How do Bad Years (reservist) get reconciled when no fault of the TPU soldier?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:10:12 -0400

What do I mean by no fault of the soldier? Yep, I mean exactly that. Were it not for my semi regular funeral details I’d have only 49 points for the year.

If I were a new Reservist and not looking out for my own hide I’d be screwed, and there would be no documentation or any counseling given to me to protect the USAR system from only giving me 49 points when I attended every single BA and scheduled training event.

It can easily happen:
1) Our annual points accumulation is the anniversary we enter service. So we all have a different rolling 12 month period we need to accumulate our points.

2) I personally game this system. I try to schedule things like schools and longer training events to straddle my anniversary so I get points in two separate years.

3) The unit I left had my AT exercise in my final month of my rolling 12 months.

4) The unit I transferred to DID NOT HAVE AN AT. I ended up getting my AT days given to me a few days at a time for “home station”, but only AFTER half the fiscal year had gone by and command figured out what was going to happen with our AT situation.

5) The unit’s actual MUTA calendar back loaded all the MUTAs in the second half of the FY. For example there was a 10 MUTA in the FIRST month of my rolling 12 month point year.
Follow? So what happened is my last year was shorted an AT, and was shorted a bunch of MUTAs for the current FY and ended up getting shoved into the later half of my rolling 12 month period.

So yea……. Next year I’ll have a heavy point year with points (it will have nearly a years worth of MUTA’s and my AT days in the second half of my 12 month cycle), but in the meantime the previous year only had 49 points of MUTA’s and member points.

Now, again, this is not an issue. I did enough military funerals to push me into the 80’s. So I’m good.

But 80’s is the LOWEST I’ve ever been in any given year. Which is what caused me to audit my annual points calculation.

I understand soldiers can be excused from AT’s and waive the right to MUTA’s and AT’s and be warned the consequences of getting a bad year. That did not happen in my case.

I understand a bad year point wise isn’t really a bid deal discipline wise unless the chain of command follows up with adverse actions (such as documenting fail to attend BA and AT). If no one cares, having only 49 points in a year only matters to getting a 20 year retirement letter. It is not a flaggable situation by itself.

So that all said……………. How might I protect myself and my future soldiers (particularly new/Jr soldiers) from otherwise doing all the right things, but getting a bad year, and the USAR and all chain of commands not having a counseling statement or career mentoring documentation to protect itself from an IG or Congressional complaint from a solider.

Basically, how do I protect my old self, from a future young version of myself? I can’t know the point accumulation situation of all incoming subordinates and the USAR is all over the place when it comes to MUTA, BA, and AT planning. If every single USAR unit did one 4 MUTA’s (one weekend) a month this wouldn’t be an issue with 15 member points. Heck, even an entire AT could be missed and still make 63 points.

Response by COL Randall Cudworth made Jul 23 at 2025 5:16 PM

COL Randall Cudworth — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:16:01 -0400

Short answer - they don't because it is a simple yes/no evaluation. If the Soldier has 50 or more points, it's counted as a good year. If they don't, then it isn't. Accumulate 20 good years and you're eligible for a retirement based on the total points you've accumulated, regardless if they were accumulated in a 'good year' or a 'bad year'.

You can protect yourself and your future Soldier by first counseling them so they understand from the start how their points are going to be tracked in the system and what a 'good year' means to them. Foot stomp that how the years are calculated for them will be individualized based on when they joined the military (i.e., their RYE date).

One way to easily track what's in the system for them is to have them show you their LES - in the remarks section it will show their total performance for the year with UTAs, Annual Training, etc. Of course, the gold standard is to have them download the latest points statement (DA5016 for USAR or NGB 23B for ARNG) from IPPS-A (through the unit or online*).

Additionally, educate them to make up drills instead of being excused for their absence.
----------------------------
* IPPS-A online - https://hr.ippsa.army.mil/psp/hcpdc/?cmd=login

hcpdc

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Jul 24 at 2025 12:47 AM

SGM Mikel Dawson — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:47:57 -0400

BLUF: If you don't take care of yourself, no one else will.
When I was a SQD LDR, I would counsel all my soldiers on their RYE date and showed them why it was important, why to keep track of it, looking at their Points record they would receive every year. I also told them no one cared more about their career than they did. I pushed the fact they needed to be involved in preparing their promotion backets, the importance of NCOERs/ Evaluations, Yearly counseling for Enlisted. As leaders, we need to make sure soldiers know and understand all these facts. Had a similar thing happen when I got promoted to E8, I was transferred to a different unit. This caused some of my points to get lost. I had to work with the UA to get this squared away. Keeping all my LESs was very important in this matter as an LES is the only official way to verify duty because it shows you did the duty as payment was made. Orders can always be canceled

Make sure to read what COL Randall Cudworth posted.

