Military Reference Letter: 7 Samples and What to Include
By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published · Updated
11 min read
A military reference letter is a signed letter from someone who has watched the applicant work, written for a military board, a recruiter or a service academy, or from a military supervisor for a veteran's next job or school. The constraint is that boards read many of them, so the letter has to name the rank, the unit, the time you supervised the person and one thing they did, in plain words. Packet checklists say who should write it: the New York Army National Guard asks warrant officer applicants for a "Recommendation from CW3 to CW5 who holds the MOS, the soldier is requesting." MOS means military occupational specialty, the soldier's job field. Below are seven complete letters, tagged by level and including an Air Force recommendation letter,, for joining, moving up and leaving. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.
Somebody handed you a packet checklist with one line on it that says letter of recommendation, and now you are holding a pen over a blank page while the person it is about stands three feet away pretending not to watch.
Sample 1: commander's letter of recommendation for OCS
A commander's letter is short, formal and specific. The Washington Military Department's Pre-OCS checklist lists a "CDR’s Letter of Recommendation" and treats it as one item among the scores and forms, so it has to add what the forms cannot: judgment and leadership seen first hand.
Mid level: company commander recommending a sergeant for Officer Candidate School (180 words)
MEMORANDUM FOR Officer Candidate School Selection Board
SUBJECT: Letter of Recommendation for SGT Daniel Okafor
1. I recommend SGT Daniel Okafor for Officer Candidate School without reservation. I have been his company commander for 18 months, and he has served as a team leader and then as acting squad leader in my company during that time.
2. When his platoon sergeant left mid rotation, SGT Okafor ran the squad for four months, including the planning of two field exercises and the weekly training schedule. His squad passed every individual weapons qualification on the first attempt, and two of his soldiers were selected for promotion boards on his recommendation.
3. He briefs clearly, accepts correction without argument and corrects his own soldiers in private. He has finished two college courses at night during this period and keeps his soldiers' counseling current.
4. He is ready to lead a platoon. I rank him in the top two of the eight noncommissioned officers I rate.
5. The point of contact for this memorandum is the undersigned at (555) 210-4471.
CPT Laura Henning Commanding
Sample 2: warrant officer letter from a senior warrant officer
The warrant officer letter is the one boards read for technical depth. The writer is a senior warrant officer in the field the soldier is applying for, so the letter should sound like one specialist judging another.
Senior: CW4 recommending a staff sergeant for a technical warrant officer specialty (153 words)
MEMORANDUM FOR Warrant Officer Selection Board
SUBJECT: Letter of Recommendation for SSG Rebecca Lindgren
1. I am a CW4 in the specialty SSG Lindgren is applying for, and I have supervised her technical work for two years in our battalion's network section.
2. SSG Lindgren rebuilt the battalion's tactical network plan before our last major exercise, documented every change and trained six junior soldiers to restore service without her. During the exercise the network held through two site moves, and she was the person the staff called first when something failed.
3. She reads the regulations before she asks, writes clear technical instructions and tells me when she does not know an answer. Those are the habits I look for in a warrant officer.
4. I recommend her for appointment as a warrant officer in this specialty and would request her for my own section.
CW4 Thomas Achebe Battalion Network Technician (555) 318-2290
Who asks for a military reference letter, and who should write it
Four situations account for most requests, and each one has a different right author.
- Officer Candidate School. The company commander writes it, as in Sample 1, not a friend with a higher rank.
- Warrant officer packets. The New York Army National Guard warrant officer page says the "Soldier's current Company Commander will submit a Letter of Recommendation", and technical applicants add the letter from a chief warrant officer (CW3 to CW5) quoted above.
- Service academies and nominations. The Naval Academy tells candidates: "It is recommended that you submit your letter of application for nominations immediately after you complete your preliminary application." Many congressional offices also ask for recommendation letters from teachers, coaches or employers with that application, so check your member's list.
- Veterans leaving the service. A former platoon leader, first sergeant or division officer writes a reference for a civilian employer or a university, and translates the military work into words that reader understands.
Whatever the case, the letter answers the same four questions: how you know the person, for how long and in what role, what they did, and whether you would serve with them again.
