A soldier reenlists in Memphis, Tenn., March 16, 2025. The Army is shortening the time soldiers have to decide whether to reenlist or extend their contracts, citing improvements in recruiting and retention. (Dustin Reetz/U.S. Army)
The Army is giving soldiers less time to decide whether to reenlist or extend contracts amid a recent uptick in recruiting and retention, the service announced this week.
Starting July 1, the Army will reinstate a former policy that requires soldiers to reenlist no later than 90 days from their expiration term of service date. Soldiers less than 90 days from their ETS dates will be unable to reenlist, the Army said in a statement Tuesday.
“With reenlistment and recruiting exceeding expectations, the Army is in a good position to maintain its end strength and force requirements for the foreseeable future,” Master Sgt. Kindra Ford, a senior Army retention operations enlisted official, said in the statement.
For soldiers weighing whether to reenlist, that means no more last-minute decisions.
Another policy that allowed soldiers to extend their service for short periods of time without reenlisting also is being curtailed.
Soldiers with an ETS date before Oct. 1 who are not deployed or deploying have until May 31 to obtain retention extensions, the Army said.
Over the years, the Army has adjusted its policies on reenlistment and retention based on a variety of factors, such as the service’s ability to attract new recruits. During recruiting down periods, the Army often is more flexible as it tries to retain soldiers.
Now, after several years of struggles that resulted in failures to meet recruiting targets at times, the service has seen a groundswell of interest over the past year.
The Army surpassed its fiscal year 2025 reenlistment goal in April by retaining 15,600 soldiers, exceeding the 14,800 target, according to the service.
“The Army’s retention success also coincides with it recently exceeding 90% of its recruiting goals in May as it continues to build on its recruiting momentum,” the Army said.
