ARIMS
provides the Army with the ability to manage hard copy and electronic records more
efficiently and effectively. Using web-based tools and technology, ARIMS provides
enhanced capabilities for the identification of records, the indexing and storage
of long-term and permanent records, and the tracking and retrieval of records stored
in the Army's Records Holding Area(s) (RHAs). The Army Electronic Archive (AEA)
module of ARIMS provides large-scale, secure storage for the Army's long-term and
permanent email and other electronic records.
ARIMS is managed and operated by the U.S. Army Records Management and Declassification
Agency (RMDA), and is available for use by designated Records Administrators, Records
Managers, RHA Managers, Records Coordinators, and unit Action Officers. To ensure
flexibility and reduce administrative workloads, ARIMS is available to all military,
civilian, and sponsored individuals who create records for the Army. You must be
registered to take full advantage of the records management features at the various
user levels of ARIMS.
Non-registered users can access some ARIMS features, such as the Army Consolidated
Records Schedule (ACRS) menu and other menus located at the top of the ARIMS website.
To use most of the records management features of ARIMS, however, you must be a
registered user. To register you must already have an Army Knowledge Online (AKO)
account and a Common Access Card (CAC) and then login with your CAC from the Home
menu. The information AKO and you provide during registration is used to create
your unique profile that defines what features you will have access to. You will
need to select or enter an office symbol for validation to complete your account
profile under the Account Admin tab. Note: CAC Login to the ARIMS-Training or ARIMS-Classified
Sites is currently not available and you will need to register by logging in with
your AKO or AKO-S username and password, as applicable.
If you cannot find the answer to your question in the FAQs or in the Knowledge Base under the Online Help Desk center, you may submit an electronic query. The Online Help Desk center can be found under the Help/Downloads menu. The Online Help Desk may also be used to submit suggestions for new FAQs or for system improvements.
You may send technical issues, questions, user profile changes you cannot change yourself or through AKO, suggestions for system improvement, etc., by clicking on Online Help Desk under the Help/Downloads menu at the top of the page in ARIMS. For technical problems, include as much information as you can, to include the text of any error messages.
The revision to AR 25-400-2, The Army Records Information Management System (ARIMS), did not become effective until 18 April 2003. Therefore, records that were already created and classified/labeled under MARKS (The Modern Army Recordkeeping System) during fiscal or calendar year 2003 do not need to be converted to the ARIMS format unless required by your organization and it is efficient and cost effective to do so. Records, however, created in CY/FY 2004 must reflect the new system. Refer to paragraph 7-3a of AR 25-400-2 for information on how to address changes to retention periods. AR 25-400-2 may be accessed from the Army Publishing Directorate website at http://www.apd.army.mil Organizations can submit prior year, back to the year 1900, records to ARIMS by using the Document Upload function or the Bulk Archive Tool (BAT), located under the RIPS tab.
Yes. More than one individual within the same organization may have the same access level in ARIMS. However, unless pre-authorized, all new applicants are initially assigned Action Officer level and need to request a different level if required by their duty functions and responsibilities. The authorization must be obtained from their records management official who possesses one level higher than the level requested; i.e., if requesting Records Coordinator, the authorization must come from a Records Manager; if requesting Records Manager or Records Holding Area Manager, authorization must come from a Records Administrator. Authorizations are to be submitted by using the Online Help Desk.
Seeing a different list of units in ARIMS may be the result of a reorganization and not a system error. ARIMS receives weekly UIC/unit updates from the Defense Readiness Reporting System-Army (DRRS-A). Reorganizations are common, with groups of related units often transferring at the same time. By design, if DRRS-A indicates a unit transfer, ARIMS realigns all users registered under the effected unit(s), and all corresponding office symbols, ORLs and records, to the new organizational hierarchy. A unit transfer may cause a difference in what unit(s) the user was able to access under the previous hierarchy. How much difference there will be depends on where the unit was before, where it transferred to, and what the user's ARIMS access level is. Access is likely to be totally different when a unit transfers from one ACOM/ASCC/DRU to another.
