Army DIMHRS Program Office Communication Branch
2008-11-07

What does DIMHRS mean to me? Updated July 21, 2008
On March 1 2009, the Army is implementing the new Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System (DIMHRS), a pay and personnel system designed to streamline Defense Department Human Resources (HR) processes.

What is DIMHRS?
DIMHRS is a Congressionally-mandated program designed to provide the Army with an integrated, multi-component personnel and pay system. This system will create one personnel record per Service Member for their entire career and will automate pay procedures so that personnel actions automatically trigger associated pay events. Personnel records will be available to HR professionals, combatant commanders, personnel and pay managers, and other authorized users throughout the Army. This web-based HR system will be available online 24 hours a day. The personnel and pay functionality in DIMHRS addresses inefficiencies in the delivery of military personnel and pay services, such as incorrect pay and inaccurate credit of service, which are caused by complex interfaces between multiple systems with numerous opportunities for error. DIMHRS will provide each Service Member with a single, comprehensive record of service and will feature a self-service capability that allows the Service Member to update portions of their personal information. In addition, personnel actions in DIMHRS (e.g., a promotion or activation) will automatically compute associated pay events, leaving fewer opportunities for error.

What is changing in DIMHRS?

Pay
Effective March 1, 2009, all Service Members will be paid on the 1st and 15th of each month in DIMHRS. Bonuses and incentives will be paid on those days, and Service Members can elect to have their discretionary allotments sent either once or twice a month.

DIMHRS will create pay slips for all Service Members, replacing the Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) currently accessed through MyPay. Retirees and Department of Defense (DoD) federal civilians will continue to view pay information through MyPay.

Using DIMHRS self-service functionality, Service Members will be able to view and print their pay slips. For additional information on DIMHRS and Pay, please see our DIMHRS and Pay Fact Sheet.

Access
At Initial Operating Capability (IOC), in March 2009, Service Members will be able to access their own personnel and pay records using DIMHRS’ self-service functionality from any computer with Internet access using a user name and long, strong password consisting of a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. The self-service capability will allow Service Members to view their pay slips, change their direct deposit and/or residence information, enroll in a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), track personnel actions and conduct other pay and personnel activities all in one place.

Certain supervisors and managers, as well as HR service providers, and pay personnel, will require access to multiple Service Members’ records in DIMHRS. At implementation, Service Members whose job functions require them to access multiple records will use a Common Access Card (CAC) to enter the system. This will protect Service Members’ information by ensuring that only those authorized to access their records will be able to do so.

Approximately six months after IOC (September 2009), all users will be able to access DIMHRS Self Service from any computer using either a long, strong password or a CAC. At this time, multiple records will become accessible only using a DoD computer. Any access from a non-DoD system will revert to self-service, meaning that Service Members will continue to be able to maintain and monitor their own information from any computer. For additional information on access to DIMHRS, please see DIMHRS User Access Fact Sheet.

Terminology
DIMHRS is based on a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product, Peoplesoft®, which is used successfully by major commercial corporations. Adopting COTS technology requires adjusting to terminology used within the program. This will mean that some terms familiar to Service Members will be retired in favor of new language used in DIMHRS. The most prominent of these new terms is the “pay slip,” which replaces the current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES). For a list of terms currently in use by the Army, and the new associated terms in DIMHRS, please see the Terminology Fact Sheet.

How will DIMHRS affect me?

DIMHRS for Commanders
DIMHRS is an integrated personnel and payroll system, which will eliminate the need for duplicate payroll input to maintain a Service Member’s record. DIMHRS will place most Army HR functions into a single system. DIMHRS will provide the capability to effectively manage Service Members in all components of the military across the full operational spectrum – during peacetime, war,through mobilization and demobilization. DIMHRS will also support access to real-time information for individuals in multi-component and multi-service units.

Joint commanders will have access to accurate and timely data within DIMHRS, including the number, competencies, location and status of all assigned personnel. The system will additionally provide predictive decision support capabilities, personnel accounting and strength management, and timely integration of personnel requirements for deployment, sustainment, and replacement operations. Strength accounting and reporting will be available by unit and location for personnel assets in-transit or scheduled for the combat theater. The system will also provide the capability to generate ad hoc and preformatted reports.

DIMHRS does not replace the Deployed Theater Accountability Software (DTAS). In deployed theaters, DTAS will contain personnel information that requires strict security restrictions.

DIMHRS for Service Members
DIMHRS will yield a real-time response to personnel and pay activities along with the capability to monitor actions within the system. The self-service options allow Service Members to update personal information, submit an Action Request (previously Personnel Action Request), select benefits options, enroll in a thrift savings plan, change direct deposit information, and perform many other pay and personnel actions.

The implementation of a single system for all HR and pay activities means that Service Members will see the same information as Promotion Boards, School Boards and other evaluating bodies. Service Members can have confidence that one correction to the system fixes the error service-wide, and that emergency data is the same regardless of category serving. Service Members will have one record forever, regardless of component or status, enabling smooth transitions within the Department of Defense (DoD).

DIMHRS for HR Specialists
HR specialist is a generic DIMHRS term used to describe an individual (Military or civilian) who provides personnel or pay support to Service Members. All authorized HR specialists will have DIMHRS access based on system-defined roles and permissions. An HR specialist would be the current Personnel Operators with an increased capability to manage Military pay, and includes Military Personnel (e.g., 42As), DA Civilians, and possibly contractors. The following civilian classifications have been identified:

0201	Army Civilian	HR Specialist (Military)
0203	Army Civilian	HR Specialist (Military)
0299	Army Civilian	HR Student Trainee
0301	Army Civilian (Military Reserve Technician)	Staff Administrative Assistant
0303	Army Civilian (Military Reserve Technician)	USAR Unit Administrator
0303	Army Civilian (Military Reserve Technician)	Administrative Support Assistant
525	DFAS	Civilian Accounting Technician
545	DFAS	Civilian Military Pay Clerk/Technician
501	DFAS	Civilian Financial Systems Analyst/Specialist
510	DFAS	Civilian Accountant/Systems Accountant

DIMHRS will provide a one-stop shop for all pay and personnel activities. It will also ease the workload by automating certain processes. For example, Army National Guard (ARNG) and Army Reserve (USAR) will use DIMHRS to generate active duty orders components when mobilizing. DIMHRS will automatically compute the appropriate pay actions, reducing data entry into multiple systems and increasing the timeliness and accuracy of pay and benefits.

DIMHRS for Veterans and Retirees
In addition to the current force, all veterans and retirees who retire after DIMHRS is implemented on March 1, 2009, will have records in the system, but retirees will not be paid from DIMHRS unless they are recalled to active duty. Retirees will not be required to use a CAC to access DIMHRS. Retiree pay will be done through DJMS with details available on My Pay.

For those in the National Guard or Reserve, DIMHRS will convert retirement points from legacy systems and will maintain any points earned after the system is implmented. The system will serve as the source of data for computing Reserve Retirement Eligibility based on service and point data. DIMHRS will also allow users to calculate approximate retirement pay at a future date and rank.

Service Member records will remain in DIMHRS until two years after the members’ contractual obligations end. Records of Service Members who retire after March 1, 2009 will remain in DIMHRS until two years after death. Records of separated or retired Service Members will also be archived, but readily available in case of recall or data needs.

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