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Junior officers can get up to $35,000 to stay

A diverse menu of retention incentives that includes assignment options, schooling opportunities and cash bonuses of up to $35,000 was launched Thursday morning for several thousand captains of the active component.

The much-anticipated program is considerably broader and deeper than the one envisioned five months ago, when the Defense Department gave the Army a green light to move forward with the service’s first-ever retention campaign for captains.

Personnel officials estimate that 17,000 captains are eligible for the program, a major increase over the 5,000 candidates targeted under the original plan.

The cash option under that plan was only $20,000, a level that many field commanders thought was too small.

The full menu of incentives under the plan announced Thursday is available to Regular Army captains with dates of rank of April 1, 2002, through Nov. 1, 2007, who entered active duty in the following basic branches: Air Defense, Adjutant General, Armor, Aviation, Chemical, Engineer, Field Artillery, Finance, Infantry, Military Police, Ordnance, Quartermaster, Signal and Transportation.

Incentives also are available to select categories of Nurse Corps and Medical Service Corps officers promoted to captain April 2, 2002, through Nov. 1, 2007.

Promotable first lieutenants of the Army Competitive Category who are members of Year Group 2004 also become eligible when promoted to captain.

The incentives are not available to reserve officers, warrant officers, members of the special branches, and captains who have been primary zone candidates for promotion to major.

Also ineligible are officers currently enrolled in college under the Expanded Graduate School Program.

Officers who are scheduled to attend school in fiscal 2008 and beyond must withdraw from EGSP if they want to apply for one of the new retention options.

The incentives menu has five options, only one of which may be selected by an officer in return for a service obligation that can vary from one to three years, depending on the option selected:

• Critical Skills Retention Bonus — a tiered cash option of $25,000, $30,000 or $35,000, depending on accession branch.

Officers who receive a bonus incur a three-year service obligation. Applications must be received at the Retention Branch by Dec. 14.

The Tier 1 incentive of $25,000 is available to eligible captains of Air Defense, Nurse Corps, Engineer, Finance, Signal, Quartermaster and the following specialties of the Medical Service Corps: 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D, 70E, 70F, 70H, 70K, 67J and 73A.

The Tier 2 incentive of $30,000 is available to captains of the Adjutant General Corps, Armor, Chemical, Military Police and Ordnance branches.

The Tier 3 incentive of $35,000 is available to captains of Aviation, Field Artillery, Infantry, Military Intelligence and the Transportation Corps.

• Graduate School — while available to captains of all eligible cohorts, slots will be allocated based on availability, with priority going to members of Year Groups 2003 and 2004.

Most approved applicants will attend school between their eighth and 12th year of service, and will incur a service obligation of three days for every day spent in school.

The application deadline is Oct. 19. A selection list of approved applicants will be announced Oct. 26.

• Military School — while available to captains of all eligible cohorts who want to attend Ranger School or the Defense Language Institute, priority for selection will go to members of Year Groups 2003 and 2004.

Applicants who are approved for Ranger School will incur a 12-month service obligation, and those for language school a three-day obligation for every day in school. The application deadline is Dec. 14.

• Branch/functional area of choice — priority for selection will go to members of Year Groups 2003 and 2004.

Application procedures are the same as for a regular branch or specialty transfer, except that applications will receive expedited processing.

Officers who are approved for a transfer will incur a three-year service obligation. The application deadline is Nov. 23.

• Post of choice — priority for selection will go to members of Year Groups 2003 and 2004.

Application procedures are the same as for a regular reassignment request, except that applications will receive expedited processing. The application deadline is Nov. 23.

Officers approved for this option will be guaranteed stabilization for at least 24 months. They will incur a three-year service obligation.

specific details and application procedures are contained in MilPer Message 07-237, which was posted Thursday morning by the Human Resources Command. Go to https://perscomnd04.army.mil/milpermsgs.nsf using an Army Knowledge Online ID and password.

Officers with questions about the program should contact their career manager or visit the HRC Officer Retention Branch Web site.