Command Sergeant Major / Sergeant Major,
Thank you for continuing to encourage your teams to learn IPPS-A and provide our team with valuable feedback. As we continue to make progress, I want to provide you with some important updates, guidance, and resources. Please help me with the dissemination of this information to your formations.
Absence Imbalance
On 30 July, Team IPPS-A sent out an email to ~13K affected users regarding an issue related to absences, wherein leave days charged for their Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Absence did not match in IPPS-A or Defense Joint Military Pay System (DJMS), giving them an “out of balance” absence discrepancy. If you did not receive this message, you were not affected.
If you or Soldiers did receive this email, please note that this was completely intentional. Those that did receive this notification must take action to correct the imbalance. Please follow the procedures laid out in the message and contact your supporting HR Professional to request assistance.
Grooming Accommodations
Army Directive (AD) 2025-13, “Facial Hair Grooming Standards,” and
HQDA EXORD 263-25, “Implementation of Army Directive 2025-13,” establish a new policy for facial hair grooming standards, and include instructions for processing and tracking approvals in IPPS-A. Please remind your Soldiers to review the policy and to use IPPS-A for such accommodations.
Paid Parachute (Jump) Pay
I have noticed conversations in the field regarding the notification that their jump pay was started even though they were already receiving it prior to the launch of IPPS-A. Please note that this was done intentionally. In instances where a Soldier’s pay was started prior to the launch of IPPS-A, we had no way to stop that pay when the time comes within the system thereby requiring the legacy process. The “start” of this pay in IPPS-A allows HR Pros to stop the pay in the system preventing the need for the legacy process.
However, an AD and EXORD pertaining to jump pay changes are forthcoming, so please stand by for more information. In the meantime, the MILPAY User Manual covers parachute/jump pay in detail. You may find this and more at:
https://ipps-a.army.mil/Training/Training-Aids/.
IPPS-A Jobs
Do you have a Soldier or know a Soldier that should be a part of a development team that is changing the way the Army manages personnel and pay? Are they a data-driven Soldier who thrives in a technical environment?
Team IPPS-A is seeking passionate individuals with the right skills to deliver
more capabilities and enrich the Army’s HR weapon system for our Warfighters.
Anyone interested in joining our innovative and high-visibility team should submit a Soldier Talent Profile (STP) and three years' worth of evaluations to
usarmy.pentagon.hqda-ipps-a.mbx.ipps-a@army.mil. It is highly suggested that they have already completed their BN S-1 time and have utilized the self-professed Knowledge, Skills and Behaviors (KSBs) in IPPS-A.
For more information, visit:
https://ipps-a.army.mil/Jobs/.
For additional resources, your NCOs may also visit our website at
https://ipps-a.army.mil/.
IPPS-A is helping our Soldiers meet the mission requirements of today and of the future. Thank you for supporting your units throughout this process.
Please let me 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