NAVPERS 1421/7 is the Navy form that delivers a temporary or permanent appointment to a commissioned officer or warrant officer on promotion, records the officer’s acceptance and oath of office, and routes the signed original to Navy Personnel Command (PERS-806), 5720 Integrity Drive, Millington, TN 38055-0806.1MyNavy HR. NAVPERS 1421/7 Delivery of Appointment Form The current revision is available through the MyNavy HR forms library. Getting it right the first time avoids pay delays and seniority disputes.
What the Form Contains
The document has three parts that must be completed in order. First is the commanding officer’s letter to the appointee, formally delivering the appointment. Second is the officer’s First Endorsement, where the appointee accepts or declines and takes the oath. Third is the commanding officer’s forwarding endorsement to PERS-806, confirming delivery and administration of the oath.1MyNavy HR. NAVPERS 1421/7 Delivery of Appointment Form Skip or mishandle any section and the whole document gets kicked back.
Filling In the Commanding Officer’s Section
The top of the form takes three references and several specific data points. Reference (a) is the promotion authority, typically the NAVADMIN message announcing the promotion. References (b) and (c) are the statutory provisions under which the appointment is made, usually sections of Title 10 of the U.S. Code.1MyNavy HR. NAVPERS 1421/7 Delivery of Appointment Form Copy the NAVADMIN number and date exactly. A transposed digit in the message number creates confusion all the way down the line.
The body of the letter records whether the appointment is temporary or permanent, the specific grade (Lieutenant Commander, Captain, and so on), the date of rank, and the effective date. The date of rank sets seniority against peers promoted in the same cycle. The effective date is when the new pay grade begins. They are frequently different, and confusing them is one of the most common errors on the form. Cross-check both against the NAVADMIN before anyone signs.
The appointee’s name goes on the “To” line. If you cannot find the NAVADMIN for this officer, stop; without that reference the appointment cannot legally be delivered.
The First Endorsement and the Oath
Paragraph 1 of the First Endorsement is the appointee’s action. The officer marks whether they accept or decline. On acceptance, the officer takes the oath of office, signs, and dates the endorsement.3MyNavy HR. NAVPERS 1421/7 Delivery of Appointment Form
“I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 3331 – Oath of Office
An officer who declines writes “decline” in the same paragraph, signs, and dates. The form still goes forward to PERS-806 so the declination is officially recorded.
Who Can Administer the Oath
Federal law limits who can administer the oath. Under 10 U.S.C. § 1031, the authorized officials are the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, any commissioned officer, and any other person the Secretary of Defense designates by regulation.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1031 – Administration of Oath “Any commissioned officer” is not limited to active duty or to a single branch. A Marine Corps colonel or a Coast Guard commander can administer a Navy promotion oath.
Civilian notaries are not listed. Unless a notary has been specifically designated under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, they lack authority to administer this oath.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1031 – Administration of Oath Confirm the person administering the oath holds a valid commission before the ceremony. Using an unauthorized official means redoing the ceremony from scratch.
When the Appointment Cannot Be Delivered Yet
Even after a name appears on a promotion list, several conditions can hold up the appointment. Under 10 U.S.C. § 624(d), a promotion may be delayed when:
- Sworn charges have been received by a general court-martial authority and are unresolved.
- An investigation is underway to determine whether disciplinary action should be brought.
- A board of officers has been convened to review the officer’s record.
- A federal or state criminal case is pending against the officer.
- Substantiated adverse information material to the promotion decision is under review by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Navy.
- Credible adverse information is likely to trigger a special selection review board.
A promotion can also be delayed if there is cause to believe the officer is mentally, physically, morally, or professionally unqualified for the higher grade.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 624 – Promotions: How Made If any of these apply, hold the form until the situation is resolved.
Where to Send the Completed Form
With all three sections signed, the original goes to Navy Personnel Command at the address printed on the form:
Navy Personnel Command (PERS-806)
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055-08061MyNavy HR. NAVPERS 1421/7 Delivery of Appointment Form
The form notes it may be mailed in a window envelope. One copy goes to the appointee for personal records.1MyNavy HR. NAVPERS 1421/7 Delivery of Appointment Form Keep that copy somewhere safe. It is proof of rank between the day the original goes in the mail and the day the promotion posts to the official record, and it is the fastest way to reconstruct what happened if the original is lost. The printed instructions call for the original to PERS-806 and one copy to the appointee; anything additional is a matter of local command policy.
Fixing Errors After the Form Is Filed
Wrong date of rank, wrong grade, mismatched effective date: these errors cause real pay and seniority problems. Minor administrative corrections may be handled directly through your command and Navy Personnel Command. When routine channels do not resolve the issue, the formal remedy is a petition to the Board for Correction of Naval Records.
The BCNR has authority to change military records to correct an error or remove an injustice.6National Archives. Correcting Military Service Records To file, download and complete DD Form 149, sign it (the Board cannot act without your signature under the Privacy Act), and identify the specific error along with supporting documentation.7MyNavyHR. Board for Corrections of Naval Records Mail the application to:
Board for Correction of Naval Records
701 S. Courthouse Rd, Suite 1001
Arlington, VA 22204-24908Secretary of the Navy. DD Form 149 – Application for Correction of Military Records
Applications generally must be filed within three years of discovering the error, though the Board can waive that deadline when justice requires it.6National Archives. Correcting Military Service Records Strong evidence speeds the process: copies of the original NAVADMIN, the incorrect form, and pay records showing the discrepancy. Do not wait for a date-of-rank error to work itself out. It compounds, and it affects promotion eligibility and retirement calculations down the line.