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First off I want to thank everyone in advance for your input on something I've noticed since becoming a Human Resource Specialist.
My first duty station placed me with a Company that was 3 hours from my Battalion where I was their lone HR personnel and was placed in charge of their PAC office with very limited oversight from my S-1 along with no direct supervisor outside of the Company 1SG. As a result I was forced to live on the HRC website, milsuite, or APD to get my tasks done on a day to day basis.
What I began to notice as time went on was that nearly every ERB or ORB that was brought to me was missing odd pieces of information or awards. Some of these issues appear to be systemic of how MEPS and IET handles the entry of data results in missing entries such as Country of Citizenship or the NDSM and ASR.
However it became apparent that a large percentage of the Soldiers who fell within the UICs I could assist were missing service stars for phases in the Iraq & Afghanistan campaigns, OSRs for 11+ cumulative months within a 24 month period in a TDY/TCS status, NCO Professional Development Ribbons for each level they had completed or one at all having completed WLC, and several other fairly common errors.
The number of absent awards is so widespread that at two different stations I've had several 1SGs ask what exactly I had put on their units ERBs when I applied MQBs into their award columns for their most recent M4 and M9 ranges.
I've also ran into some ERBs/ORBs that have contained outdated or incorrect medals and ribbons. Several Soldiers had ADSMs, a medal for service between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941. Maybe I was wrong, perhaps they were just incredibly spry patriots who had through guile and ingenuity managed to re-enlist using their great-grandson's birth certificate and SSN.
The wide spread nature of these issues has left me to wonder where the problem begins and what can be done to correct it. Is it a lack of training for team leaders who should be reviewing these documents or is the lack of knowledge linked more with HR Personnel who are not noticing these issues and pro-actively addressing them? Would some sort of 'Sergeant Time Training' arranged by S-1 to educate team leaders on these areas that they can catch during monthly counselings be of any assistance?
I am open to thoughts or ideas that can assist me in helping others maintain an accurate OMPF and record brief, whether they decide to remain in the military or not.
My first duty station placed me with a Company that was 3 hours from my Battalion where I was their lone HR personnel and was placed in charge of their PAC office with very limited oversight from my S-1 along with no direct supervisor outside of the Company 1SG. As a result I was forced to live on the HRC website, milsuite, or APD to get my tasks done on a day to day basis.
What I began to notice as time went on was that nearly every ERB or ORB that was brought to me was missing odd pieces of information or awards. Some of these issues appear to be systemic of how MEPS and IET handles the entry of data results in missing entries such as Country of Citizenship or the NDSM and ASR.
However it became apparent that a large percentage of the Soldiers who fell within the UICs I could assist were missing service stars for phases in the Iraq & Afghanistan campaigns, OSRs for 11+ cumulative months within a 24 month period in a TDY/TCS status, NCO Professional Development Ribbons for each level they had completed or one at all having completed WLC, and several other fairly common errors.
The number of absent awards is so widespread that at two different stations I've had several 1SGs ask what exactly I had put on their units ERBs when I applied MQBs into their award columns for their most recent M4 and M9 ranges.
I've also ran into some ERBs/ORBs that have contained outdated or incorrect medals and ribbons. Several Soldiers had ADSMs, a medal for service between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941. Maybe I was wrong, perhaps they were just incredibly spry patriots who had through guile and ingenuity managed to re-enlist using their great-grandson's birth certificate and SSN.
The wide spread nature of these issues has left me to wonder where the problem begins and what can be done to correct it. Is it a lack of training for team leaders who should be reviewing these documents or is the lack of knowledge linked more with HR Personnel who are not noticing these issues and pro-actively addressing them? Would some sort of 'Sergeant Time Training' arranged by S-1 to educate team leaders on these areas that they can catch during monthly counselings be of any assistance?
I am open to thoughts or ideas that can assist me in helping others maintain an accurate OMPF and record brief, whether they decide to remain in the military or not.
ERB
ORB
Soldiers
Leadership
Army
Edited 10 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 8
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The problem begins and ends, at least for enlisted, at the first NCO in a joes chain of command. It is their responsibility to ensure that their soldiers are squared away, and that means not just professionally but administratively as well. It's their job and their duty to understand how an ERB works, and if they have any questions then they should be smart enough to consult the subject matter experts which is their S1 shop.
After that, it's a beautiful cycle. NCOs teach joes how to ensure their paperwork is accurate and up to date, and then when those joes become NCOs they in turn teach the same skills to their soldiers.
Some administrative mistakes are S1s fault, but it's a soldiers responsibility to stay on top of their records and catch these mistakes as they happen so they can be rectified. As the old saying goes, nobody care more about your career than you do.
After that, it's a beautiful cycle. NCOs teach joes how to ensure their paperwork is accurate and up to date, and then when those joes become NCOs they in turn teach the same skills to their soldiers.
Some administrative mistakes are S1s fault, but it's a soldiers responsibility to stay on top of their records and catch these mistakes as they happen so they can be rectified. As the old saying goes, nobody care more about your career than you do.
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SSG (Join to see)
Good post SGT (Join to see) but who taught you about the ERB? I am curious as I have been back on Active Duty since 2007 and had to teach myself a bunch of things about how the newer technologically savvy Military works.
Another point is that just because someone holds an M.O.S. does not necessarily mean that they know the ins/outs of how to do things. I have had a few discussions with the S-1 about things which they do not know.
Another point is that just because someone holds an M.O.S. does not necessarily mean that they know the ins/outs of how to do things. I have had a few discussions with the S-1 about things which they do not know.
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I review mine at least once every quarter, my P status has fallen off due to PT tests not being added correctly
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I believe it is an individual responsibility to keep records up-to-date. It is certainly easier the more one progresses through the ranks. But, it is also more important as one progresses. It sounds like you are very proactive and service oriented--keep doing what you are doing!
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