Soldiers Face Tougher Reenlistment Rules as Army Plans Troop Reductions
Military.com | By Steve Beynon
Published May 20, 2025 at 5:00 pm
The Army is halting a popular program that allowed soldiers to extend their enlistments in short increments, a shift that will require troops to commit to longer service terms, according to internal documents and email reviewed by Military.com.
Effective June 1, the Army will in most cases discontinue its service extension policy, which had permitted soldiers to prolong their enlistments by as little as one month and up to 23 months. The option has been widely used by troops weighing a transition to civilian life or those hesitant to commit to longer contracts -- particularly as financial incentives wane for service members in lower-demand career fields or with extended time in service. Soldiers currently deployed, however, will still be eligible for short-term extensions to their contracts.
Meanwhile, the Army is also preparing to reinstate its 90-day reenlistment window in July, a policy that had been paused in recent years. That policy requires soldiers to decide whether to reenlist before the final 90 days of their current term, effectively eliminating any last-minute changes of heart when troops are weighing whether to continue serving.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/05/20/soldiers-face-tougher-reenlistment-rules-army-plans-troop-reductions.html
