MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER : 05-050
AHRC-EPR CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM (CORRECTED COPY)
Issued: [02/21/2005]

A. MILPER MSG 05-005, ISSUED 6 JAN 05, CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM, IS RESCINDED ON THE EFFECTIVE ISSUE DATE OF THIS MESSAGE.

B. MILPER MSG 05-025, ISSUED 2 FEB 05, CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM, IS RESCINDED ON THE EFFECTIVE ISSUE DATE OF THIS MESSAGE.

C. MILPER MSG 05-037, ISSUED 4 FEB 05, CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM (CORRECTED COPY), IS RESCINDED ON THE EFFECTIVE ISSUE DATE OF THIS MESSAGE.

D. AR 601-280

E. AR 635-200

1. THIS MILPER MESSAGE EXPIRES NLT 01 JANUARY 2007.

2. THIS MSG WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF ALL COMMANDERS, REENLISTMENT OFFICES, AND FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING OFFICES. THIS MESSAGE ANNOUNCES ADDITIONS TO THE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM AS WELL AS ELIGIBILITY AND PROCESSING PROCEDURES. THE EFFECTIVE DATES FOR CHANGES TO THE CSRB PROGRAM ARE AS ADDRESSED BELOW.

3. ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR DFAS AND USAREC: TO AVOID FUTURE CLAIMS OR ERRONEOUS UNFULFILLED COMMITMENTS, REQUEST CDR ENSURE FAOS, RECRUITERS AND MEPS PERSONNEL ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS MESSAGE.

4. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: THIS MSG WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF ALL COMMANDERS, REENLISTMENT OFFICES, TRANSITION POINTS, RETIREMENTS OFFICES AND FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING OFFICES. THIS MESSAGE ANNOUNCES THE IMPLEMENTATION, ELIGIBILITY AND PROCESSING PROCEDURES FOR THE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM.

5. THIS MILPER MESSAGE ADDRESSES IMPLEMENTATION, ELIGIBILITY AND PROCESSING PROCEDURES FOR THE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM. SEE BELOW PARAGRAPHS FOR MOS, GRADE, SQI ELIGIBILITY AND PAYMENT AMOUNTS.

A. CMF 18 GRADES; E6, E7, E8 AND E9 - EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2005. THE CSRB IS TARGETED TO RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE CAREER SOLDIERS IN SPECIFIC MOS OF 18B, 18C, 18D, 18E, 18F, OR 18Z IN THE RANKS OF SSG, SFC, 1SG/MSG AND SGM WITH BETWEEN 19 - 25 YEARS ACTIVE FEDERAL SERVICE, AND WHO ARE FULLY ELIGIBLE FOR REENLISTMENT IAW AR 601-280, OTHER THAN RCP. SOLDIERS IN THE RANK OF SSG AND SFC MAY REQUEST CSRB ENTITLEMENT UP TO 25 YEARS ACTIVE FEDERAL SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF RETENTION CONTROL POINT (RCP). APPROVAL OF CSRB TERM IS AUTHORITY TO RETAIN THESE SOLDIERS BEYOND RCP FOR RANK. SOLDIERS MUST OBLIGATE THEMSELVES FOR A MINIMUM OF AN ADDITIONAL 2 YEARS OF SERVICE. SOLDIERS CANNOT EXCEED 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. AS AN EXCEPTION TO THE MINIMUM 2-YEAR CONTRACT, *MEMBERS WITH 24 YEARS OF SERVICE MAY BE OFFERED A 1-YEAR CSRB CONTRACT, PROVIDED THE MEMBER DOES NOT COMPLETE 25 YEARS OF ACTIVE DUTY BEFORE THE END OF THE BONUS PERIOD (REQUESTS FOR 1-YEAR CSRB REQUEST MAY BE SUBMITTED NO EARLIER THAN 23 YEARS, 6 MONTHS OF SERVICE). REQUESTS FOR CSRB MAY BE SUBMITTED NO EARLIER THAN 18 YEARS, 6 MONTHS OF SERVICE.

B. CSRB MOS CSM (E9) WITH SECONDARY MOS 18Z - EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2005. SOLDIERS IN THE RANK OF CSM WITH A SECONDARY MOS OF 18Z MAY REQUEST CSRB ENTITLEMENT UP TO 25 YEARS ACTIVE FEDERAL SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF RETENTION CONTROL POINT (RCP). APPROVAL OF CSRB TERM IS AUTHORITY TO RETAIN THESE SOLDIERS BEYOND RCP FOR RANK. SOLDIERS MUST OBLIGATE THEMSELVES FOR A MINIMUM OF AN ADDITIONAL 2 YEARS OF SERVICE. SOLDIERS CANNOT EXCEED 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. REQUESTS FOR CSRB MAY BE SUBMITTED NO EARLIER THAN 18 YEARS, 6 MONTHS OF SERVICE.

