The Regular Army retention program that opened Oct. 1 includes five re-enlistment options for qualified soldiers whose terms of service will expire before Sept. 30, 2015.
The tough new rules are part of the "precision retention" strategy being followed by the Army as it moves to cut active component manning by at least 18,000 soldiers in 2015.
The revised procedures allow personnel officials to make reassignment and career management decisions based on the near real-time specialty and rank composition of the enlisted force.
The good news for eligible soldiers: Some will re-up with a guarantee of a hot overseas assignment, and others will have the guarantee of a stateside gig.
The new rules are also supplemented by new Selective Re-enlistment Bonus options that take effect Oct. 31.
Personnel officials estimate that slightly fewer than 52,000 soldiers will re-enlist for the Regular Army in fiscal 2015. As part of this year's re-up program, the Army has moved from an annual, 12-month retention mission format to quarterly missions in which commanders will be issued re-enlistment goals every three months based on changing requirements.
For soldiers, the Army is reverting to a 12-month individual opportunity window, rather than the static fiscal year-based system in place for the past several years.
Enlisted soldiers become eligible for re-enlistment under the new system 12 months in advance of their contractual expiration term of service, or ETS.
However, the Army retains a long-standing policy that requires soldiers to re-enlist no later than 90 days before their ETS.
This means when soldiers enter the 12-month window of eligibility, they will have no more than nine months to execute a service extension or re-enlistment contract.
Previously some soldiers had up to 21 months to execute a new enlistment contract.
Under the new rules, re-enlistment opportunities are subject to change every quarter. The Army may restrict re-enlistments based on a soldier's ETS or military occupational specialty and skill level.
For example, in early October the Army imposed a competitive screening requirement for soldiers requesting re-enlistment in the over-strength specialties of
■ 09L (interpreter/translator).
■ 12V1 and 12V2 (concrete and equipment specialist).
■ 12R1 (interior electrician).
■ 12W1 (carpentry and masonry specialist).
■ 13T1 (field artillery surveyor/meteorological crewmember).
■ And all skill levels for 36P cryptologic linguists with a control language of Hebrew, Thai or Turkish.
Soldier categories
The basic management categories for re-enlistment continue to be initial-term soldiers with six or fewer years of service, midcareer soldiers with six to 10 years of service, and career soldiers with 10 or more years of service.
Staff sergeants and above with 10 or more years of service generally are required to take an indefinite enlistment to remain in service.
However, soldiers should contact their local retention noncommissioned officer or career counselor to determine specific options that are available at the time they want to re-enlist.
Retention NCOs have access to an automated system, called RETAIN, that provides timely information about specific re-enlistment, reclassification, training and assignment opportunities.
Other important sources are the monthly cutoff scores for promotion to sergeant and staff sergeant, and the latest versions of the reclassification in/out calls and the tiered SRB program.
Restrictions governing the three major management categories of the 2015 retention program are listed below. For details on options E-1 through E-5, see related story.
Initial-term soldiers in overstrength MOSs: These soldiers are limited to the Regular Army and the Army Training options. A soldier's reclassification MOS must be understrength or balanced, except that soldiers can qualify for Options E-4 and E-5 if they re-enlist for a valid airborne position.
Initial-term soldiers in balanced MOSs: They are eligible for Options E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4 and E-5. However, if they retrain for reclassification under option E-3 they must select an MOS that is understrength or balanced.
Initial-term soldiers in understrength MOSs: They are eligible for Options E-1, E-2, E-4 and E-5.
Mid-career soldiers in overstrength MOSs: These soldiers are limited to options E-1 and E-3. Soldiers who elect to reclassify under E-3 must select an MOS that is understrength or balanced, except that soldiers can qualify for Options E-4 and E-5 if they re-enlist for a valid airborne position.
Mid-career soldiers in balanced MOSs: They are eligible for all options. However, if a soldier elects to retrain under option E-3, he or she must select an MOS that is understrength or balanced.
Mid-career soldiers in shortage MOSs: They are eligible for all options except E-3.
Career sergeants and staff sergeants with fewer than 10 years of service in overstrength MOSs: Limited to options E-1 and E-3. Soldiers who elect E-3, the training option, must reclassify for an MOS listed as Tier 4 in the Selective Retention Bonus program.
Career sergeants and staff sergeants with fewer than 10 years of service in balanced or understrength MOSs: They are limited to option E-1.
Career sergeants and staff sergeants, regardless of the strength status of their MOS, who have more than 10 years of service: They are limited to option E-1. Additionally, staff sergeants must re-enlist under the Indefinite Re-enlistment Program. Soldiers also have the option to request reclassification training in an MOS listed as Tier 4 in the SRB program.
Promotable staff sergeants and above who have fewer than 10 years of service: Regardless of MOS status, they are limited to the E-1 option.
