THE UNITED STATES ARMY
Headquarters
Department of the Army
Washington, DC
14 April 2023

*Army Regulation 601–280

Effective 14 May 2023

Personnel Procurement

Army Retention Program

By Order of the Secretary of the Army:

JAMES C. MCCONVILLE
General, United States Army
Chief of Staff

MARK F. AVERILL
Administrative Assistant to the
Secretary of the Army

History. This publication is a major revision.

Authorities. The authority for this regulation is 10 USCUSCUnited States Code 7013.

Applicability. This regulation applies to the Regular Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve, unless otherwise stated. Provisions of this regulation may be amended or suspended, as necessary, in accordance with 10 USCUSCUnited States Code 12305, which authorizes the President to suspend any provision of law related to the promotion, separation, or retirement of military personnel under certain conditions. In cases of conflict between this regulation and any other regulations setting forth retention policy for Soldiers serving in the Regular Army, this regulation will take precedence.

Proponent and exception authority. The proponent of this regulation is the Deputy Chief of Staff, G–1. The proponent has the authority to approve exceptions or waivers to this regulation that are consistent with controlling law and regulations. The proponent may delegate this approval authority, in writing, to a division chief within the proponent agency or its direct reporting unit or field operating agency, in the grade of colonel or the civilian equivalent. Activities may request a waiver to this regulation by providing justification that includes a full analysis of the expected benefits and must include formal review by the activity's senior legal officer. All waiver requests will be endorsed by the commander or senior leader of the requesting activity and forwarded through their higher headquarters to the policy proponent. Refer to AR 25–30 for specific requirements.

Army internal control process. This regulation contains internal control provisions in accordance with AR 11–2 and identifies key internal controls that must be evaluated (see appendix C).

Suggested improvements. Users are invited to send comments and suggested improvements on DA FormDA FormDepartment of the Army form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) via email to usarmy.pentagon.hqda-dcs-g-1.mbx.army-retention@army.mil.

Distribution. This regulation is available in electronic media only and is intended for the Regular Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve.

*This regulation supersedes AR 601–280, dated 16 June 2021.

AR 601–280 • 14 April 2023

UNCLASSIFIED

Component

Mobilization

Active Guard and Reserve National Guard and Reserve members who are on voluntary active duty providing full-time support to Na- tional Guard, Reserve, and RA organizations for the purpose of organizing, administering, recruiting, in- structing, or training the RCs (see CJCSM 3150.13C).

Army The RA, Army of the United States, the ARNGUSARNGUSArmy National Guard of the United States, and the USARUSARUnited States Army Reserve.

Army National Guard That part of the organized militia of the several states and territories, Puerto Rico, and the District of Co- lumbia, active and inactive, that is a land force; is trained; has its officers appointed under the sixteenth clause of section 8, article I of the Constitution; is organized, armed, and equipped wholly or partly at Fed- eral expense; and is Federally recognized (see NGRNGRNational Guard Regulation 600 – 200).

Army National Guard of the United States The RC of the Army, all of whose members are members of the ARNGARNGArmy National Guard. Consists of Federally recognized units and organizations of the ARNGARNGArmy National Guard and members of the ARNGARNGArmy National Guard who are also Reserves of the Army (see NGRNGRNational Guard Regulation 600 – 200).

Cause (with regard to Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development System removal) Elimination for cause includes conduct, disciplinary or academic deficiency, failure, or a combination thereof. A bar is a probationary or rehabilitative measure, intended to put a Soldier on notice that they do not meet standards, but are being given a chance to correct the deficiency or shortcoming. If the Soldier corrects the problem, the bar is removed. Initiation of separation proceedings means that, in the com- mander’s judgment, the Soldier will never meet standards and that early separation is in the best interest of the service.

Command Sergeant Major Program Retention of command sergeants major and sergeants major beyond 30 years active Federal service is limited to those in nominative assignments or selected to fill command sergeants major and sergeants major positions where the commander is a general officer. Command sergeants major chosen as Com- mandant, U.S. Army Sergeant Major Academy are also included in this rule.

Component Refers to the RA (COMPO 1), ARNGUSARNGUSArmy National Guard of the United States and ARNGARNGArmy National Guard (COMPO 2), and USARUSARUnited States Army Reserve (COMPO 3) (see AR 220 – 1).

First enlistment (also initial enlistment) A voluntary enrollment in the RA as an enlisted member for the first time by a Soldier with no prior RA service or with prior service only in other branches of the Armed Forces.

Immediate reenlistment A voluntary second or subsequent enrollment in the RA as an enlisted Soldier immediately upon separa- tion from active military service in the Army. This term represents a concurrent action in which the separa- tion document is not given to a Soldier until the Soldier has reenlisted in the RA.

Immediate reenlistment prohibition code A systematic code used by the U.S. Army to identify Soldiers who are not eligible to reenlist. This code is often referred to as IMREPR.

In–service personnel Soldiers currently serving on active duty in the Army.