C. CSRB MOS IDENTIFIED WITH AN SQI OF "T" IN RANKS OF E6, E7, E8 AND E9 - EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2005. SOLDIERS IN THE GRADE OF E6, E7, E8 AND E9 IN THE RANKS OF SSG, SFC, 1SG/MSG, AND CSM WITH BETWEEN 19 - 25 YEARS ACTIVE FEDERAL SERVICE, AND WHO ARE FULLY ELIGIBLE FOR REENLISTMENT IAW AR 601-280, OTHER THAN RCP AND SERVING IN AN MOS IDENTIFIED WITH AN SQI "T" MAY REQUEST CSRB ENTITLEMENT UP TO 25 YEARS ACTIVE FEDERAL SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF RETENTION CONTROL POINT (RCP). APPROVAL OF CSRB TERM IS AUTHORITY TO RETAIN THESE SOLDIERS BEYOND RCP FOR RANK. SOLDIERS MUST OBLIGATE THEMSELVES FOR A MINIMUM OF AN ADDITIONAL 2 YEARS OF SERVICE. SOLDIERS CANNOT EXCEED 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. REQUESTS FOR CSRB MAY BE SUBMITTED NO EARLIER THAN 18 YEARS, 6 MONTHS OF SERVICE.

D. SOLDIERS CURRENTLY SERVING ON A CSRB COMMITMENT ARE NOT ELIGIBILE APPLY UNDER THIS PROGRAM UNTIL THEY ARE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF COMPLETING CURRENT COMMITMENT TERM.

E. QUALIFIED SOLDIERS UNDER PARAGRAPHS 5A, 5B, OR 5C WILL BE PAID A LUMP SUM AMOUNT ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF FULL YEARS (12 MONTHS) OF OBLIGATED SERVICE ELECTED BASED ON TABLE BELOW.

F. CSRB EXPANDED MOS PROGRAM - EFFECTIVE 31 JANUARY 2005

(1) THE CSRB IS TARGETED TO RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE CAREER SOLDIERS IN SPECIFIC MOS LISTED BELOW IN THE RANKS OF SFC AND 1SG/MSG WITH BETWEEN 20 - 25 YEARS ACTIVE FEDERAL SERVICE, AND WHO ARE FULLY ELIGIBLE FOR REENLISTMENT IAW AR 601-280, OTHER THAN RCP. SOLDIERS IN THE RANK OF SFC MAY REQUEST CSRB ENTITLEMENT UP TO 25 YEARS ACTIVE FEDERAL SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF RETENTION CONTROL POINT (RCP). APPROVAL OF CSRB TERM IS AUTHORITY TO RETAIN THESE SOLDIERS BEYOND RCP FOR RANK. SOLDIERS MUST OBLIGATE THEMSELVES FOR A MINIMUM OF AN ADDITIONAL 2 YEARS OF SERVICE. SOLDIERS CANNOT EXCEED 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. REQUESTS FOR CSRB MAY BE SUBMITTED NO EARLIER THAN 19 YEARS, 6 MONTHS OF SERVICE.

(2) SOLDIERS IN THE RANK OF SFC IN THE FOLLOWING MOS WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AS ADDRESSED ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR CSRB:

21D (DIVER)
21P (PRIME POWER PRODUCTION SPECIALIST)
25S (SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM OPERATOR)
37F (PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS SPECIALIST)
88M (MOTOR TRANSPORT OPERATOR)
89D (EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL SPECIALIST)
96D (IMAGERY ANALYST)
96U (UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE OPERATOR)
97E (HUMAN INTELLIGENCE COLLECTOR)
98G (VOICE INTERCEPTOR) ARABIC DIALECT ONLY

(3) SOLDIERS IN THE RANK OF MSG IN THE FOLLOWING MOS WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AS ADDRESSED ABOVE ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR CSRB:

89D (EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL SPECIALIST)

G. EFFECTIVE 31 JANUARY 2005, BASED ON TABLE BELOW, QUALIFIED SOLDIERS UNDER PARAGRAPH 5F WILL BE PAID A LUMP SUM AMOUNT ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF FULL YEARS (12 MONTHS) OF OBLIGATED SERVICE ELECTED.

6. EACH REQUEST MUST BE SUBMITTED ON A CSRB REQUEST MEMORANDUM (MAY BE OBTAINED BY CAREER COUNSELOR FROM MRS. CARROLL) THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND (LTC) (ENDORSEMENT ON A SEPARATE MEMORANDUM) TO: HRC, ATTN: AHRC-EPR, 2461 EISENHOWER AVENUE, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22331 OR FAX TO DSN: 221-9543 OR COMMERCIAL: 703-325-9543. THE CSRB REQUEST MEMORANDUM, ENDORSEMENT FROM CHAIN OF COMMAND AND THE APPROVAL FROM HRC (AHRC-EPR) ARE THE DOCUMENTS OBLIGATING THE SOLDIER TO THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT AND WILL BE USED BY DFAS AS THE AUTHORITY TO DISPERSE PAYMENT OF THE BONUS.

7. SOLDIERS WHO ARE IN AN INDEFINITE STATUS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR CSRB.

8. SOLDIERS SERVING IN APPLICABLE MOS AND UNDER A CSRB MAY NOT BE APPROVED FOR SEPARATION OR RETIRMENT WITHOUT HRC (AHRC-EPR-F) APPROVAL.

9. SOLDIERS WITH QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO BONUSES AND ELIGIBILTY REQUIREMENTS ADDRESSED IN THIS MESSAGE SHOULD CONTACT THEIR SERVICING CAREER COUNSELORS. SERVICING CAREER COUNSELORS WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MESSAGE SHOULD CONTACT YOUR APPROPRIATE MACOM RETENTION OFFICE FOR CLARIFICATION. HRC POC IS MRS. CARROLL, DSN 221-5400