10/26/2026
COMING SOON: THE DEADLINE
Based on a True Instruction | DAFI 36-2406
It’s more than a narrative. It’s their tomorrow.
The suspense date is approaching. The drafts are piling up. The revisions keep coming. And somewhere, someone is still trying to figure out how to fit an entire year of hard work into 350 characters.
Coming soon to a suspense date near you.
Rated PG for Performance and Growth.
All jokes aside, there’s something important worth remembering when it comes to evaluations.
Behind every evaluation is a person. Not just a rank, a duty title, or a collection of accomplishments. A person who has invested a portion of their life into serving something bigger than themselves.
And while we spend countless hours trying to find the perfect words to describe their performance, we should be spending even more time helping them develop the performance we’re trying to describe.
An evaluation should never be the first time someone learns where they stand.
It shouldn’t be the first time they hear about their strengths, their shortcomings, or the opportunities available to them. Those conversations should be happening throughout the year, long before we’re staring at a suspense date.
Because feedback isn’t something we owe people once a year. It’s something we owe them consistently.
And recognition matters, too.
There are Airmen doing incredible things who may never be the loudest person in the room. People who quietly carry responsibilities, help their teammates, solve problems, and make the mission better without ever asking for recognition.
Part of our responsibility as leaders is making sure their contributions don’t go unnoticed simply because they weren’t the ones telling us about them.
We also have to remember that development isn’t just about preparing someone for their next promotion. It’s about helping them become better at what they do, identifying opportunities they may not see in themselves, and sometimes having the difficult conversations necessary for their growth.
Not every evaluation will be glowing. Not every Airman will be ready for the next level. And that’s okay. Being truthful about someone’s performance is just as important as recognizing their accomplishments.
But honesty without investment isn’t development.
If we’re willing to document someone’s shortcomings, we should be equally willing to help them overcome them.
At the end of the day, the evaluation may be a requirement, but the responsibility we have to the person behind it is much greater.
Because long after the suspense date has passed, the document has been signed, and the evaluation has been filed away, that Airman still has a future ahead of them.
And whether we helped prepare them for it should matter far more than whether we met the deadline.
Don’t just write about their potential. Help them realize it.
Robins Air Force Base
Robins AFB Top 3
Robins Chiefs Group
78th Force Support Squadron, Robins AFB
AFMS - Robins - 78th Medical Group