the  collection  of  information  in  their  records.  It is also needed to help supervise those officers more closely and to establish a basis on which they may be   considered   for   postgraduate   schooling   and other training. In addition to the foregoing, regular detach- ment   reports   on   all   officers   are   submitted upon  their  permanent  detachment  or  upon  the permanent detachment of their regular reporting seniors. Submission of fitness reports for brief periods isn’t  needed.  The  intent  is  for  fitness  reports  to cover all time in a duty status. Therefore, to help administer the reports and avoid their needless submission,   the   person   filing   the   report   may modify   the   prescribed   reporting   periods   as follows  : A  reporting  senior  may  extend  a periodic report for a maximum of 60 days on either end of the period involved when either  the  officer  on  which  the  report  is being filed or the reporting senior reports for  duty  before  or  is  detached  after  the period  to  be  extended.  For  example,  a commander  who  reports  for  duty  on  12 May  1990  and  whose  regular  reporting senior is detached on 21 June 1990 could properly receive only one report of fitness for  the  entire  period  beginning  12  May 1990.  A  reporting  senior  who  is  being detached, however, must submit a fitness report  on  every  officer  who  is  aboard  as of the day of the reporting senior’s detach- ment,  regardless  of  how  brief  a  period  may be  involved. When  an  officer  reports  on  board  for temporary  duty  for  purposes  of  brief- ings, training, indoctrination, or awaiting further transportation for a period not to exceed  30  days,  the  period  involved  and nature of assigned duties often prevent a meaningful evaluation. In such instances, the temporary duty reporting senior need not submit a fitness report. However, the temporary  duty  reporting  senior  must ensure that both the officer concerned and the  ultimate  command  are  advised  that  no report  has  been  or  will  be  submitted  for such   period.   Additionally,   the   ultimate command  must  be  provided  all  training information to record in the next regular report. The ultimate command must cover the  temporary  duty,  as  well  as  other transient time, in the next regular report. Preparation of Fitness Reports The   importance   of   keeping   the   records   of officers   continuously   complete   in   all   respects requires  prompt  submission  of  the  report. Officers’ fitness report files should contain a complete  and  continuous  record  of  all  the  time spent in an active-duty status. The period of the report should begin with the day after the terminal date  of  the  last  report  or  the  date  officers  were detached  from  their  last  duty  station.  Time between stations spent in transit, on leave, in the hospital, or on inactive duty should be shown in the  report.  The  reporting  senior’s  marks  and remarks  are  limited  to  the  period  during  which officers  were  under  the  senior’s  command. Commanding officers frequently require their executive  officers  and  department  heads  to  report to  them  on  the  performance  of  officers  serving under  their  supervision.  Commanding  officers  use these reports in making reports on the fitness of officers  under  their  command.  They  do  not  for- ward  these  reports  to  the  Chief  of  Naval Personnel. After  a  naval  action  or  campaign  and  after service  on  shore  with  an  expeditionary  force  or force  of  occupation,  an  entry  is  made  on  each participating  officer’s  next  fitness  report.  The entry states the kinds of services performed and gives the dates and names of any engagements in which  the  officer  took  part. Officers in the grades of chief warrant officer (CWO-2)  and  ensign  through  lieutenant  must, except in unusual circumstances, sign the record copy regardless of the report content. The report must  be  signed  in  ink  by  both  the  officer  being evaluated  and  the  reporting  senior. Officers in the grades of CWO-3 and CWO-4 and lieutenant commander through captain may be given counseling about the report upon request. However, reports shall not be shown to them as a  matter  of  routine.  When  the  report  has  been discussed but not shown to the officer, the words REPORT  DISCUSSED  are  typed  in  section  82 of  both  the  OCR  form  and  record  copies  of  the report. Reporting seniors will show fitness reports to officers  in  the  grades  of  CWO-2  and  ensign through  lieutenant.  This  action  will  be  accom- panied  by  personal  counseling.  A  frank  and meaningful  discussion  and  explanation  of  the report must be conducted so that the officers may fully  understand  their  performance. 3-10