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New Retention Control Points Take Effect Feb. 1

NCO Journal Staff Report

January 29, 2014

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Army Directive 2013-28 has been released with an effective date of Feb. 1, 2014. The directive identifies new retention control points (RCP) for each enlisted rank. Retention control points are the maximum amount of years of active service, an enlisted Soldier can have before they must either get promoted or leave the Army.

The directive applies to Soldiers serving in the Regular Army and Soldiers of the U.S. Army Reserve and the Army National Guard of the United States who are serving under the Active Guard Reserve Title 10 programs. This policy does not apply to Soldiers serving in the USAR or ARNGUS who are mobilized, or assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve or Troop Program Unit.

A Soldier’s RCP is based on their basic active service date (the date they were sworn into the Army). However, Soldiers whose RCP precedes their end term of service (ETS) will serve until their ETS date.

RCP is a program that will not allow Soldiers to reenlist when they have reached their specific RCP. Soldiers can attend promotion boards prior to their RCP date to extend their Army career. If a Soldier gets promoted prior to reaching their RCP, they can continue their service and reenlist at their new rank provided they meet current reenlistment standards (see table below for how promotable status affects each rank’s RCP).

Those Soldiers who exceed the RCP for their current rank because of a reduction in grade or removal from the promotion list must retire or separate from the Army no earlier than 90 days or no later than 180 days after the effective date of the reduction in grade.

For specific questions please see your Career Counselor.

New RCPs:

Private-Private First Class:

5 years time in service

Corporal/Specalist/Specalist (P):

8 years time in service            

Sergeant/Sergeant (P):

14 years time in service

Staff Sergeant:

20 years time in service

Staff Sergeant (P):

26 years time in service

Sergeant First Class:

26 years time in service

Sergeant First Class (P):

29 years time in service

First Sergeant/Master Sergeant:

29 years time in service

First Sergeant/Master Sergeant (P):

32 years time in service

Command Sergeant Major/Sergeant Major:

32 years time in service

 

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