If you have transferred, rather than your unit, what units you have access to will also change, and your system privileges will be automatically adjusted by ARIMS. ARIMS uses AKO to verify/authenticate users when they log-in. When AKO indicates that a user's UIC has changed, ARIMS assumes the user has transferred to a different unit. Since your records management responsibilities may be different at your new location, your access will be at the Action Officer level unless/until you are authorized for a different level.
ARIMS is linked with AKO to provide the system with your (or your sponsor’s) unit assignment information. This automates the registration process and eliminates the need for users to send updated information to ARIMS whenever they transfer to another organization or depart from the Army.
Non-registered users can access some ARIMS features, such as the Army Consolidated Records Schedule (ACRS) menu at the top of the ARIMS website.
To use most of the records management features of ARIMS, however, you must be a registered user. To register (and to log-in to ARIMS after registration), from the ARIMS homepage, click and follow the Go to the AKO site link. The information AKO and you provide during registration is used to create your unique profile that defines what features you will have access to use.
To reset/select a new CAC PIN, you must go to your nearest issuance or PIN reset site to prove you are the owner of the CAC by matching your fingerprint against the fingerprint that was stored on DEERS when you were issued the card.
Re-registration is not necessary. Each time you log in to ARIMS, AKO verifies your most current unit assignment. If your unit has changed, ARIMS displays your user profile for you to update your office symbol, organizational email address, and phone/fax numbers. Records that you sent to ARIMS under the previous unit remain linked to that unit; however, you will no longer have automatic access to those records without the approval of the owning organization. If you believe any of the read-only information displayed on your user profile is incorrect, you must contact AKO or your local personnel office.
ARIMS automatically deactivates the accounts of users identified by AKO as having separated or retired from the Army.
ARIMS obtains its UIC data from the Defense Readiness Reporting System-Army (DRRS-A). If your UIC was recently created, it may not yet be reflected in DRRS-A, or ARIMS may not have received its latest update. Recommend you allow DRRS-A and ARIMS sufficient time to be updated (no longer than 30 calendar days) and try registering again. If you continue to have difficulty, submit the following information to the ARIMS Online Help Desk,
| ACOM/ASCC/DRU |
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Mailing address |
| Office Symbol |
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City |
| UIC |
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State |
| Unit name |
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Postal Code |
Service (Service choices:)
(A-Active Unit or N-Nonactive Unit) |
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Country |
Status (Status choices:)
(G-National Guard, R-Active Army, or V-Army Reserve) |
|
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| Unit POC |
|
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| Unit POC Email |
|
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Having the correct UIC information on file with ARIMS is essential to ensuring that records you submit or access belong to the correct organization. AKO cannot provide ARIMS with UIC information for users who are not listed in Army databases. Therefore, some user categories, such as contractors and local nationals, must submit a sponsor to ARIMS whose UIC can be provided by AKO. ARIMS will then populate and track your account based on your sponsor's UIC. Questions to consider if your sponsorship has been denied, expired, or incorrect: Has your sponsor checked his/her AKO email inbox (that is where ARIMS sends the sponsor approval email)? Is the person you listed as a sponsor eligible to be a sponsor (must be Active Army, Reserve, National Guard, DA civilian, or NAF civilian)? Please allow several days for your sponsor to receive and reply to the approval email before you attempt to log-in again. NOTE that sponsorship is periodically reviewed to ensure UIC information is current, when this occurs you will need to resubmit the AKO email address for the same, or new sponsor, as appropriate.
If the UIC in AKO differs from that in ARIMS, ARIMS assumes you have transferred units and will display your changed profile information for you to verify. AKO provides ARIMS with UIC information, but it is not responsible for UIC updates or changes. If you have recently been reassigned, it may take several weeks for your transfer information to process through your personnel system(s) and reach AKO. Having the correct UIC information on file with ARIMS is essential to ensuring records that you submit or access belong to the correct organization. Until your AKO information has been made current, you may consider sending your long-term and permanent (6+ and Permanent retention periods) records to someone who is already registered in ARIMS under the UIC to which you have transferred for indexing and archiving to the system.
