Command Sergeant Major / Sergeant Major,
I want to thank you for encouraging your Soldiers to become proficient in IPPS-A. Your hard work and dedication to your Soldiers is empowering them. Please continue to support them in HR Universities and whatever low-density Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training they have in your respective footprints.
I want to provide you with some updates, guidance, and resources to share with your units:
Validating Preferred Method of Contact in IPPS-A
On 25 January 2025, IPPS-A began providing Army Training Requirements and Resources System (ATRRS) with the email addresses that Soldiers have identified as their primary or “preferred” addresses in IPPS-A. In the future, this preferred email address will be what ATRRS uses as another avenue for communicating important school notifications.
If your Soldiers wish to add a preferred email address for ATRRS to send reservation notifications to, please have them log into IPPS-A and make sure the right email is entered. (Log into IPPS-A and search for “Personal Details,” select the Contact Details tab, enter/confirm the email address, choose “Preferred,” then save).
Please remind your Soldiers that when these notifications begin, ATRRS notifications may go to the spam folder of their preferred email. These notifications will continue to be sent to their army.mil email.
If they delete the army.mil address in IPPS-A and it is set as their “business” email, their army.mil email will automatically repopulate as the preferred email. Additionally, if a personal email is set as the preferred notification method, just know that address (e.g.,
johndoe123@gmail.com) will show in the routing. Therefore, Soldiers should be careful about what preferred email they decide to use.
Digital Garrison QR Code
Last year, we leveraged Soldier feedback to develop more user-friendly orders produced by IPPS-A. These updates have helped remove unnecessary administrative burdens for Soldiers.
Among these improvements was the addition of a Digital Garrison QR Code to orders. Soldiers can use their mobile devices to scan the code and access more tailored, specific information about their installation. The Digital Garrison app puts real-time information into your Soldiers’ hands and keeps military communities connected, a key part of readiness and resiliency. The app includes real-time news, announcements, gate and facility information, hotlines, and more.
For example, Soldiers going to Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM) will be able to click the Digital Garrison QR code, select Joint Base Lewis-McChord, go to the “Newcomer Guide,” and they will be directed to the installation’s customized website giving Soldiers all the information they need for the installation.
Please encourage your Soldiers to learn and take advantage of this new tool.
Accuracy of Assignment History Data
With previous legacy systems, Soldiers would simply have HR Pros adjust their assignment history (e.g., revocations) if it was not accurate. Because IPPS-A is an integrated system, doing this now could negatively affect a Soldier’s pay and benefits.
Therefore, encourage your Soldiers to ensure their Assignment History, Arrivals, and Departures are reflected accurately in IPPS-A
from the beginning to avoid any issues.
Pay-Absences-Incent-Ded (PAID) and In-Transit Grid (ITG) User Guide
We have released an updated version of the PAID and ITG User Guide. This version includes more accurate and up-to-date information, visuals, and resources, to help your Soldiers navigate PAID tile and ITG actions.
The PAID and ITG User Guide — as well as other valuable resources — can be found at
https://ipps-a.army.mil/Training/Training-Aids/.
Year-Month Available to Move (YMAV)/Service for Analytics and Business Intelligence Reports (SABIR) Update
Please let your Soldiers know that IPPS-A has enhanced
SABIR. Though the assignment end date still displays, it is no longer used as a loss predictor; instead, YMAV data is incorporated into the SABIR strength projection logic. A Soldier is projected as a loss in the month their YMAV will expire.
SABIR also now includes Personnel Management Authorization Document (PMAD) authorizations. The PMAD is used in conjunction with the Updated Authorization Document (UAD) to distribute Army personnel based on Active Component Management Guidance (ACMG), priority of fill, and available inventory. PMAD authorizations enable organizations to view their max fill for any given MOS and Grade combination.
Marketplace
The IPPS-A marketplace for the 26-01 Enlisted Manning Cycle closes
18 March 2025 at 11:59 p.m. GMT.
To input their preferences, they should go to
https://hr.ippsa.army.mil/, go to the Talent Management (TAM) Soldier Workcenter tile, then select “Closed Marketplace Preferences.”
Please encourage your Soldiers to select several assignments in order of preference.
Resources
Please continue to ensure your Leaders have the information and materials they need to succeed and support their Soldiers.
IPPS-A’s
Training Aids are available to assist
all users, and are here:
https://ipps-a.army.mil/Training/Training-Aids/.
The
Self-Service User Guide will familiarize your Soldiers with Self-Service Roles and Responsibilities, and commonly performed self-service functions within IPPS-A. It shows every member how to request, cancel, view, and update absences, and is something that
every Leader must know to support their Soldiers. This guide is at the
IPPS-A S1Net page and the
IPPS-A website.
We have a lot of great IPPS-A products created by units located on
S1Net. This is where users may find release notes, replays, demos, webinars, and more. IPPS-A’s S1Net page is at
https://www.milsuite.mil/book/community/spaces/apf/s1net/ipps-a.
Listen in to the
IPPS-A Podcast to hear from our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and learn what is going on with the program. In our next episode, a very special guest, Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer will join us! You may find the IPPS-A Podcast on
YouTube,
Apple, Spotify, and Castbox.
Thank you for your continued support and for encouraging your Soldiers. Please let us know if you have any questions or need help — we are here for you!
V/r,
SGM Paul J. Smith
Senior Enlisted Advisor
DCS - G1, IPPS-A FMD
Learn more about IPPS-A