Sample 3: character reference for an enlistment applicant
Applicants who need a waiver, or who have little work history, are sometimes asked by their recruiter for character references. The best ones come from an employer, teacher or coach who saw the person turn up, take instruction and finish the job.
Entry level: employer reference for a young adult enlisting in the Army (158 words)
October 7, 2026
To the U.S. Army Recruiting Station, Fairview
I am the manager of Harbor Lane Hardware and I have employed Jordan Vasquez as a stock associate since June 2025, about 25 hours a week alongside his last year of high school.
Jordan has not missed a scheduled shift without notice. He unloads the Tuesday delivery, checks it against the invoice and reports shortages to me before the driver leaves. Last winter he trained two new associates on the stockroom system, and both still work for me.
I know he made a poor decision two years ago, and he told me about it himself before I hired him. Since then I have trusted him with the store keys for early deliveries, and he has never given me a reason to doubt that.
I recommend him for enlistment. Please call me at (555) 744-0183 if you would like to talk.
Sincerely,
Maria Delgado Store Manager, Harbor Lane Hardware
Sample 4: recommendation for a service academy or ROTC applicant
A teacher, coach or JROTC instructor writes this letter for a high school student. It should show leadership with numbers, not character with adjectives.
Entry level: JROTC instructor recommending a student for a service academy nomination (150 words)
October 7, 2026
Dear Nomination Committee,
I am the senior Army instructor at Westbrook High School, and I have taught and supervised Aaliyah Brooks for three years in our JROTC program.
As cadet battalion executive officer this year, Aaliyah plans the training calendar for 140 cadets and runs the weekly staff meeting. She built the tutoring program that pairs older cadets with freshmen struggling in math, and she still tutors two of them herself.
She takes the hardest classes our school offers, competes on the cross country team, and asks for feedback after every drill competition. When her team lost the regional, she wrote the after action review herself.
I have recommended many cadets over the years. Aaliyah is the one I would most want leading soldiers. I recommend her for a nomination without reservation.
Sincerely,
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Graham Whitlock Senior Army Instructor, Westbrook High School JROTC (555) 402-8816
Sample 5: military supervisor's reference for a veteran's civilian job
Civilian hiring managers do not read ranks or unit names fluently. A good military reference letter for a veteran translates: the number of people, the value of the equipment, the deadlines and the result, in civilian words.
Mid level: former platoon sergeant recommending a veteran for a logistics supervisor job (150 words)
October 7, 2026
Dear Hiring Manager,
I was Marcus Bell's platoon sergeant for three years in an Army transportation company, and I am writing to recommend him for the logistics supervisor role at your distribution center.
Marcus supervised a team of nine drivers and mechanics and was responsible for 14 trucks and their loads. He planned daily delivery routes, kept the maintenance schedule current and signed for equipment worth several million dollars without a single item lost during my time as his supervisor.
What I valued most was his calm when plans changed late. When a convoy route closed the night before a delivery, he rebuilt the schedule, briefed his drivers and still delivered on time.
He leaves the Army with an honorable discharge and the habits a warehouse floor needs. I would hire him myself. Call me at (555) 615-3307 any time.
Sincerely,
Kevin Ramirez Sergeant First Class (Retired)
Sample 6: commanding officer's letter for a veteran applying to graduate school
Admissions committees want academic potential and leadership. The officer should compare the veteran with the other officers or sailors they have led, because a ranking is the one comparison a committee cannot get anywhere else.
Senior: former commanding officer recommending a Navy veteran for an MBA program (147 words)
October 7, 2026
Dear Admissions Committee,
I commanded a guided missile destroyer for two years, and Lieutenant Hannah Moreau served as my supply officer for that entire period. I am writing to recommend her for your MBA program.
Hannah ran a department of 22 sailors and managed the ship's supply budget, inventory and food service through a seven month deployment. She introduced a weekly inventory review that cut our parts backlog and briefed me on it in two pages every Friday.
Among the 18 officers I commanded on that ship, I rank her in the top three for judgment and written communication. She asks precise questions and puts the answer to work the next day.
She is ready for graduate study and for the leadership roles that follow it. I am happy to speak with the committee at (555) 290-6614.
