Are you considering reenlisting? I’ve been there several times. In 2009, I enlisted in the Army for 5 years. I thought I would do my time, get my benefits, and walk away proud of enlisting to serve during a time of war.
In 2013, I reenlisted for the first time, then again in 2015, and again in 2018. Here I am now, with 12 years of service as a Sergeant First Class, a tenure, grade, and position well beyond what I could have imagined in 2009.
Here’s a list of 10 reasons Soldiers consider reenlisting.
Uncertainty
What do I want to be when I grow up? I know I’ve thought this on more than one occasion. This was an underlying reason for each of my reenlistments.
After you’ve served for a while, you realize the Army is easy. Be at the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform. That becomes comfortable, where change is hard and requires action. So, unless you have conviction, you might kick the can down the road and choose easy street again, signing away a few more years.
Stability
If you have a family, providing for them is likely your top priority. Having a guaranteed paycheck on the 1st and 15th helps make sure you’re doing just that.
You’ve got stability in knowing you can’t get fired out of the blue. Even if you are getting involuntarily separated, you get a notice that separation proceedings are in the works and that can spur you to action.
And, if you like where you’re at, there’s a reenlistment option for that, which stabilizes you and your family at that location for 1 to 18 months.
Retirement
The biggest carrot at the end of the stick is retirement. It’s a great motivator, especially after they’ve made it near the halfway point.
Up until the introduction of the Blended Retirement System (BRS), you were playing the long game to make it to 20.
Now, the BRS has made it a bit more like a traditional 401k. The Army automatically contributes 1% of base pay, monthly, and will match up to another 4% based on your contribution.
Back in 2018, I bet on myself and the legacy retirement plan. Hindsight makes that look a bit like a missed opportunity now.
Benefits
For anyone who has fended for themselves in the civilian world, the benefits are undeniable. I know I often take health care, tuition assistance, and 30 days of annual leave for granted.
For a lot of young veterans, the cost of health care alone is a huge shock. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the average cost of health care in the United States in 2020 was $12,530 per person.
Tuition Assistance, if you take advantage of it all, is another $4,500 annually. It is worth noting, though, that some companies offer full or partial tuition reimbursement, much like the Army.
In a March 2017 study, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that workers received 15 days of paid vacation after 5 years of service. Many cases showed that after 20 years of service, paid vacation days still fell short of what the Army offers to all of its members.
Timing
Sometimes, things just fall into place. The Army plays this game well. In 2015, I was within a few months of separating when I was placed on assignment to a unit stationed in Italy.
My plans quickly changed when I thought about living in Italy for two years and feared the consequences of signing a Dec Statement, or Declination of Continued Service Statement (DCSS). Click the link if you want to learn more about the Dec Statement process and consequences.
Oftentimes, life events, for example, the birth of a child, shift your priorities and make the stability of military service more enticing.
Bonus
Show me the money! If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in an MOS that is eligible for a bonus, that can be the swing vote. Hell, if the money is right, that may be outright the reason you would reenlist.
Soldiers in Career Management Fields (CMFs) 15, 17, 25, 35, and 68 are pretty consistently offered some level of bonus. Depending on current trends, some MOSs in these fields are eligible for the higher tiers paydays as well. Assignment to Airborne positions, Special Operations Command, 75th Ranger Regiment, and 160th SOAR have opportunities for many other MOSs to earn bonuses, as well.
Legacy
Some people love the military. Many families have a long-standing lineage of military service, some dating back towards the American Revolution.
If you love it, you might even be trying to create your own legacy of service.
Reenlistment Options
The Army has five reenlistment options, however, we’ll focus on only three of them here. CONUS Station-of-Choice, OCONUS Station-of-Choice, and Army Training.
Station of Choice
It’s always nice to be close to home or a specific part of the country you fancy. If there’s an Army installation nearby, there’s a chance you can swing an assignment there as a reenlistment option.
Installations in Europe, Japan, Hawaii, or other OCONUS options are usually a choice assignment. I’ve had the pleasure of doing tours in Germany and Italy, and can highly recommend them if those options are in front of you.
Army Training
If you’re satisfied with the Army, but not your MOS, reenlist to change it. Some restrictions apply.
Want to jump out of airplanes, go Airborne. You can do that, too!
If the Army has an available service school of choice for PMOS, skill qualification identifier, additional skill identifier, or language training; those are all available in this option as well.
Having a little bit of control over your career can go a long way to consecutive reenlistments.
Comaraderie
Speak to any veteran and it’s pretty common to hear that they miss their team. You grow exceptionally close to your team through shared adversity (aka – The Suck), especially during deployment.
In many ways, your unit becomes your family away from family. It’s a tough thing to turn your back on.
The Army, or military in general really, is the biggest team sport. From what I’m told, there’s nothing quite like it once you’re out.
Job Satisfaction
There’s an undeniable high that comes from accomplishing the mission and knowing that what you’re doing is making a difference. For some, that’s a feeling not to let go of. That’s why you see many retirees who still work in their career fields after their military career is over.
In sports, it’s for the love of the game. I think that same mantra applies to military service. Some simply feel a call to serve.
If you want to see the other side of the coin, check out this list of 10 Reasons Soldiers ETS. And if you’re enjoying the content, check out some other articles and click the subscribe button below.