When your new profile information is displayed by ARIMS, make sure you enter your new office symbol, telephone/fax numbers, local unit address (if different from the official unit address), and new Records Holding Area facility (if you use one for storing your hardcopy records). NOTE that your access at the new unit will be at the Action Officer level and will need to be re-validated by the appropriate records management official if you require a different level. Users who do not have UICs listed in the AKO (includes local nationals, contractors, other military service personnel, and others not having an assigned Army UIC) will need to provide an ARIMS sponsor with a UIC that can be validated by the AKO.
Users cannot change UIC information in AKO. Unfortunately, UICs cannot be viewed in AKO and users believe that if they change the unit information in AKO, it will change in ARIMS. ARIMS does accept some AKO changes made by users (such as telephone/fax numbers and organizational email address) but it can only accept the official UIC and unit name that AKO receives from Army databases.
The access level listed in your user profile determines what ARIMS features are available to you. Until the requirement for another level has been verified and approved by the appropriate records management official, all newly registered users, and users who have changed units, will have Action Officer level of access. If your duties require a different level of access, authorization must be obtained from your records management chain of command and sent to the ARIMS System Administrator. Authorization must come from one level higher than the level requested; i.e., if requesting Records Coordinator (RC) level, authorization must come from your Records Manager; if requesting Records Manager or Records Holding Area Manager (RM or RHAM), authorization must come from your ACOM/ASCC/DRU Records Administrator. Authorizations are to be sent using the Online Help Desk, located under the Help/Downloads menu in ARIMS.
If you are unsure what level of user access to request, check with your local records management official.
If your Office Symbol has only been changed (e.g., due to a reorganization), select your "old" Office Symbol from the list so that your registration/User Profile can be completed, and then submit an Online Help Desk request to have ARIMS make the modification. ARIMS needs to know both the "old" and the "changed" Office Symbols so that all users and associated ORLs and records can be switched. Otherwise, ARIMS will assume there are now two Office Symbols and you risk losing access to everything created or stored under the previous Office Symbol. Only Add an Office Symbol if it is brand new or you are certain there is no suitable Office Symbol to select from the list.
All record retention and disposition instructions are located in the Army Consolidated Records Schedule (ACRS) on the ARIMS website. You do not need to be registered in ARIMS to access the information in the ACRS, there are no restrictions.
To access the ACRS, select the Proceed to ARIMS.ARMY.MIL link and then the ACRS menu option. To begin searching for record instructions, select the Search menu option. You may search record instructions by keyword, record series, record sub-series, and/or type, or you may simply browse all instructions within a particular record series. Once the search results are displayed, you may sort the information in either ascending or descending order by clicking on any column header.
Records with a 6+ or permanent retention period are normally transferred to the Records Holding Area/Army Electronic Archive (RHA/AEA) after they are no longer needed for business where they will reside throughout their entire lifecycle and then be disposed of at the end of their retention period upon approval of the responsible records official.
1. If a record having a 6+ or permanent retention period is in electronic form, the official copy may be transferred to the Army Electronic Archive (AEA) immediately after it is finalized. The AEA will then bear the burden of protecting the record copy for its entire required lifecycle. If needed, an extra copy may be kept by the transferring office to conduct daily business but may not be kept longer than the approved retention period specified in the Army Consolidated Records Schedule (ACRS).
2. If a record having a 6+ or permanent retention period exists only in hardcopy form, it will be transferred to the Records Holding Area (RHA) when no longer needed for conducting business - if the record has not yet reached the end of the retention period specified in the Army Consolidated Records Schedule (ACRS). If a hardcopy record is needed for conducting business for its entire retention period, it may be disposed of in the current files area (CFA). Funds should not be expended to transfer records that will soon be eligible for disposal.
A listing of record numbers for each of the functional areas can be found under the ARIMS ACRS (Army Consolidated Records Schedule) tab. Once you have accessed the ACRS Search option, scroll down to the "Record Series " drop down menu and select the functional record series you desire. If you select " 800 - Administration," for example, ARIMS will list all of the Administration record numbers in the ACRS. Once the search results are displayed, you may sort the information in either ascending or descending order by clicking on any column header.
