By CPT Sheena Rubin, Battalion S1
The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment is most commonly recognized as The Old Guard (TOG) by many. We are the oldest active Infantry unit in the Army, serving our great Nation since 1784. The Old Guard is the Army’s official ceremonial unit, escort to the President of the United States, and is always ready to provide security for the National Capital Region (NCR) in time of national emergency or civil disturbance. Old Guard Soldiers are known for their exceptional pride in personal appearance and precision in performance.
On Thursday, 28 February 2019, members of the 1st Battalion Human Resources (HR) Section hosted an Adjutant General’s University training session on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia. We started off with a physical fitness competition to build morale and promote esprit de corps amongst all of the Regiment’s S1 Shops. The course consisted of multiple checkpoints with challenging activities such as buddy carries, tire flips, and water jug carries along a 3-mile loop. Our Battalion S4, S6, and Retention Sections even participated, showing their support for the AG Corps!
The Integrated Personnel & Pay System – Army (IPPS-A) was the topic of this quarter’s AG University. Our training event was advertised through S1Net and the Potomac Chapter of the Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association (AGCRA) network channels to reach as many HR professionals in the NCR as possible. Over 100 Army HR Professionals came to Joe Rosenthal Theater for the information brief and live IPPS-A demonstration. Attendees included service-members from the Regular Army, National Guard, Army Reserve, and Department of the Army Civilians. It was also noted that Soldiers of various military occupational specialties were present, not just those with AG Corps specific affiliation.
IPPS-A presenters, CW3 Ricardo Estrada and SFC Rosalyn Bennett, HQDA G1, Technology and Business Architecture Integration, Functional Management Division, IPPS-A, made this event an immense success. Their opening slide show provided an overview of IPPS-A. It described the program, milestones, fielding timelines, and how IPPS-A will transform Army HR. The slides that identified the pending changes in military pay and removal of legacy systems sparked the most dialogue from the audience. Once the slide show was complete, the team transitioned into the IPPS-A demonstration using the software’s live training website. This realistic view presented all Company Commanders in the room a view of their current HR report options in a new concise dashboard format. It also revealed to end-users the ability to initiate their own personnel actions through the web-based program.
LTC Allen Kehoe and CSM Robert Carter, 1st Battalion’s Command Team, came out to recognize CW3 Estrada and SFC Bennett for their outstanding work in the HR community. They each received a Battalion Commander’s coin, certificate of appreciation, and custom print that highlights the unique missions of our unit. Our leadership acknowledged the importance of data accuracy before the new system goes in effect. Soldiers will be able to accomplish their mission without making appointments to check on pay inquiries or to update personnel record discrepancies. The system’s transparency will give Soldiers more time and confidence in the S1 routing process with less physical paperwork.
The audience collectively inquired about future distance learning, institutional courses, and on-site home station training opportunities. The participation during the briefing and follow up requests for supplemental information show that Soldiers realize this HR system will manifest into reality, unlike DMHRS. IPPS-A is here and The Old Guard is ready! We look forward to hosting more training sessions in the future.
If you are interesting in serving in The Old Guard please visit Old Guard – Join Us! for more information and application criteria. Defend and Serve!
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