SRB update keeps incentives for 130 MOSs - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

SRB update keeps incentives for 130 MOSs

A late September update to the Selective Re-enlistment Bonus program retains incentive options for nearly 130 MOSs and skill sets, and a top-end payment of $40,000 for soldiers in priority military occupational specialties.

The SRB program that went into effect Sept. 23, which will expire Dec. 31, also has options for soldiers serving in the Southwest Asia combat zone.

Bonuses in the “location” section of the tiered SRB program are available to soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait regardless of their MOS.

Specialty-specific bonuses also are available to soldiers in Djibouti, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and soldiers who agree to serve with Special Operations Command, the 75th Ranger Regiment and certain other specialty units.

The Bonus Extension and Retraining, or BEAR, program also has been renewed for the next three months.

This program, with bonuses of $1,300 to $40,000, allows qualified soldiers to retrain and reclassify into one of 27 priority specialties.

To qualify for a retention bonus, soldiers must have at least 17 months of continuous active duty.

The Army manages the bonus programs by these zones, or career categories:

• Zone A, soldiers with 17 months to six years of service.

• Zone B, soldiers with six to 10 years of service.

• Zones C, soldiers with 10 to 14 years of service at the time of re-enlistment.

Specialties listed in the bonus charts with a numeric tier level are zone-immaterial, while those with an alpha-numeric are zone-specific.

For example, if MOS 11B is listed as Tier 4 at the rank of sergeant, soldiers from all zones are eligible to receive the bonus, provided they are otherwise qualified.

If MOS 11B is listed as Tier 4C at the rank of staff sergeant, only soldiers in Zone C are eligible to receive a bonus.

Retention bonuses are paid lump-sum, and generally are tax-free if paid in a combat zone.

For information on taxable income, consult Table 44-1, Chapter 44 of Volume 7A of the Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation.

Under the “tiered” bonus system introduced in 2009, SRBs are available in two entitlement categories — one for location-specific specialties and one for all other incentive-eligible MOSs.

Soldiers are restricted to one bonus entitlement. They cannot combine bonuses from the two categories.

For example, a 15T Black Hawk helicopter repairer can select a bonus option from one of the two entitlement areas but not both.

Soldiers who re-enlist for a specific location or unit will be stabilized for at least two years, unless the assignment is to a short-tour area.

Soldiers who re-up for a short-tour location will be stabilized for 12 months.

To qualify for a language-dependent bonus, soldiers must meet the minimum proficiency level of 2 for listening and 2 for speaking or reading.

Applicants who have proficiency levels of 3/3 are authorized an additional $7,500 to the amount listed in the bonus chart.

DISCUSS: BEAR PROGRAM