You should keep the records for as long as you need them for conducting business in your office/unit if the prescribing directive (e.g. AR, DA PAM) does not state a specific time period. If you are still unsure, contact your records management officer for further guidance/assistance.
Only the ARIMS Systems Administrator may delete an ORL from the system since it may be linked to records already stored in the Army Electronic Archive (AEA) or a Records Holding Area (RHA). Requests to delete an ORL should be directed through the records official responsible for the ORL and sent by using the Online Help Desk located at the bottom of any ARIMS webpage. The request should state the reason for the deletion.
OPTION: Instead of deleting the entire ORL, if you are authorized to access the ORL and the record instructions listed on the ORL are in a Proposed status, you may delete all of the instructions, rename the ORL if/as needed, and then re-populate it with new record instructions.
Your Records Manager is responsible for approving your ORL. You can create a new ORL for one year ahead of the current year or for prior years, beginning with the year 1900, at any time. REMINDER: Only one ORL can be created for the same year for the same office symbol.
You can also COPY an existing ORL to use for another year. From the RM-Assist menu, click on the Office Records List -> Create -> Create By Copy option and then select the ORL you wish to copy from the ORL from which to copy dropdown list. Select the year from the ORL year dropdown list. Then select the Create ORL button. The newly copied ORL will retain its same approval status and so if it is in DRAFT form, you will need to complete it and then send the final version to your Records Manager for approval by clicking on the Submit for Approval button.
Yes, you may COPY any existing ORL to which you have access to use for another year. From the RM-Assist tab, click on the Office Records List -> Create -> Create By Copy option and then select the ORL you wish to copy from the 'ORL from which to copy' dropdown list. Enter a name for the ORL and select the next year from the ORL year dropdown list. Next select the Create ORL button. All record instructions listed on the newly created/copied ORL will be in the same approval status as they were on the list that they were copied from. Therefore, if the ORL you copied already contained approved instructions, those approvals will carry over to the newly created/copied ORL. Alternatively, if the ORL you copied contained draft or proposed instructions, those will carry over to the newly created/copied ORL and you will need to complete any list in draft form before submitting to your Records Manager for approval; proposed instructions are automatically sent to your Records Manager for approval.
An ORL must first be named before it may be created or updated. After naming the ORL you may select to update the ORL, rename the ORL, or view the ORL. To add record instructions to an ORL, you must select the ORL, and select the update button. From the ORL details page, you may select to add Record Instructions by selecting the Add Record Instructions button. Then you may search for the desired Record Instructions to add by selecting the check boxes next to the ones you would like to add. Then select the Submit button. If the ORL is still in draft status, you may continue to add or delete instructions to the ORL. Click on the "Submit as Proposed" button when the ORL is ready to be forwarded to your servicing records management official for review and approval.
The ACRS deployed on 6 Jan 12 which reduced 6000+ record numbers to 112. Any ORLs created for 2012 before the deployment date were converted to reflect the new record numbers and retention periods.
Folders created prior to deployment of the ACRS on 6 Jan 12 were also converted to reflect the new record numbers and retention periods. You should double-check them to make sure that they converted properly and submit any issues you may find in an online help desk ticket. You do not need to re-print labels for the hardcopy records or re-submit any records that you had already uploaded to the ARIMS Army Electronic Archive from the electronic folders.
Folders created using the ACRS instructions deployed on 6 Jan 12 have the following new requirements and options: Privacy Act (PA) indicator, Calendar Year or Fiscal Year indicator, Event-Driven indicator with a text field to enter a description of the event, and Other retention period option to enter a defined period within the 0 – 6 year or 6+ year retention periods. If you are unsure of answering the required fields or using the other options, contact your records management officer for further guidance/assistance.
No, however, ARIMS automatically includes the record number when the "PRINT LABELS" feature is used.
