A.  MILPER MSG 05-050, ISSUED 21 FEB 05, CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM (CORRECTED COPY), IS RESCINDED ON THE EFFECTIVE ISSUE DATE OF THIS MESSAGE.

B.  AR 601-280

C.  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 DFAS ENSURE FAOS, RECRUITERS AND MEPS PERSONNEL ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS MESSAGE.

4.  EFFECTIVE ISSUED DATE OF THIS MILPER MESSAGE, 79R IN THE RANK OF SFC IS ADDED TO THE CSRB EXPANDED MOS PROGRAM.  GUIDELINES ARE ADDRESSED IN PARAGRAPHS 5F AND 5G BELOW.

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 RANKS; SSG, SFC, 1SG/MSG AND SGM – 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 RETENTION CONTROL POINT (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, 10 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.  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, 10 MONTHS OF SERVICE.

C.  CSRB MOS IDENTIFIED WITH AN SQI OF “T” IN RANKS OF SSG, SFC, 1SG/MSG, SGM AND CSM – EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2005.  SOLDIERS IN THE RANKS OF SSG, SFC, 1SG/MSG, SGM, 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, 10 MONTHS OF SERVICE.

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

E. QUALIFIED SOLDIERS UNDER PARAGRAPHS 6A, 6B, OR 6C WILL BE PAID A LUMP SUM AMOUNT ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF FULL YEARS (12 MONTHS) OF OBLIGATED SERVICE ELECTED BASED ON TABLE BELOW.