noncommissioned officers who are selected for involuntary separation or early retirement by Qualitative Management Program panels that meet later this year will be required to leave service no later than seven months after the QMP list is approved by Pentagon officials.
Regular Army and Active Guard and Reserve NCOs who have derogatory information placed in their official personnel file can expect to be evaluated for possible separation by boards that meet during the second, third and fourth quarters of 2016.
The QMP, unlike the Qualitative Service Program, is not a drawdown tool, but a quality-control process normally held in conjunction with Regular Army and Active Guard and Reserve senior NCO promotion boards.
Soldiers who are selected for involuntary separation under QMP do not qualify for the Temporary Early Authority, the drawdown program known as the 15-year early retirement option.
However, they may qualify for half severance pay if they do not meet the length of service requirements for a regular retirement.
During the coming year QMP evaluations will be made by boards that meet in conjunction with the annual master sergeant promotion board scheduled for March 1-25, the sergeant first class board that meets June 1-July 1 and the sergeant major board slated for Sept. 7-23.
Soldiers are subject to QMP processing and possible involuntary separation when derogatory information related to events that occurred in their current grade are placed in the performance or restricted section of their official file, which is called the Army Military Human Resource Record.
While documents that can trigger a QMP screening are limited to events that occurred in a soldier's current grade, the board review process will include a soldier's entire personnel file, including documents related to events and issues from earlier in the career.
Documents that can trigger a QMP review include letters of reprimand, military justice convictions and punishments, adverse evaluation reports and failure to qualify for promotion consideration because the soldier did not complete the appropriate NCO Education course.
Soldiers have the option of submitting mitigating information to the board president regarding the event or circumstances that underlie the QMP referral.
Here are some additional details about the QMP process based on information provided by the Human Resources Command:
- Soldiers who are evaluated for possible separation by a QMP board will be notified of the board results by their chain of command.
- Soldiers who are selected by a QMP board will be involuntarily separated no later than the first day after the seventh month after the board results are approved by the director of military personnel management, a two-star general in the Office of the Army G1 at the Pentagon.
- Soldiers can elect to leave service before the mandatory release date, but they must submit a DA Form 4187 (personnel action request) through their chain of command.
- Soldiers who complete 18 years of active service while waiting for the mandatory release date will be allowed to qualify for a regular 20-year retirement, as prescribed in Title 10 of the U.S. Code.
- Active Guard and Reserve soldiers who have at least 17 years and nine months of qualifying service at the time of QMP notification may extend their enlistments for the minimum period required for a non-regular retirement under Title 10 of the USC.
- Soldiers who are denied continued service because of QMP may qualify for half severance pay, which is calculated by multiplying 5 percent of a soldier’s basic pay at the time of separation by years and partial years of service.