Noncommissioned Officer Career Status Program reenlistment A reenlistment period of an “indefinite or unspecified” term. A Soldier on the NCONCONoncommissioned officer career status program has no actual ETSETSExpiration term of service date. The Soldier’s service is governed by maximum retention control points for the specific rank held (see DA PamDA PamDepartment of the Army Pamphlets 601 – 280). Generally, the Soldier is permitted to serve up to the retention control point for current rank, unless sooner separated or removed from active duty under other law or policies.

Persons, applicants, personnel, or Soldier These terms, unless used in such a way as to apply to only one sex in general usage, are used in this regulation to mean both men and women.

Prior service personnel In-service personnel with service before their current period of active duty.

Reenlistee The Soldier reenlisting. Generally used in the same context as “applicant.”

Reenlistment eligibility codes Assigned to Soldiers who do not immediately reenlist at the last duty station to which assigned. The pur- pose of these codes is to inform the RC career counselor and the Army recruiter of the Soldier’s eligibility to reenter the service. They are also referred to as “reentry codes” (see AR 601 – 210 for a list of these codes).

Reenlistments All voluntary enrollments after the initial enlistment or induction.

Regular Army A Federal force of full-time Soldiers and DA Civilians who make up the operational and institutional organ- izations engaged in the day-to-day missions of the Army. Upon mobilization, ARNGUSARNGUSArmy National Guard of the United States and ARNGARNGArmy National Guard (COMPO 2) and USARUSARUnited States Army Reserve (COMPO 3) retain their applicable force structure COMPO designations while on active duty (see DA PamDA PamDepartment of the Army Pamphlets 220 – 1).

Reserve Component Consists of ARNGARNGArmy National Guard (COMPO 2) and USARUSARUnited States Army Reserve (COMPO 3). (See DA PamDA PamDepartment of the Army Pamphlets 220 – 1.)

Retention noncommissioned officer A Soldier assigned reenlistment duties on a full- or part-time basis who does not possess a PMOSPMOSPrimary military occupational specialty within CMF 79.

Second or subsequent termer A Soldier who has reenlisted one or more times and is, therefore, on their second or subsequent term of active Federal military service. Soldiers who have prior service in another branch of the Armed Forces enter the Army as a “second or subsequent termer.”

Senior career counselor The commander’s principal advisor on all matters relating to the Army Retention Program. Leads, men- tors, and exercises operational supervision of at least one (1) subordinate career counselor and their as- sociated retention program.

Unsuitable Soldiers Soldiers who may exhibit their unsuitability through interests or habits that are detrimental to the mainte- nance of good order and discipline and who may have records of minor misconduct requiring repetitive corrective or disciplinary action.

Untrainable Soldiers Soldiers who are found lacking in abilities and aptitudes to the extent that they require frequent or contin- ued special instruction or supervision.

Army Retention Program This major revision, dated 14 April 2023— • Adds Soldier’s Medal to list of conditions for commissioned and warrant officers without a statutory entitlement to reenlist in the rank of sergeant (para 1–8 d (3)( b )). • Delegates to the Director of Military Personnel Management the authority to act on requests for exceptions and waivers to policy on retention (para 2 – 3). • Adds annual ethics refresher training conducted by command career counselor (para 2–6 o (8)). • Adds senior career counselor duties and responsibilities (para 2–6 p ). • Updates Army Combat Fitness Test policy when qualifying Soldiers for continued service (para 3– 8 d (2)). • Updates continued service weight control policy for Soldiers during/post pregnancy (para 3–8 e (2)). • Updates security clearance requirements for continued service (para 3–8 h ). • Changes Non-Commissioned Officer Career Status Program–INDEF (NCONCONoncommissioned officer – CSP) from 12 to 10 years of active Federal service (para 3 – 15). • Adds waivers and exceptions reporting requirements from Retention and Reclassification Branch to Director of Military Personnel Management and Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) (para 3 – 16). • Incorporates Army Directive 2021-05 concerning policy for the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (para 4 – 7). • Updates Selective Retention Bonus Program responsibilities (para 5 – 2). • Removes 17 months continuous active duty on the date of reenlistment requirements for selective retention bonus eligibility per DoDI 1304.31 (formerly para 5–4 b (4)). • Updates combined retention bonus payments amount over a Soldier career per DoDI 1304.31 (para 5– 6 a (2)). • Updates eligibility processing for trainability and medical into the Army National Guard of the United States, U.S. Army Reserve, and Individual Ready Reserve (para 7 – 4). • Changes requirements for retraining in the Army National Guard of the United States/U.S. Army Reserves to current requirements established by DA PamDA PamDepartment of the Army Pamphlets 611 – 21 (para 7–4 a (3)). • Updates rater qualifications for command or senior career counselor (para 9–6 e ). • Adds mandatory reporting requirements of career counselors who meet the criteria for the Career Counselor Suitability Board (para 9 – 12). • Updates administering of the oath of enlistment and reenlistment requirements (para 13 – 1).