OMPF Online saves money

Infantry Magazine, Spring, 2002

Official Military Personnel files (OMPF) Online began in November 2001 for sergeants first class being considered for promotion, and is expanding to include more of the force.

Captains being considered for promotion have been able to look at their records online since 1 February 2002, and staff sergeants being considered by the June board could look at their records online as of I March 2002.

In its first three months, OMPF Online has already proved to be a cost-saving initiative for the Army Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center (EREC). About 10 percent of the 20,000 sergeants first class who reviewed their records online chose not to request their microfiche records. Since it costs about $1.40 to produce a microfiche, this was a saving of $2,800. By fiscal year 2003, EREC's goal is to eliminate the need for soldiers to request microfiche, which will save the Army a significant amount of money each year.

The goal is for the entire Army to be able to view military records online by June. New software for the complimentary feature "Field-to-File" will enable a soldier to send official military personnel documents--such as awards and Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Reports (NCOERs)--directly from a battalion or brigade S-1 to his own OMPF at PERSCOM.

There are now 19 digital senders throughout the Army. These are difficult to manage and maintain, however, and EREC wants to enable the soldiers to send in their documents from their own computers.