Soldiers in the Army taking part in the war with Iran can now reenlist up to two years before their service ends.
The Army announced the change on Friday, April 3 as part of several authorizations and bonuses for troops participating in Operation Epic Fury, which is now in its second month. Soldiers who are deployed in support of the mission are eligible to reenlist as early as 24 months prior to their expiration term of service or ETS date.
“These soldiers will retain access to all reenlistment options and incentives for which they are qualified at the time of reenlistment, and career counselors will be positioned within the area of responsibility to provide further retention support and guidance to all eligible personnel,” the Army’s release said.
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The move is a reversal from recent moves by the Army, which has narrowed reenlistment windows and made other changes over the last year. Last summer, the Army narrowed its reenlistment window, restoring an older policy requiring soldiers to reenlist no later than 90 days from the expiration term of service date. Prior to the summer update, soldiers had up to 12 months from their ETS to reenlist. Those changes last year came as the Army had actually seen several gains in both enlistment and retention of personnel.
The decision to let soldiers reenlist two years in advance of their ETS was made in order to “maximize benefits for personnel who are serving deployed in support of Epic Fury,” Army spokesman Maj. Travis Shaw said in a statement to Task & Purpose over the weekend. “This will enable personnel who are eligible for monetary bonuses to receive them.”
The Army also reaffirmed that soldiers taking part in Operation Epic Fury are authorized to wear Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for Military Operations in Hostile Conditions, better known as combat patches. The Army also confirmed that soldiers deployed in support of the mission will also get Imminent Danger Pay. Brig. Gen. Gregory Johnson, the director for Military Personnel Management, said in a statement that soldiers will receive both “augmented and tax-exempted pay.”
The Pentagon earlier confirmed that all troops deployed in the operation will receive either Imminent Danger Pay or Hostile Fire Pay, depending on where they are located. As Task & Purpose previously noted, those payments max out at $225 per month. The announced list of eligible places includes bases in several Middle Eastern nations such as Kuwait and Qatar, as well as waterways such as the Gulf of Oman.
