Publication index
AR 15-6
Procedures for Preliminary Inquiries, Administrative Investigations, and Boards of Officers
AR 15-6 governs preliminary inquiries, administrative investigations, and boards of officers -- the process behind almost every commander-directed investigation. The 2025 revision reorganized the procedures and added the preliminary inquiry to the title. If you are appointed as an investigating officer, read it before you interview anyone.
Open the official record- Type
- AR
- Edition verified
- June 2025
- Used in
- Staff & Admin
What to take from it
- Covers preliminary inquiries, informal and formal investigations, and boards of officers.
- The appointing authority sets the scope in writing; the investigating officer stays inside it.
- Findings must be supported by a preponderance of the evidence, and recommendations must follow the findings.
- Supersedes AR 15-6 dated 1 April 2016; verify the current edition before starting an investigation.
These points are our summary, written for recall. They are not a substitute for the publication and they will not cover everything a board can ask. Read the source.