My Unofficial PPW – As a soldier in the United States Army, I understand the importance of keeping track of my career progression. A crucial tool that helps us do this is the Promotion Point Worksheet (PPW). However, the official PPW can be challenging, especially transitioning to the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army (IPPS-A). That’s why I created my unofficial PPW, which has helped me stay on top of my career progression and achieve my goals. Here’s how I did it:
Creating My Unofficial PPW
1. Understanding the Official PPW
Before creating my unofficial PPW, I understood the official PPW’s purpose, format, and requirements. The PPW is tool soldiers use to track their promotion points and eligibility for advancement in rank. It contains information such as the soldier’s military education, awards, achievements, and performance on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and weapons qualification.
2. Identifying the Information I Needed
Next, I identified the information I needed to include in my unofficial PPW. This included all the information included in the official PPW, such as military education, awards, APFT scores, and weapons qualification. Additionally, I included information about my personal goals and achievements, such as completing a degree or taking on a leadership role.
3. Organizing the Information
I created a spreadsheet to organize the information with columns for each category on the official PPW. I also added columns for my personal goals and achievements. I included the number of points assigned to each category, which helped me calculate my total promotion points and track my progress toward my next rank.
4. Updating My Unofficial PPW Regularly
To ensure my unofficial PPW remained accurate and up-to-date, I habitually updated it regularly. I kept a folder on my computer where I saved all my certificates, transcripts, and other documents relevant to my career progression. Each time I completed a new course or earned an award, I added it to my unofficial PPW and updated the number of promotion points.
Using My Unofficial PPW to Achieve My Goals
1. Tracking My Progress Towards My Next Rank
One of the most significant benefits of my unofficial PPW was that it helped me track my progress toward my next rank. By calculating my total promotion points, I could see how close I was to meeting the requirements for promotion. This motivated me to work harder to improve my APFT and weapons qualification performance and pursue additional military education and training opportunities.
2. Setting and Achieving Personal Goals
My unofficial PPW also helped me set and achieve personal goals. By including columns for my achievements and goals, I could see how much progress I was making toward my non-military goals. For example, I set a goal of completing a degree in my field of interest. I could see how closer I was to achieve that goal by including my degree progress on my unofficial PPW.
3. Preparing for Promotion Boards
My unofficial PPW helped me prepare for promotion boards. By having all my relevant information organized in one place, I could quickly and easily prepare for the board by reviewing my achievements and preparing to discuss them. This helped me feel more confident and prepared for the promotion process.
Creating my unofficial PPW was one of my best decisions for my Army career. It helped me stay on top of my career progression, set and achieve personal goals, and prepare for promotion boards. If you’re struggling with the official PPW or want a more personalized way to track your progress, I encourage you to create your unofficial PPW. Setting up may take some time, but the benefits are well worth it.