Staff sergeants and senior noncommissioned officers who are selected for involuntary separation or early retirement by Qualitative Management Program panels that meet later this year will be required to leave service no later than seven months after the QMP list is approved by Pentagon officials.

Regular Army and Active Guard and Reserve NCOs who have derogatory information placed in their official personnel file can expect to be evaluated for possible separation by boards that meet during the second, third and fourth quarters of 2016.

The QMP, unlike the Qualitative Service Program, is not a drawdown tool, but a quality-control process normally held in conjunction with Regular Army and Active Guard and Reserve senior NCO promotion boards.

Soldiers who are selected for involuntary separation under QMP do not qualify for the Temporary Early Authority, the drawdown program known as the 15-year early retirement option.

However, they may qualify for half severance pay if they do not meet the length of service requirements for a regular retirement.

During the coming year QMP evaluations will be made by boards that meet in conjunction with the annual master sergeant promotion board scheduled for March 1-25, the sergeant first class board that meets June 1-July 1 and the sergeant major board slated for Sept. 7-23.

Soldiers are subject to QMP processing and possible involuntary separation when derogatory information related to events that occurred in their current grade are placed in the performance or restricted section of their official file, which is called the Army Military Human Resource Record.

While documents that can trigger a QMP screening are limited to events that occurred in a soldier's current grade, the board review process will include a soldier's entire personnel file, including documents related to events and issues from earlier in the career.

× Fear of missing out? Sign up for the Army Times Daily News Roundup to receive the top Army stories every afternoon. Thanks for signing up. By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Army Times Daily News Roundup.

Documents that can trigger a QMP review include letters of reprimand, military justice convictions and punishments, adverse evaluation reports and failure to qualify for promotion consideration because the soldier did not complete the appropriate NCO Education course.

Soldiers have the option of submitting mitigating information to the board president regarding the event or circumstances that underlie the QMP referral.

Here are some additional details about the QMP process based on information provided by the Human Resources Command: