Army Reenlistment / Retention Worksheet
Plan a reenlistment before you sit down with your career counselor: your window, eligibility, the five options, term, bonus, and the questions to ask.
What this worksheet covers
Name, rank, and unit prefill from your service profile.
Soldier data
- Name (Last, First, MI)
- Grade
- Unit
- PMOS / skill level
- Current ETS date
- Active Federal service (years / months)
- Reenlistment window (opens / closes)
Currently 12 months before ETS to 90 days before ETS for FY26 ETS dates. HQDA sets the window by message.
- Retention control point for your grade
The most years of service allowed in your rank (DA Pam 601-280). A promotion raises it.
Eligibility
- Eligibility checks
Option and term
- Reenlistment option
Option 2 guarantees 1 to 18 months of stabilization; Option 3 guarantees a school seat; Option 4 guarantees an overseas area; Option 5 guarantees at least 24 months at a CONUS station of choice. Confirm what is open for your MOS.
- Term
- Station, school, or MOS requested (in order of preference)
- SRB / bonus (message, zone, amount if eligible)
Goals and questions
- Career goals and family considerations
- Questions for the career counselor
- Career counselor / interview date (DA Form 4591)
How to fill out the Retention worksheet (AR 601-280)
Your career counselor can only offer what the option tables and current MILPER messages allow, and only commitments written into the reenlistment documents count (AR 601-280, para 4-2). This worksheet gets your dates, eligibility, and priorities straight so you can ask for the right option. When: Before your reenlistment opportunity window opens. For Soldiers with a contractual ETS from 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2026, the window opened 12 months before ETS and, from 1 June 2025, stays open until 90 days before ETS; inside 90 days you need an exception to policy. Confirm the current window with your counselor.
Step by step
- Enter your ETS, time in service, and the retention control point (RCP) for your rank (DA Pam 601-280).
- Check your eligibility: no flag or bar, passing fitness test, meets body composition, and PMOS status.
- Rank what matters: staying put, a school, a location, a bonus, or a new MOS.
- Match that to an option and term length, and ask whether an SRB applies to your MOS, grade, and term.
- Write down your questions, then meet your career counselor and complete the retention interview.
What a strong one looks like
- The five reenlistment options: 1 Regular Army (no guarantee), 2 Current Station Stabilization, 3 Army Training, 4 Overseas Assignment, 5 CONUS Station of Choice. Availability depends on your MOS and current messages.
- With less than 10 years of service you reenlist for 2 to 6 years; SSGs and above with 10 or more years reenlist indefinitely (AR 601-280, para 4-1e).
- Get every promise in writing on the reenlistment documents. Verbal promises don't count.
- Reclassification to a new MOS goes through the career counselor and may need a DA Form 3340.
Common mistakes
- Waiting until the last 90 days before ETS.
- Assuming a bonus without checking the current SRB message for your MOS, grade, and term.
- A flag, bar, or failed fitness test you didn't know about that stops the reenlistment.