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New captain retention bonuses rolled out

The Army is offering a new menu of officer retention incentives, and it is targeted at captains commissioned in 1999-2005.

The application window opens April 7, and will close Nov. 30.

Similar to the retention program that generated 12,000 takers last year, the new program features cash bonuses of up to $35,000, and graduate school and language school opportunities.

The much-anticipated program specifically is aimed at basic-branch (Army Competitive Category) Regular Army captains with O-3 dates of rank of April 1, 2002 through Nov. 1, 2008.

Officers in this category must have entered active duty in one of the following branches: Air Defense, Adjutant General, Armor, Aviation, Chemical, Engineer, Field Artillery, Finance, Infantry, Military Intelligence, Military Police, Ordnance, Quartermaster, Signal and Transportation.

The retention bonus option also is available to certain Nurse Corps and Medical Service Corps captains with dates of rank of April 2, 2002 through Nov. 1, 2008.

Officers selected for one of the entry-level Medical Specialist Corps training programs (physician assistant, physical or occupational therapy) also qualify for a bonus if they surrender that training opportunity.

The incentives menu has three options, only one of which may be selected by an officer in return for a service obligation.

• The cash option of the Critical Skills Retention Bonus has three tiers in return for a service obligation of three years.

The tiers are $25,000 for Air Defense, Engineer, Finance, Quartermaster and Signal officers; $30,000 for Adjutant General, Armor, Chemical, Military Police and Ordnance, and $35,000 for Aviation, Field Artillery, Infantry, Military Intelligence and Transportation.

Nurse Corps and Medical Service Corps officers holding specialties 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D, 70E, 70F, 70H, 70K, and 73A are eligible for the $25,000 bonus.

Medical Service Corps captains in specialty 67J qualify for the $35,000 bonus.

Officials note that officer bonuses are subject to federal taxes (25 percent), as well as state taxes.

As several officers learned last year, deployment status does not automatically make a bonus tax-free.

• The graduate school option is targeted at officers who have not participated in the Expanded Graduate School Program, and who agree to extend their service at least three days for every day they spend in school.

Officers who participate in this program must study a prescribed discipline listed at https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/protect/active/opfamacs/acs14.htm.

• The language school option is available to officers who achieve certain scores on the Defense Language Aptitude Test and who agree to extend their service by three days for each day spent in school.

Minimum qualifying scores on the language test are 95 for Category I; 100 for Category II, 105 for Category III, and 110 for Category IV.

Officers who want to participate in the incentives program must sign a contract that is endorsed by the first lieutenant colonel in their chain of command, and that is submitted electronically to the Human Resources Command-Alexandria at opmdretention@conus.army.mil.

For specific details about the program, consult MilPer Message 08-093.