Response by SGM Jeff Mccloud made Jul 24 at 2025 10:55 PM

SGM Jeff Mccloud — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 22:55:39 -0400

You transferred to a new unit with a different schedule, you get the schedule from them (as is the case in any transfer) and figure out if you’re gonna be good at your rye

There’s actually more problems with transfers where the soldier doesn’t realize the new schedule will put them over until they don’t get paid for a drill because they exceeded 48 before the end of the FY.

Good RNCOs look at this with every new gain.

The biggest headache I had was dealing with mday commanders every JUL-AUG wanting to check the whole payroll to make sure everyone gets a “good year”, and having to explain to them that’s something I track monthly as most soldiers do not have a rye date that coincides with the FY.

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made Jul 25 at 2025 12:55 PM

SSG Robert Perrotto — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:55:00 -0400

The USAR point system is messy and often ignored until problems arise. Protect yourself and your soldiers by demanding regular point updates, teaching how the rolling 12-month system works, pushing for evenly spaced MUTAs and early AT planning, having soldiers track points, and documenting all efforts to fix issues.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 25 at 2025 3:43 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 15:43:44 -0400

Thanks to all the responses. Basically cover down on your own interests.

No silver retroactive bullet.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Jul 29 at 2025 7:34 PM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 19:34:59 -0400

COL Randall Cudworth covered most of it, but allow me to chime in with an interesting case that can surprise late career folks, especially if you end up spending some time in the IRR at the end of your career. If you CURRENT QUALIFY for a reserve retirement (you have at least 20 good years), and you fail to earn 50 points in a given retirement year, you will be removed from "active status" (which includes the IRR....).

At that point you will either be:
1. Transferred to the retired reserve. This can be bad if you need your minimum time at a rank to retire at that rank.
2. Discharged. Wwhich will adversely effect longevity for retired pay calculations, in addition to "time at rank" as above.
or
3. ON A ONE TIME BASIS request a waiver for that ONE retirement year. (Mine was granted, but I don't know the criteria for when they do/don't.)

Oddly enough, at the time (2019) the above applied to Officers and enlisted, but NOT commissioned Warrant Officers.

Response by MAJ Jay Callaham made Sep 28 at 2025 2:49 PM

MAJ Jay Callaham — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 14:49:43 -0400

I know the feeling. I only got credit for 17 "good" years out of 25 in service. Didn't know the ropes and didn't have sense enough to ask anyone who did. Folks I did talk to weren't much help.

Response by MAJ Gregory Moon made Oct 9 at 2025 10:31 AM

MAJ Gregory Moon — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:31:36 -0400

In current times it is not as hard to get a good year. Given the likelihood of deployments major training events such as NTC, JRTC overseas training in Europe and Asia. I had a couple of bad years plus a year out service. As long as you can stay in service for 20 good years it may take 22-23 years of time to get there. Leaders can help by emphasizing that soldiers need to watch their points and their RYE. Your senior PSNCOs can help keep soldiers and leadership. I ended up with near continuous service of 35 years with 32 of those being good years. I was in a 15 man DET and the end of my career being an Acting Jack in a LTC position. I had to be aware of my soldiers situation and the administrative full timer at my Reserve Center helped out a lot. Bottom line in the reserves it will likely take you more than 20 calendar years to get that retirement letter.

Response by PO1 Carole Speese made Oct 14 at 2025 6:48 PM

PO1 Carole Speese — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 18:48:24 -0400

You could do military correspondence courses for points, not sure that is still a running program, but when I was in it was.

Response by LTC Jo Sh made Nov 1 at 2025 12:30 AM

LTC Jo Sh — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:30:52 -0400

12 monthly drills (48 points), 15 day annual training (another 15 points), 15 points annually for membership, additional 2 points usually available for annual medical (physical, dental exam, flu shot). That is a total of 80 points per year. It really hard not to get the minimum 50 points required for a good year. You'd need to voluntary skip AT and 3 months of drills, and not make up and training, which is usually not "no fault of the soldier".