Promotion Point Worksheet (PPW)
First published on April 5, 2015
Just as every Soldier should check her/his Enlisted Record Brief (ERB) regularly, Enlisted Soldiers up to the ranks of Sergeant (SGT) should check the Promotion Point Worksheet (PPW) for accuracy. I won't blab nearly as much about this as I did the ERB. I will say that I've known promotable Soldiers - Specialist-4 (SPC) and SGT - who had no idea what the PPW was or how to access it. By the way, the DA form 3355 no longer exists and Soldier of the Quarter (SoQ) and similar achievements no longer count for points.
Army Promotion Points Worksheet
Section A is pretty straight-forward. SPC (Promotable), or SPC (P), can earn up to 340 points - 160 maximum for Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and Weapons Qualification and 30 max for deployments) in this section. SGT (P) can earn up to 255 points - 100 max for APFT and qualification, and 60 for deployments - in this section.
Section B is even simpler. I'll just add that though you can add more than four Certificate of Achievements (COAs), only four will count for promotion points. Also, your Airborne badge (basic, senior, master) will determine your Airborne Advantage points - 20, 25, or 30 respectively. Air Assault school completion, and the badge, is worth 10 points.
Section C is where a lot of points can be easily acquired if understood. Privates and Specialists, complete Self-Structured Development (SSD) I in Army Learning Management System (ALMS) as soon as possible. That way, your Leaders will see it, maybe in Army Career Tracker (ACT), and be more likely to send you to Warrior Leader Course (WLC). Sergeants, complete SSD II / Advanced Leader Course Common Core (ALC CC) for the same reason towards completing ALC. When you're sent to WLC/ALC, work to exceed the standard. Those Non-commissioned Officer Education System (NCOES) awards reward more points and stand out on a DA Form 1059. Junior enlisted soldiers, the moment you become an NCO, SSD II should be a priority. I'm far removed from military service, but the latest info for distributed learning course (DLC) reservations appeared on the past to be on NCOWorldwide.army.mil. It may help to e-mail your branch manager, preferably with a PDF of your ERB so they have a snapshot of your career readily accessible, encrypt the e-mail, and ask if anything else can be done to move you up on the queue. Don't simply rely on the Chain of Command for this. You're not jumping the chain by talking with your branch manager. It is your career. Take charge of it.
Residential Training was a sore spot for me as a NCO. I was aggravated to see this section naked. Every Soldier should have attended the Combat Lifesaver course at least annually. I, and many others I know, have missed cut-off by under ten points at least once. Four (4) points can make a difference, I assure you. By the way, Driver's Training is not worth promotion points. Master Driver is, though.
Computer-based training - up to 84 points for completing the Staff Sergeant (SSG) board and 78 points for the SGT board:
- Skillport - computer-based training (CBT) for IT Certs, Lean Six Sigma (LSS), work environment workshops, etc.
- Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) - federal, major combatant command (CCMD), and language training
- Army Learning Management System (ALMS), and Army Training Requirements and Resource System (ATRRS)
Yes, ATRRS. If there is a number in the (DL) column, you can earn distance learning hours for finishing that course. That is where the Army Correspondence Course Program (ACCP) is hiding now. You can enroll in ATRRS and complete the course in ALMS. Five (5) hours equals one (1) promotion point.
Section D includes college hours, technical certifications (e.g. CompTIA Security +), and BLT, I mean Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT). At the very least, submit your Joint Service Transcript (JST) to a college you're at least considering attending and submit their official college transcript to your S-1 - Human Resources (HR) / Admin - to get some easy points for what you've already done. If you plan to transition out of the military soon, look into certifications to make yourself marketable in the workplace. I recommend Black soldiers choose between the many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Look up Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) and check out some tech certs applicable to your field. If you know a language, do a proficiency test and get it resonated on your PPW and ERB, maybe even some extra pay later on. Be careful who you give your information to as some organizations are looking to steal your GI Bill money and other information.
Army Career Advancement Resources
- Download commonly referenced regulations from Army Pubs and read them
- Read Military-related books
- Black American soldiers, even in uniform you can support Black-owned businesses
Tags: military