Under the RM-Assist menu, select Folders->Create Folders, and then go to List Folders to print the labels for the hardcopy folders created . You can only print labels for Hardcopy records. Select the Hardcopy button and select the check box next to the folder label(s) you want to print. Select the Print Labels button. Be sure you have Avery labels #5161 or equivalent correctly loaded in your printer and that you do not override the ARIMS default print margin settings by modifying the File/Page Setup option of your browser before you start the print. From the Print Labels page, you may select which row you would like to begin printing the labels on and select the Print button.
Use Avery labels #5161 or equivalent (see the ARIMS Users Guide). Margins should be set at:
0.25 for all sides (Left, Right, Top, and Bottom).
Be sure you do not override the ARIMS default print margin settings by modifying the File/Page Setup option of your browser.
Additional information may be entered on the file label manually or by using a typewriter so long as any barcode labels are not obstructed. ARIMS automatically includes the record number on the label when the "PRINT LABELS" feature is used.
All currently active registered ARIMS users can search for records using the Master Index module. What you can directly access (meaning, can open and read) is determined by your access level. Action Officers (AOs) can directly access all records within their office symbol (except those subject to the Privacy Act (PA)). Records Coordinators (RCs) can access all records from the unit(s) they service. Records Managers (RMs) and Records Holding Area Managers (RHAMs) can access all records from units serviced by their RCs. FOIA Officers and ACOM/ASCC/DRU Records Administrators (RAs) can access all records from units serviced by their RMs/RHAMs. Requests for electronic records outside of a user's purview, and for all hardcopy records, can be forwarded through the Master Index module. Electronic records approved for viewing are sent to the requestor via email with instructions for accessing the record. NOTE: AO access to records in the ARIMS-C Site is restricted to only those that the user his/herself uploaded to the system–access to all other records whether PA restricted or not must be approved by the user who uploaded them or his/her RC, RM/RHAM, or RA.
Records submitted to the AEA belong to the office/unit for which it was created, not to any individual. However, what you can directly access (meaning, can open and read) is determined by your access level. Action Officers (AOs) can directly access all records within their office symbol (except those subject to the Privacy Act). Records Coordinators (RCs) can access all records from the unit(s) they service. Records Managers (RMs) and Records Holding Area Managers (RHAMs) can access all records from units serviced by their RCs. FOIA Officers and ACOM/ASCC/DRU Records Administrators (RAs) can access all records from units serviced by their RMs/RHAMs. Requests for electronic records outside of a user's purview (and for all hardcopy records) can be forwarded through the Master Index module. Electronic records approved for viewing are sent to the requestor via email with instructions for accessing the record.
Requests for records are ordinarily sent to the originator/submitter. If that individual is no longer available, the request is automatically forwarded to the nearest records management official–that is the RC, RM/RHAM, or RA, in that order, who services that office.
The record access rule differs under ARIMS-C in that only the submitter of a record may access a record directly. All others must be requested and approved on a strict "need to know" basis.
There are two search options available in the Master Index to locate records indexed/uploaded prior to deployment of the ACRS on 6 Jan 12. You can also search together for both pre-2012 and post-2012 records at the same time.
Electronic records stored in the ARIMS Army Electronic Archive (AEA) are destroyed by the ARIMS System Administration staff following the end of the scheduled retention period after authorization is received from the Records Manager for the unit which owns the records.
Hardcopy records stored in a Records Holding Area (RHA) are destroyed by the RHA Staff following the end of the scheduled retention period. Destroying these records requires authorization of the Records Manager for the unit which owns the records.
Users can index and submit records back to the year 1900 by using the Document Upload function or the Bulk Archive Tool (BAT) located under the RIPS tab for electronic records and to process hard copy records with barcode labels to an RHA under the same module/tab. For instructions on how to use this function, See Document Upload/Filing under the Help/Downloads -> menu.
The maximum file size when uploading with the RIPS Document Upload function is 5 Megabytes. You should use the BAT for larger size files. Currently, there is no maximum file size for transmitting a record or a file that contains records to the ARIMS AEA using the BAT. If in the future, however, the number of extremely large files being transmitted begin to adversely affect the performance of the system, a size limit will be established and an announcement posted on the ARIMS Homepage to notify users.