The Forgotten Warriors
CW3 Daniel Urbanik
Article published on: March 1, 2025 in the Warrant Officer January-March 2025 Issue
Read Time: < 3 mins
Due to a manual, cumbersome process, the Army routinely fails to promptly pay Army Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) Reservists for their time and attendance. The delays in paying Soldiers add unnecessary stressors to families who rely on IMA pay to meet financial obligations (e.g., food, shelter, etc.). Moreover, and more importantly, with today’s low recruitment numbers, the delays negatively affect morale and retention, making it difficult for the Army to attract and retain talent (Braye, 2023). By implementing an automated pay process for IMA Reservists, Human Resources Command (HRC) would ensure timely pay, which would help retention, incentivize Active Duty Soldiers with postservice options, and provide soldiers with funds to cover financial responsibilities. This is a matter of convenience and a pressing issue that demands immediate attention.
Background
When paying an IMA Army Reservist, the Soldier must complete a DA Form 1380 to account for the time on duty. Once the Soldier has completed the DA Form 1380 (PDF), the form is sent to a signing official to validate the Soldier was present for duty. After the unit signs the DA Form 1380, it is staffed (email) to a small team at HRC for processing. From the PDF, it is opened, and data is manually transferred into another database. The process is manual and labor intensive and introduces the possibilities for error. Unfortunately, staffing the forms depends on HRC’s workload, ranging from a few minutes to a few months. In some cases, this delay can be as long as four weeks, which is a significant period for a Soldier waiting for their pay (H. Somers, personal communication, 2021). According to an IG investigation in 2020, HRC asserted the delays in pay were due to “COVID and vacant positions waiting to be filled. There has been a four-week delay with processing all Reserve actions, including IMA pay.” Still, four years later, the problem persists (T. Herriot, personal communication, 2021).
Impact
Not processing Army IMA Reservists’ pay affects Soldiers’ lives and well-being because the lack of timely funds forces IMA Soldiers to seek other venues to meet financial obligations. This financial strain affects not only the soldiers but also their families. Like many others, IMA Reservists have financial responsibilities and depend on their Army salary for services rendered to the nation. The current process does not only harm the Soldier but also the Soldier’s family and Army retention. The amount of time needed to process IMA Reservists’ pay, from the Soldier to the unit to HRC through a Signing Official, is taxing to the Army (S. Collins, personal communication, 2024). The inability to pay Army IMA Reservists has second and third-order effects on the Force (M. Madayag, personal communication, 2023). From financial stressors to not knowing when they will get their next paycheck, they are the forgotten warriors of today’s Army. The Army would be better served by implementing an automated process for paying soldiers, comparable to other reservists across the force.
Page 15 Volume III, Issue 1 Conclusion
In summary, by automating pay for IMA Reservists, HRC would significantly improve timely compensation, thereby improving retention rates, offering active-duty Soldiers more career options, and ensuring soldiers are not impacted financially by an outdated payroll system. The potential benefits of automation are vast, from reducing error rates to the amount of full-time equivalent (FTE) hours needed to process pay, ultimately benefiting the Army and the Soldier. This solution can bring about positive change and should be seriously considered.
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