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                         August 30, 2002

Army to tighten re-enlistment window by Oct. 1

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Army News Service) -- Active-duty soldiers will need to re-enlist or extend 12 to three months prior to their separation date, beginning Oct. 1.

The Army announced today that it was reinstating this re-enlistment policy, which had been relaxed since October 2000. The purpose of the tighter re-enlistment window, personnel officials said, is to identify soldiers who desire unbroken service, and for the Army to program replacements for those who plan on returning to civilian status.

"During the past two years about 8 percent or approximately 5,000 soldiers delayed their re-enlistment decision until within three months of ETS," said Ron Canada, chief of the U.S. Army Personnel Command retention office. "The largest categories of these are careerists; that’s too many."

Canada expressed his concern that many soldiers may be denied retention after Oct. 1., if they decide to wait it out. A tremendous amount of work processing exceptions to policy will be placed on leaders and counselors if they don’t enforce the 12 to three-month re-enlistment window, Canada added.

Leaders are an integral part of the retention business, Canada said. He said leaders up and down the ranks must ensure that all soldiers are counseled on the re-enlistment window and that they may be denied further retention when within three months of ETS.

"I need everyone to help out in this effort," Canada said. "It’s that important."

Processing procedures for exceptions to the three-month cutoff will require a copy of the soldier’s re-enlistment interviews from Department of the Army form 4591-R to validate that the soldier was counseled.

Additionally, the exception will require a statement from the affected soldier with a reason he did not re-enlist within the 12 to three-month window and complete justification as to why exception should be approved.

This information is also being provided to Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack Tilley to disseminate to command sergeants major Armywide, personnel officials said.

Army Regulation 601-280 outlines in paragraphs 3-6 and 4-1e the re-enlistment window of three to 12 months.

The Army’s success in recruiting and retention has postured the Army to once again reinforce that re-enlistment is a privilege, personnel officials said, and therefore requires soldiers to make their retention decisions earlier. Therefore, they are rescinding policy messages 01-02 and 01-03, dated Oct. 5, 2000 and Oct. 13, 2000.

Exceptions to the three-month window will be considered for meritorious cases only, officials said.

The exception must be endorsed by the first general officer in the soldier’s chain of command. Requests should be submitted to PERSCOM in accordance with paragraph 3-10 of AR 601-280.