Army Retention

Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer addresses the Army Career Counselor field in this exclusive message, highlighting the Army’s ongoing efforts to modernize the retention program.

Mission

The objective of the Army Retention Program is to sustain the Army's end strength by retaining personnel long term. Army retention maintains operational readiness and improves lethality through targeting the Army's best and brightest within critical fields to dominate near-peer adversaries with superior capabilities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain Force Strength: Ensures the Army retains qualified Soldiers to meet end-strength goals and maintain readiness.

Retain Skilled Personnel: Prioritize the retention of highly skilled Soldiers, particularly in critical Military Occupational Specialties, to enhance operational capability and lethality.

Support Transitions: Facilitate the reenlistment, transfer, and assignment of Soldiers leaving the Regular Army to Reserve Component units, while adhering to geographic and strategic requirements.

Promote Career Growth: Encourage Soldiers to continue careers in the Army through guidance, resources, and opportunities for professional development.

Force Alignment: Recruit, retain, or transfer Soldiers in vital areas to achieve and sustain total force alignment across Army components.

Support Key Initiatives: Support programs such as the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Green to Gold Programs and the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, to help strengthen the Army's future leadership and readiness.

Latest News

Reenlistment Terms

Initial Term: A Soldier serving on an initial term of active Federal military service, or a Soldier who has previously served less than 180 cumulative days on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces.

Mid-Career: A Soldier on a second or subsequent period of active Federal military service who will have 10 or less years of active Federal military service on his or her separation date or at ETS.

NCO Career Status Program: Soldiers with 10 or more years of active duty. A Soldier on NCO career status has no actual ETS date. The Soldier’s service is governed by maximum retention control points for the specific rank held.

Reenlistment Options

Regular Army Reenlistment: Soldiers may reenlist for 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 years, regardless of grade or amount of service completed. Soldiers in the rank of staff sergeant or higher, who have 10 or more years active federal service on the date of discharge, will be restricted to an indefinite term of reenlistment.

Current Station Stabilization: Soldiers may reenlist for stabilization and guarantees up to 1 to 30-months period of stabilization at current duty assignment.

Army Training Reenlistment: Soldiers may reenlist for attendance at an available service school of choice for PMOS, Skill Qualification Identifier (SQI), Additional Skill Identifier (ASI), or language training.

Overseas Assignment Reenlistment: Soldiers may reenlist for an assignment in an overseas location.

CONUS Station of Choice: Soldiers may reenlist a specific duty station within the continental United States based on availability and Needs of the Army.

Reserve Component Reenlistment Options: Soldiers transitioning from the Regular Army can enlist into the Reserve Component, including the Army National Guard or U.S. Army Reserve, to continue serving part-time while pursuing civilian careers or education.

Reclassification

The Army reclassification process allows personnel to change their MOS to meet their career goals or the Army's needs. Soldiers may request reclassification voluntarily or during reenlistment, or it can be mandatory for force balancing requirements. Once approved, soldiers must complete the necessary training for their new MOS to become qualified.

Priority MOS

The Army has established reclassification targets to advance force-structure modernization and maintain readiness. As part of this effort, the Army will prioritize reclassifying Soldiers into priority MOSs to support the Army’s evolving structure.

Priority MOS List

  • 11B Infantryman 11B.pdf [PDF - 99.2 KB]

    13J Fire Control Specialist 13J.pdf [PDF - 81.8 KB]

    13M MLRS/HIMARS Crewmember 13M.pdf [PDF - 78.2 KB]

    14E Patriot Fire Control Operator/Maintainer 14E.pdf [PDF - 63.6 KB]

    14G Air Defense Battle Management Operator 14G.pdf [PDF - 67.1 KB]

    14P Air and Missile Defense Crewmember 14P.pdf [PDF - 65.4 KB]

    14T Patriot LS Enhanced Operator/Maintainer 14T.pdf [PDF - 63.7 KB]

    15X Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System Specialist 15X.pdf [PDF - 114.9 KB]

    17E Electronic Warfare Specialist 17E.pdf [PDF - 67.4 KB]

    19C Bradley Crewmember 19C.pdf [PDF - 69.4 KB]

    19K Armor Crewmember 19K.pdf [PDF - 68.6 KB]

    25H Network Communications System Specialist 25H.pdf [PDF - 68.7 KB]

    35F Intelligence Analyst 35F.pdf [PDF - 96.5 KB]