Sincerely,
Captain Robert Ellison, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Sample 7: Air Force recommendation letter for Officer Training School
An Air Force recommendation letter follows the same rules as the Army letters above, with Air Force words. The writer names the applicant's Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC, the Air Force version of an MOS), the squadron, and how long they have rated the airman. Enlisted airmen applying for Officer Training School usually ask their squadron commander, and civilian applicants ask a professor or employer; the recruiter confirms which letters the packet needs, so ask before anyone writes.
Mid level: squadron commander recommending a staff sergeant for Air Force Officer Training School (197 words)
MEMORANDUM FOR OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL SELECTION BOARD
FROM: 22nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Commander
SUBJECT: Letter of Recommendation for SSgt Marcus D. Bell
1. I have commanded SSgt Bell for 20 months. He is a 2T2 air transportation craftsman and the shift lead for 11 airmen in our aerial port section.
2. During a short notice deployment surge this year, SSgt Bell built the load plan that moved 46 pallets of cargo across three days without a single frustrated load. He briefed the plan to the wing leadership himself and answered every question without notes.
3. He finished his bachelor's degree in supply chain management while working rotating shifts, and he runs the squadron's study group for airmen working toward their Community College of the Air Force degree. Four of his airmen finished that degree this year.
4. Of the 31 staff sergeants in my squadron, SSgt Bell is my number one. He already leads like an officer: he plans, he explains why, and he takes the blame when it goes wrong.
5. I recommend him for Officer Training School without reservation. Point of contact is the undersigned at DSN 555-0142.
ERIN K. HOLLOWAY, Lt Col, USAF Commander
What every military reference letter should include
- Your rank, role and relationship. Say how long you supervised the person and in what job.
- One specific result. A qualification rate, a field exercise, a network rebuild or a deployment, with the size of the team or equipment.
- A comparison if you have one. Top two of eight, or top three of 18, tells a board more than outstanding.
- A clear recommendation. Use the words "I recommend" and name the program, school or job.
- Contact details. A phone number and an offer to talk.
Use memorandum format when the letter goes into a military packet, and a normal business letter for civilian employers and schools. Keep it to one page either way.
What to leave out
- Classified details, operational locations and anything about other service members' discipline.
- Acronyms a civilian reader will not know. Write supply officer, not the abbreviation.
- Praise you cannot back with something you saw.
- Rank language that sounds like an order. The board decides; you recommend.
If you are leaving the service and need the documents that go with the letter, the military to civilian resume guide shows how to translate duties, and the veteran resume page has a full sample. For letters outside the military, the reference letter guide and the character reference letter samples follow the same rules, and the reference letter examples cover other jobs.
Frequently asked questions
What do you write in a military letter of recommendation?
Your rank, role and how long you supervised the applicant, then one or two specific things they did with the size of the team or the result. Add a comparison with others you rate if you can, a clear sentence that you recommend them for the program by name, and your contact details.
Who should write a military reference letter?
The person the packet names. OCS packets usually want the company commander, and technical warrant officer packets add a senior warrant officer in the specialty. For enlistment, academies or a veteran's civilian job, choose someone who supervised the applicant directly for months, not the highest rank you know.
How long should a military reference letter be?
One page. Military boards read many packets, so a commander's memorandum of four or five numbered paragraphs is normal. A letter for a civilian employer or university can run three to five short paragraphs, around 150 to 250 words, as long as each paragraph adds a fact.
Should a military recommendation letter use memorandum format?
Use memorandum format when the letter goes into a military packet, such as OCS or warrant officer applications, because that is how the board expects to read it. For civilian employers, colleges and nomination committees, use a normal business letter with a greeting and a signature block, and avoid unexplained acronyms.
Who writes an Air Force recommendation letter?
For Officer Training School, an enlisted airman usually asks the squadron commander, and a civilian applicant asks a professor or a current employer. For the Air Force Academy or ROTC, teachers, coaches and JROTC instructors write. Pick the person who rated or taught the applicant longest, and confirm the list with the recruiter.
Can a civilian write a reference letter for someone joining the military?
Yes. Employers, teachers, coaches and JROTC instructors often write references for enlistment, ROTC or academy applicants. They should say how they know the applicant, for how long, and what they saw: attendance, responsibility, how the person handled a mistake. Ask the recruiter or nomination office who they prefer.
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