If the member desires to make a statement, the command provides reasonable access to reference material and clerical assistance on request. Upon receipt of the member’s statement, the commanding officer and, if desired, the reporting senior endorse and forward it to BUPERS  along  with  the  report.  Such correspondence  should  not  be  signed  “By direction.” When the service member does not desire to make a statement, the evaluation report is filed in the field service record without further action. Petty Officers Second Class and Above. —In the case of a petty officer second class and above, refer an adverse evaluation report to the member for comment. The member should then respond, in writing, as to whether he or she desires to submit a statement or comment to the report. The member does that by marking Desired or Not Desired as appropriate on the evaluation form in block 44. If the member states he or she desires to make a statement, the evaluation report is held awaiting completion of the statement by the member. The report is held for 15 days, or longer if an extension is requested by the member and granted. The command must provide the member reasonable access to reference material and clerical assistance on request. The commanding officer and, if desired, the reporting senior sign the member’s statement. Again, such correspondence should not be signed “By direction.” If the member does not desire to make a statement, the report is forwarded to BUPERS. Signature of Member The member must sign the performance evaluation report.   As previously stated, the member’s signature does not indicate concurrence with the contents of the report. It indicates the member has reviewed the report and acknow- ledged his or her rights under article 1122 of Navy Regulations. It also indicates the member has been given the opportunity to make a statement in connection with the report. Sometimes you may not be able to obtain a member’s signature on the performance evalua- tion report for the following reasons: 1. The member dies before he or she has the opportunity to sign the report. 2. The member is not mentally or physically capable of signing the report. 3. The member is a deserter. (Unauthorized absence [UA] of short duration is not sufficient cause for failing to obtain the member’s signature. ) 4. The member refuses to sign the report. 5. The member is unexpectedly assigned to a deterrent patrol. In those instances, the reporting command forwards the appropriate copies under a cover letter giving the reason why the member’s signature could not be obtained. Changes and Corrections Changes or corrections to an evaluation report of petty officers third class and below require two conditions. First, the report must have been completed during the member’s current enlist- ment. Second, the reporting senior or the commanding officer who changes it must have been serving as the commanding officer on the closing date of the report. If a change or correction takes place, the appropriate service record change will be reflected. However, the change will not be used to recompute a person’s performance mark average for advancement or eligibility for a special program. Evaluation reports of petty officers second class and above are considered final when submitted to BUPERS. You may not retrieve the reports for destruction, change, or correction. You may request correction of minor admini- strative or typographical errors or omissions after report submission by submitting a letter to BUPERS. That letter will become a permanent part of the member’s service record. Supplemental Reports If you need to reassess a member’s per- formance, complete a supplemental report. The reporting senior or the commanding officer signs the supplemental report. Include a cover letter stating the reason for submission with the supplemental report. BUPERS will not accept a supplement to a report more than 2 years old. A supplemental report does not replace the original report. If a member desires to have the original report removed, he or she must petition the Board for Corrections of Naval Records. As before, the supplemental report will not be used to compute performance mark averages for 2-17