    35G Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst 35G.pdf [PDF - 98 KB]

    35L Counterintelligence (CI) Agent 35L.pdf [PDF - 95.2 KB]

    35M HUMINT Collector 35P.pdf [PDF - 115.1 KB]

    35S Signals Acquisition/Exploitation Analyst 35S.pdf [PDF - 98.7 KB]

    35T Military Intelligence Systems Maintainer 35T.pdf [PDF - 96.3 KB]

    92F Petroleum Supply Specialist 92F.pdf [PDF - 96.5 KB]

    94S Patriot System Repairer 94S.pdf [PDF - 103.8 KB]

Army Fitness Test Resources

Compensation Resources

Continuation Pay Request Form

MILPER Messages

Publications

Retention Newsletter

Soldier Resources

Retention Control Point (RCP) Exception to Policy

The memorandum signed by the DCS G-1, Temporary Change to Retention Control Points (RCP) for Enlisted Soldiers serving in the Regular Army (RA)/United States Army Reserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG) Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Title 10 Program has expired.

Note: Any FY26 Soldiers that have already had a temporary RCP approved will be grandfathered and their current adjusted RCP will remain.

Rotational Deployment Extension Assignment Incentive Pay (RDE-AIP)

The existing RDE-AIP entitlements and conditions will continue to apply and have been extended for an additional six months as preparations for the FY26 AIP program are underway. This extension is valid through 31 March 2026.

Reenlistment Opportunity Window

Effective 1 July 2025, the ROW will remain open until 90 days prior to a Soldier’s ETS. Soldiers within the 90-day window may still reenlist with an exception to policy.

Extensions

Effective 1 June 2025, the Army will suspend all extensions except for “M” and “M1” extensions for Soldiers with an FY25 ETS. Exceptions for other extension requests for FY25 personnel will be considered on a case-by-case basis, ETP requests will be processed by Retention and Reclassification Branch, HRC.

Soldiers with an FY26 ETS are authorized to extend for all applicable extensions, except for “LZ” and “W” extensions.

Army Junior Officer Counsel

Mission Statement: The Army Junior Officer Counsel (AJOC) enables junior officers to drive meaningful change that shapes organizational decisions, strengthens quality of service and quality of life, and fosters a culture of innovation, collaboration, and open communication with senior leaders across the Army.

Objectives

Junior Officer Ownership: Providing a direct avenue for junior officers to contribute to Army policy discussions, ensuring an opportunity for their perspectives to shape organizational decisions.

Retention and Readiness: Addressing concerns affecting junior officers, making recommendations to improve their quality of life and facilitating professional development opportunities to retain the best junior officers while ensuring they are ready to lead the most lethal force in history.

Visibility and Feedback Mechanisms: Increasing Junior Officer awareness of senior leader initiatives and providing structured, data-driven feedback to inform Army priorities.

Collaboration Across Echelons: Strengthening networking and partnerships among junior officers, senior leaders, and stakeholders to drive systemic improvements in Army culture.

Connect with AJOC

Junior officers are encouraged to connect with the Army Junior Officer Counsel (AJOC) and share their insights by reaching out to us at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-dcs-g-1.mbx.ajoc@army.mil.

FAQs

When does the reenlistment window open? The Army's Reenlistment Opportunity Window (ROW) opens 12 months before a soldier's ETS.

What determines reenlistment options for a soldier? Reenlistment options for soldiers are determined by a combination of factors such as their rank, time in service, and the strength of MOS.

What determines if a soldier will receive a bonus? Soldier's qualify for a reenlistment bonus based on the strength of MOS, the length of their reenlistment contract, and the Army's operational needs. Bonuses will be determined by the SRB message in effect at the time of reenlistment.

Am I able to reenlist for an option if I am taking action to meet the service remaining requirement for TEB or Continuation Pay? Soldiers in their reenlistment window who are required to meet the SRR for TEB or Continuation Pay may reenlist under any option they are qualified for; you are not restricted to the Regular Army Reenlistment Option due to the SRR. Soldiers who are not in the ROW who are required to meet the SRR for TEB may take action IAW DA Pam 601-280, paragraph 12-2. Soldiers who are not in the ROW who need to take action to meet the SRR for Continuation Pay are restricted to the Regular Army Reenlistment Option or extension IAW with DA Pam 601-280, chapter 5.