How do i update awards for arb?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:28:55 -0400

Im temporarily helping out the s1 for the army reserve since thwy r so understaffed. A soldier is missing awards(arcam,afram) on his arb? What documents would i use to update it and where cpuld i find them?

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2021 5:51 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:51:13 -0400

If you are updating a record brief, you should only update based on those supporting documents that are in the soldier's iPERMS.
If you don't know what documents are required to update an award on a record brief, then you really need to sit down with someone in your S1 for at least an hour of training before you just log into RCMS and start editing ERBs.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2021 6:47 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 18:47:10 -0400

Unless you have access to the system to update the ARB, you are not going to be able to update any ARBs. Also, substantiating documents will be found in iPerms (if the Soldier submitted the docs to S1 for iPerm). If they are not in iPerms, then they need to be brought in by said Soldier(s) then scanned into iPerms. Again, if you do not have access to the system for iPerms and RCMS....and any other system that assists in updating SMs administrative areas, you are not going to be able to assist in that avenue. But to answer the part of what documents you need....you need the signed memo from the unit Commander awarding the Soldier the AFRAM and the ARCAM.

Response by Donald Halcomb made Jul 15 at 2021 4:26 AM

Donald Halcomb — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 04:26:33 -0400

Thanks for your thread here. I even don't know much about this documents updates. But I would like to get more details.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2021 11:23 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 11:23:50 -0400

In order for you to do the update, you would need eSRB access through RCMS and iPerms.
Is the Soldier just missing the ARCAM /AFRM on the ARB and/or is the memo missing in iPerms? The award should be in iPerms before adding it to the ARB.
If the memo is missing, you could draft it for the commander to sign.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2021 2:15 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 14:15:04 -0400

Getting an ARCAM processed... That's a chore.

His award orders are what you need, so iPerms access. Problem is for certain awards they don't get drafted up. Like when you deploy as Guard or Reserve no one types up a GWOTEM or AFRM w/ M, it just gets added to your 214 at the end of the deployment.

So while you shouldn't use the 214 to confirm, you probably have to for some service awards. Check with your S1 NCO to be sure but that may help you track some of them.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2021 4:12 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 04:12:51 -0400

Without the proper access/training to personnel management systems mentioned already, you will be at a standstill. Any good S-1 should have an SOP on processing awards, source documents needed, etc.

So for starters, you will need at least some of the following:
AR 600-8-22 Ch 4, Para 4-14 thru 4-19

Source documents:
NGB Form 23A Retirement Points Annual Statement (if the Soldier transferred from the National Guard to Reserves)
DA Form 5016 Chronological Statement of Retirement Points(USAR)

DD-214(s) - are a reference point:
You will need to know when they got mobilized and returned from mobilization. There's a part of the regulation that states "The qualifying time for awarding of the ARCAM, served prior to activation/mobilization, will not be lost and will continue to count toward award of the ARCAM once personnel are no longer activated/mobilized". (para 4–18d(3))
Some of the information may overlap because in some instances the servicemember may qualify for an Army Good Conduct Medal(AGCM), and you can't use the AGCM period of service to award an ARCAM for the same period.

Last but not least, orders, mobilization orders activating, and return from mobilization.

This is not an all-encompassing list but the S-1 should have an SOP on this. Also, the award of the ARCAM is on an official memorandum not published orders. The S-1 should have a template readily available.