The attorneys at Mangan Law are prepared to defend your career against career-ending administrative letters of reprimand.

GOMORs and Similar Letters

Each armed service uses a similar kind of non-judicial administrative action intended to derail a servicemember’s career. In the Army, they’re called GOMORs, which stands for General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand. In the other armed services, these are variously called Letters of Reprimand, Letters of Counseling, Letters of Admonishment, and Letters of Censure. These instruments are highly similar but have a few key differences.

We’ll focus on the Army’s GOMORs for the purpose of this page, but bear in mind that the experts at Mangan Law can help defend your career against Letters of Reprimand, Letters of Counseling, Letters of Censure, and Letters of Admonishment in the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force as well.

What makes a GOMOR different from a Letter of Reprimand?

Any commander can exercise their inherent disciplinary authority to admonish a Soldier or officer by issuing a letter of reprimand. Only a General Officer can issue a GOMOR.

What regulation authorizes general officers to issue GOMORs?

In the Army, Army Regulation (AR) 600-37, “Unfavorable Information,” Chapter 3 discusses the filing of unfavorable information in a Soldier’s Army Military Human Resources Record (AMHRR).

What rights do I have in the GOMOR process?

Not many. Soldiers have the following rights:

  • The opportunity to review the documentation that serves as the basis for the proposed filing. Personally identifying information (PII) like social security numbers and home addresses will be redacted from the packet provided to the Soldier, but redactions should be minimal to ensure the Soldier is afforded full due process rights.
  • A reasonable amount of time to make a written statement in response. This statement can include evidence that rebuts, explains, or mitigates the allegations. 

Filing Determinations

There are two filing options: (1) filing in the performance portion of the AMHRR and (2) local filing. Commanders do not have the option to file a GOMOR in the restricted portion of the AMHRR. Para 3-5 of AR 600-37, titled “Filing of nonpunitive administrative memoranda of reprimand, admonition, or censure” discusses GOMORS in more detail.

The requirements for a locally-filed reprimand are less strict. Any commander in the Soldier’s chain of command – your company commander, your battalion commander, your brigade commander- may locally file a reprimand regardless of their rank. 

The reason “GOMORs” are so significant is that only general officers possess the authority, under AR 600-37, para 3-5b, to permanently file a letter of reprimand in a Soldier’s AMHRR. The GO directing the filing must exercise some kind of jurisdiction over the Soldier; for example, serves as the General Court-Martial Convening Authority (GCMCA), or serves as the Soldier’s commander, or is the Commander of HRC.

Why do commanders use GOMORs?

The simple answer: they’re an easy and fast alternative to courts-martial, Article 15s, and administrative separation boards. Usually, commanders want to take the path of least resistance to remove servicemembers from their ranks. GOMORs are a low-threat, low-risk way of punishing servicemembers and damaging their careers, even if legally they don’t technically qualify as “punishment.” Soldiers have little due process and few avenues for challenging or appealing GOMORs. These GOMORs then lead to referred OERs and NCOERS, QMPs, and show cause boards. The GOMOR itself won’t immediately lead to your involuntary discharge, but it can start the process to administratively terminate your military service.

This does not mean that you should just roll over and take a GOMOR. You can still beat a GOMOR, or at least get it locally filled. The experts at Mangan Law routinely secure local filings or even total rescissions of GOMORS and other reprimands.

Why does everyone pronounce it GOMAR instead of GOMOR?

Nobody knows.

What’s the best way to fight a GOMOR?

It depends on the facts of your case. The only person who can tell you the best way to fight your GOMOR is an experienced military defense attorney. If you are weighing how you should respond to a GOMOR, we encourage you to reach out to us for a consultation.

In our experience, it is rare for servicemembers to be able to put together persuasive rebuttals without the assistance of an experienced attorney, partly because they lack the inside knowledge that we have as attorneys who have advised Commanding Generals on these matters in the past. If you try to DIY this process, you may inadvertently end your military career.

A strong rebuttal is a carefully crafted, strategic document. The experts at Mangan Law can help you put together a persuasive case that locally filing, or even rescinding, a GOMOR is the most lawful, ethical, and efficient course of action for a General Officer concerned with protecting good order and discipline. Hiring an attorney allows you to advance arguments that you, yourself, may not be able to make.

Additionally, when attorneys are involved, the tone of the conversation shifts. Thousands and thousands of GOMORs are rubberstamped every year. When an experienced attorney prepares a compelling case against a GOMOR, a General Office who would have otherwise filed it permanently is forced to carefully consult with his legal advisor and give consideration to your legal arguments. You can’t pick up the phone and talk candidly about their cases with the Commanding General’s top lawyer… but your lawyer can.

Do I need to hire a civilian attorney to fight a GOMOR?

You do not need to hire a civilian attorney, but a free consultation costs you nothing. At a minimum, you should check in with your local JAG attorney at TDS, ADC, or DSO, then read our page on whether hiring a civilian attorney is the right decision for you [hyperlink]. Time is of the essence, however, so you should not delay in reaching out to consult with us if you are interested in hiring a civilian attorney.

Can a GOMOR trigger a bad OER/NCOER?

Yes. For more information, see our page on OER and NCOER Appeals [hyperlinked].

Can a GOMOR trigger a QMP?

Yes. For more information, see our page on Involuntary Separation Proceedings [hyperlinked].

Can I appeal a GOMOR after it’s been permanently filed?

Yes. We will use the Army’s process as an example.

Soldiers can ask the Department of the Army Suitability Evaluation Board (DASEB) to remove the GOMOR. This requires clear and convincing evidence that the information in the GOMOR is either untrue or unjust. This is an uphill battle, but it is possible to remove a GOMOR using this method.

Alternatively, Soldiers can request the DASEB transfer their GOMOR to their restricted folder. These appeals must include evidence of the following:

  • The intended purpose of the GOMOR has been served.
  • The Soldier has received at least one evaluation report (not academic) since the GOMOR was filed.
  • The transfer is in the best interest of the Army.
  • The Soldier’s chain of command at the time of the imposition and/or imposing authority support the transfer in the form of a memorandum.

Transferring the GOMOR to the restricted folder limits a GOMOR’s career-damaging impacts. However, there are still cases in which boards may access your restricted folder. Therefore, it’s important to do everything you can to prevent a GOMOR from being permanently filed in the first instance. For more information, visit our page on Military Records Correction Requests.


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