Up & Coming Weekly

October 05, 2021

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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OCTOBER 6-12, 2021 UCW 15 Best of Fayetteville 2021 Thank you for voting us Best Wingz 3 years in a row! 407 N Eastern Blvd Sun-Thurs: 11AM-10PM•Fri-Sat: 11AM-11PM Best Place to Board Pets Thank You for voting us 910-484-0300 2401 Stonegate Rd.•bedandbiscuits@gmail.com 2021 NEWS Changes to Army's retention program began this month by DEVON L. SUITS ree changes to the Army's retention program took effect Oct. 1, as the Army looks to simplify aspects of the reenlistment process and give sol- diers more flexibility before their expiration term of service date. A modification to the Career Status Program, formerly known as the Indefinite Reenlistment Pro- gram, an adjustment to the Reenlistment Opportu- nity Window, or ROW, and to one of the extensions will all take effect starting fiscal year 2022, said Sgt. Maj. Tobey J. Whitney, the Army's senior career counselor. "ese changes are being made with the intent of increasing predictability for Soldiers and their families while also reducing turbulence within Army organizations," Whitney said. Career Status Program Soldiers ranked E-6 and above and with 10 years or more of active service will now be eligible for the Career Status Program, reducing the time in service threshold from 12 years, Whitney said. "We found through collected data that staff ser- geant and above with more than 10 years of service were required to reenlist at least twice to make it to retirement," Whitney said. "at doesn't seem like a logical solution to keep Soldiers in the Army." e update to the CSP will not change any of the Army's voluntary separation policies, which allow soldiers to request a discharge or enter into the Ca- reer Intermission Program, he added. Under CIP, soldiers can take a break in service while receiving their benefits and a portion of their pay for up to three years, Army G-1 officials said earlier this year. "We want to ensure that [qualified] Soldiers under- stand their eligibility for the Career Status Program," Whitney said. "If soldiers can just reenlist for an indefinite term of service, they can go and continue with their careers." ROW changes e change to the ROW policy will give soldiers 12 months before their ETS to review their reenlistment options and make a final decision, Whitney said. "e ROW is currently set at 15 months, but we are changing it to 12 for two main reasons," he said. "First, it is simple for soldiers, leaders and families to understand when they are 365 days from their ETS. Second, "the analytics over the past several years [show] that the vast majority of soldiers wait until they are between eight to 11 months before they reenlist." e adjustment to the ROW extension would increase the minimum term length from 12 to 18 months, Whitney said. e transition process can create a lot of turbu- lence in a soldier's life, he said, as well as impact their organization as they navigate the Soldier for Life program and finish their out-processing tasks. As the Army continues to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the ROW extension change would remain a short-term retention option for soldiers. Further, changes to the program will not impact those who need to reenlist for promotion, reassignment, selection, or other requirements. "We found that it is pretty common for soldiers to extend," Whitney said. "We are adding six additional months to provide a little more predictability for Army units, the soldier, and their family." Many other short-term extension options remain available for soldiers who need additional time and meet the requisite qualifications, he added. Staff Sgt. David Cobb, right, assigned to 143rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), reenlists during Falcon Leap, NATO's largest Airborne technical exercise, Netherlands Sept. 16. (Photo by Capt. Nadine Wiley De Moura) DEVON L. SUITS, Army News Service. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200.

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