An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN THE NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS | Oct. 25, 2018

USARC picks up data correctness mantle from OCAR

By Grace Robbins Integrated Personnel and Pay System - Army

To ensure that the U.S. Army Reserve Component transitions accurate data into the Integrated Personnel and Pay System - Army, a multitasked, multifunctional team at U.S. Army Reserve Command is continuing the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve team’s data correctness campaign. The USARC data correctness effort comprises Troop Program Unit (TPU) officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers on Active Duty Operational Support, Reserve Component (ADOS-RC orders), working in one of four teams—Operations, Systems, Staff Assistance Visit (SAV), and Data Correctness—with overall oversight provided by a USAR project lead.

Each member has specific duties aligned with his/her team, although at any time any team member may be called upon to perform any task within the data correctness campaign or IPPS-A mission. 

• The project lead oversees all functions, team operations, and coordination within the USARC IPPS-A team.
• The operations team assists the project lead in developing products, coordinating and collaborating with counterparts, including OCAR, in development.
• The systems team manages access to reserve systems such as the Reserve Component Manpower System (RCMS) and conducts and schedules online training for the Electronic Soldier Record Brief (eSRB).
• The staff assistance visit (SAV) team conducts all aspects of updating an Automated Record Brief (ARB), briefing command teams, and training command selected personnel within the Geographic and Functional Commands. 
• The data correctness team supports the ADOS-RC Soldiers providing data correctness support at command level.

One significant effort that is currently taking place at command level involves the ADOS-RC Soldiers assigned to support the data correctness campaign. Soldiers assigned to the commands have been put on active orders to conduct ARB updates, certification, and training to improve the overall percentage of record completion.

This effort involves USARC funding and conducting a four-day eSRB resident course and a three-day Train the Trainer (T3) resident course, once a month at the Training Support Center (TSC), Fort Bragg, N.C. The team also conducts a bimonthly online eSRB/Record Review Tool (RRT) course and eSRB training during Interactive Personnel Electronic Records Management System (iPERMS) courses at Fort Carson and command locations. In addition, the IPPS-A team schedules staff assisted visits at the command location to brief senior leadership and conduct necessary training.

The OCAR Crystal City team visited nine commands. To date, the USARC team has provided training and assistance to the 200th Military Police Command, 108th Training Command, 412th Theater Engineer Command, 1st Mission Support Command, 377th Theater Support Command, and the 416th Theater Engineer Command. The SAV schedule below shows completed and scheduled visits to the commands. 

However, it is important to keep in mind that validating Soldier records is an ongoing process. For example, when a Soldier joins the Army that record needs to be viewed, validated, and certified, at a minimum, on an annual basis. 

The USARC team advises all Soldiers to immediately and consistently update and maintain accurate data in their ARB. Effective Jan.1, 2018, all selection boards require a certified and validated record brief, in accordance with Department of the Army Memorandum dated Sep. 17, 2017. Soldiers who do not maintain a valid record brief risk their promotions not happening in a timely manner. A Soldier should update any changes that may affect their pay or status (address changes, marriage, the birth of a child, change of civilian occupation, and education, etc.) in his/her permanent record. After the Soldier completes the updates and reviews them, the HR professional certifies them, and then the Soldier must validate the ARB data in his/her record. Soldiers’ records are uploaded in iPERMS and the information is stored in the USAR data warehouse, which prevents the possibility of data loss. 

To prepare for the transition to IPPS-A, all USAR Commands must have the trained Human Resources personnel necessary to maintain Soldiers’ ARBs and the ability to accurately identify and sustain combat readiness. LTG Charles D. Luckey, U.S. Army Reserve Commanding General and Chief, Army Reserve stated, “This team needs to embrace the culture of being able to fight fast, of being ready. Being ready for combat has to be fundamental to what America’s Army Reserve is doing to build capability for the Army.”