Coast Guard EER Writing Tool

What the EER is and who writes it

The Enlisted Employee Review (EER) is the Coast Guard's evaluation for enlisted members. It is completed regularly by a rating chain made up of a supervisor, marking official, and approving official, and it affects advancement eligibility and good conduct.

EERs score members on performance dimensions, and supporting comments are expected to explain marks above or below standard. Supervisors often ask members to draft support for their own reviews.

The EER is used for more than a single conversation with a supervisor. Marks and comments shape advancement eligibility, assignments, and how a member is seen across the service. Members who understand how each dimension is judged can give their supervisor focused, accurate input instead of a long list of everything they did during the period.

How Coast Guard EER writing differs

Coast Guard writing is practical and mission-focused. Many members split time between operations, such as search and rescue or law enforcement, and day-to-day maintenance or admin work, and good EER comments capture both.

The dimensions include Performance of Duties, Professional Qualities, Leadership Skills, and Representing the Coast Guard. Compared with Navy evals, EER comments rely less on peer rankings and more on behaviors that justify the mark in each dimension.

Because EERs come around regularly and are tied to advancement, consistency matters across reporting periods. A member who keeps brief notes after each case, qualification, or collateral duty gives the supervisor real material instead of a vague memory. Those notes also make it easier to show growth from one review to the next, which is exactly what marking officials look for when deciding whether a mark should move up.

How to use MilPath for your EER

1. In the Bullet Generator, choose USCG and the EER Bullet format.
2. Select the dimension you are supporting, such as Leadership Skills or Representing the Coast Guard.
3. Describe the specific behavior or result, then generate.
4. Check that the comment justifies the mark you expect.
5. Give the draft to your supervisor for the rating chain.

Before and after examples

Illustrative only. All names, units, and numbers are fictional.

• Before: Good at his boat crew job.

  After: Served as crewmember on 22 fictional search and rescue cases, assisting 31 mariners and qualifying as coxswain trainee 2 months early.

• Before: Helps out in the community.

  After: Taught boating safety to 150 local students, representing the station at 4 community events.

• Before: Took charge when needed.

  After: Led a 5-member maintenance team in the supervisor's absence, completing 40 overdue jobs and returning a small boat to service.

• Before: Good at paperwork.

  After: Cleared a fictional backlog of 60 training records in 3 weeks, bringing the unit's readiness data current before its inspection.

Tips

• Match each comment to a single dimension.
• Include operational and support work; both count.
• Use counts of cases, hours, or qualifications where you can verify them.
• Keep comments factual so they hold up during review.
• Write support for marks below standard just as carefully as for high marks; clear, fair wording helps the member understand what to improve next period.
• Mention collateral duties, such as training petty officer or safety representative, when they show leadership beyond your rate.

Frequently asked questions

Does MilPath support Coast Guard officer reports?

Not yet. MilPath currently supports the Coast Guard EER only.

Which dimensions can I write for?

Performance of Duties, Professional Qualities, Leadership Skills, and Representing the Coast Guard.

Can MilPath set my marks?

No. Marks are decided by your rating chain.

Is MilPath official?

No. MilPath is independent and not affiliated with the Coast Guard, DHS, or DoD.