Army exceeds retention goal for fiscal 2015

By

Jim Tice

Photo Credit: Pfc. Adam Hefner (3d ACR PAO) Reenlistees of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment raise their hands to recite the Oath of Enlistment administered by Maj. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, United States Division-South commander, on Contingency Operating Site Kalsu Nov. 11, 2010. A mass reenlistment ceremony that spanned all three of the regiment’s bases was conducted to honor Veterans Day.

About 50,000 extended their careers in the Regular Army during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.

The re-enlistment mission for commanders and units focused on two categories of soldiers — those with an expiration term of service, or ETS, dates in fiscal 2015, and those with ETS in fiscal 2016, which began Oct. 1.

At press time, the precise numbers were still being calculated, but the totals as of Sept. 30 were as follows:

ETS Cohort 2015

  • Soldiers re-enlisted: 6,813
  • Annual mission: 6,750
  • Mission accomplishment: 100.9 percent

ETS Cohort 2016

  • Soldiers re-enlisted: 43,155
  • Annual mission: 40,000
  • Mission accomplishment: 107.9 percent

At press time, the Army had not set the mission totals for fiscal 2016, but they likely will include two target cohorts, like this year’s mission, according to information provided by the Office of the Army G1 (Human Resources) at the Pentagon.

Paul Prince, a GI spokesman, said officials expect that the 2016 ETS mission will be similar to the 2015 goal of 6,750, while the 2017 ETS mission will be slightly smaller than year 2016’s ETS goal of 40,000.