The Army is offering soldiers just days to decide whether to reenlist if they hope to secure bonuses, preferred assignments or other extras typically associated with continued service, according to internal documentation reviewed by Military.com.
Under the policy, troops whose contracts are set to expire before the end of September must commit to reenlistment by Monday to remain eligible for such incentives.
While it is not unusual for the Army to curtail incentives after meeting its retention goals, the troops were given little heads-up on the matter. However, it was unclear if the service hit its retention goal. The Army declined to provide numbers on how many soldiers have opted to reenlist this year and what the goal was. The service traditionally hits its retention goal about halfway through the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
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“The window to qualify for retention options other than needs of the Army is closing April 21, 2025,” the service said in a statement Wednesday, adding soldiers should immediately see a career counselor if they’re considering reenlisting.
If those soldiers reenlist after the deadline, they’ll only have access to a so-called Option 1 reenlistment, which in effect would entitle them to continue their service but puts their job and assignment at the mercy of the Army’s needs.
Noncommissioned officers interviewed by Military.com reported getting the notice at different times within the last two weeks, but most noted they heard about it only through social media rumors. The Army didn’t announce it officially until Wednesday and some units have a long weekend ahead of Easter, shortening the window to file for reenlistment. Two senior noncommissioned officers were made aware of the notice only after this publication inquired about it.
The oversight authority on reenlistment is the Army’s personnel office, which in November also gave a chaotic no-notice order to hundreds of NCOs to report to recruiting schools to fill in a shortage of recruiters the service was unable to anticipate. The move came to the chagrin of senior Army leaders at the time and was immediately reversed.
Reenlisting ahead of time may grant soldiers enlistment bonuses, options to go to career-boosting schools and the option to stay at their current duty station for up to two years depending on the contract, which can be enticing to those who aren’t interested in moving or whose spouses are building a career.
Meanwhile, the service has seemingly overcome its recruiting slump, largely due to a significant investment in its Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which gets applicants up to snuff with Army academic or fitness enlistment standards before boot camp.
A yearslong recruiting slump has been attributed to a shrinking pool of young Americans being eligible to serve, mostly due to obesity and failing to perform adequately on the military’s SAT-style entrance exam.
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