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MILPER Message Number: 15-332
Proponent: AHRC-EPF-R
Title
CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB)
...Issued: [22 Oct 15]...
https://www.hrc.army.mil/Milper/15-332
A. AR 11-6 (ARMY FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM), 31 AUG 09 (RAR 001, 23 AUG 13).
B. AR 601-280 (ARMY RETENTION PROGRAM), 31 JAN 06 (RAR 001, 15 SEP 11).
C. AR 635-200 (ACTIVE DUTY ENLISTED ADMINISTRATIVE SEPARATIONS), 6 JUN 05 (RAR 003, 6 SEP 11).
D. MILPER MSG 14-338, AHRC-EPF-R, 25 NOV 14, SUBJECT: CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB)
PROGRAM, IS RESCINDED ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS MESSAGE.
1. THIS MILPER MESSAGE IS EFFECTIVE 23 OCT 15 AND MAY CHANGE AFTER 23 NOV 15 WITHOUT FURTHER
NOTICE. EXPIRATION DATE OF THIS MESSAGE IS 19 JUN 16.
2. THIS MESSAGE, WHICH DESIGNATES CRITICAL SKILLS AND ESTABLISHES ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION
PROCEDURES FOR THE CSRB PROGRAM, WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF ALL
COMMANDERS, REENLISTMENT OFFICES, RECRUITERS, AND FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING OFFICES (FAO).
3. REGULAR ARMY ENLISTED SOLDIERS WHO ARE QUALIFIED IN THE CAREER MANAGEMENT FIELD (CMF) OR
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY (MOS), SERVING IN THE APPROPRIATE GRADE AND POSSESSING THE
APPLICABLE YEARS OF TOTAL ACTIVE FEDERAL SERVICE (TAFS) LISTED IN THE TABLE BELOW, MAY QUALIFY
FOR THE CSRB. APPROVED SOLDIERS WILL BE PAID IF WITHIN 180 DAYS OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE
TAFS WINDOW.
24
36
48
60
72
MONTHS MONTHS MONTHS MONTHS MONTHS
MOS/TITLE
LANG
GRADE
TAFS
CMF 18 WITH 3/3 DLPT
CTLANG
E7(P) – E9
19-23
$18,000
$30,000
$55,000
$80,000
$150,000
CMF 18 WITH 2/2 DLPT
CTLANG
E7(P) – E9
19-23
$18,000
$25,000
$50,000
$75,000
$130,000
E7(P) – E9
19-23
$18,000
$25,000
$45,000
$70,000
$110,000
CMF 18
4. ELIGIBILITY: SOLDIERS WHO MEET THE PREREQUISITES OF PARAGRAPH 3 AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE FOLLOWING SUBPARAGRAPHS MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A LUMP SUM BONUS PAYMENT
ASSOCIATED WITH THE ABOVE TABLE.
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A. SOLDIERS MUST MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR REENLISTMENT IAW AR 601-280 WITHOUT REGARD TO
THEIR RETENTION CONTROL POINT (RCP).
B. BY LAW, CSRB PAYMENTS CANNOT EXCEED 25 YEARS OF TAFS. CSRB REQUESTS THAT RESULT IN
EXCESS OF 25 YEARS OF TAFS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED AND WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT ACTION.
C. SOLDIERS SERVING PURSUANT TO AN INDEFINITE REENLISTMENT WILL EXECUTE A WRITTEN
AGREEMENT TO REMAIN ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR THE YEARS OF OBLIGATED SERVICE AS OUTLINED IN THE
TABLE ABOVE. THE MINIMUM LENGTH OF A WRITTEN AGREEMENT IS TWO YEARS, UNLESS OTHERWISE
SPECIFIED IN THE TABLE ABOVE. IN ADDITION, SOLDIERS WHO RECEIVED A BONUS ON THEIR CURRENT OR
PREVIOUS REENLISTMENT OR WRITTEN AGREEMENT MUST BE WITHIN 24 MONTHS OF THE CURRENT BONUS
OBLIGATED SERVICE (BOS) ENDING DATE.
EXAMPLE: SOLDIER WITH A BASIC ACTIVE SERVICE DATE (BASD) OF 7 MAY 1995, EXECUTED A WRITTEN
AGREEMENT ON 10 JUNE 2014 FOR THREE YEARS AND RECEIVED A CSRB. SOLDIER’S BOS ENDING DATE IS 9
JUNE 2017. EARLIEST SOLDIER COULD SUBMIT FOR ANOTHER CSRB IS 9 JUNE 2016 WITH A NEW OBLIGATION
START DATE OF 10 JUNE 2017.
D. IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A LANGUAGE DEPENDENT CSRB, AS IDENTIFIED IN THE TABLE
ABOVE, THE SOLDIER MUST MEET THE MINIMUM PROFICIENCY STANDARD (LEVEL 2—LISTENING AND LEVEL
2—READING) WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF THE APPROVAL MEMORANDUM FROM HUMAN RESOURCES
COMMAND (HRC) FOR THEIR CONTROL LANGUAGE (CTLANG) AS REFLECTED IN EDAS. THE DEFENSE
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST (DLPT) IS THE ONLY APPROVED SOURCE FOR THIS INCENTIVE; THE ORAL
PROFICIENCY INTERVIEW (OPI) WILL NOT BE USED FOR CSRB QUALIFICATION. IF THE TEST IS BEYOND 12
MONTHS BY THE TIME OF FINAL REVIEW FOR APPROVAL, THE CSRB WILL NOT BE APPROVED UNTIL THE
SOLDIER HAS BEEN RECERTIFIED FOR A MINIMUM OF A 2/2 SCORE. SOLDIERS WHO RECEIVE A LANGUAGE
DEPENDENT CSRB MUST MAINTAIN PROFICIENCY FOR THE FULL TERM OF THE CSRB AGREEMENT OR BE
SUBJECT TO RECOUPMENT OF THE UNEARNED PORTION. LANGUAGE CATEGORIES ARE DEFINED IN AR 11–6.
5. APPLICATION PROCEDURES:
A. SOLDIERS MEETING THE CRITERIA IN PARAGRAPHS 3 & 4 MUST CONTACT THEIR SERVICING CAREER
COUNSELOR TO COMPLETE A CSRB REQUEST. THE CSRB REQUEST WILL BE FORWARDED THROUGH THE
SOLDIER’S FIRST COMMANDER IN THE RANK OF LTC OR ABOVE FOR ENDORSEMENT. ANY COMMANDER IN
THE SOLDIER’S CHAIN OF COMMAND, LTC OR HIGHER, MAY DISAPPROVE AN APPLICATION WITHOUT
FURTHER PROCESSING. THE SOLDIER’S RECORD MUST EXHIBIT CONTINUED EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE
AS DETERMINED BY THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND HRC. DISAPPROVED REQUESTS WILL NOT BE
FORWARDED TO HRC.
B. CMF 18 APPLICATIONS WILL BE FORWARDED THROUGH THE SOLDIER’S FIRST COMMANDER IN THE RANK
OF COL, FOR ENDORSEMENT, TO USASOC G1 RETENTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE, FOR SOLDIER RECORD
REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION BY THE PROPONENT PRIOR TO SUBMISSION TO HRC.
C. CSRB REQUESTS WILL ONLY BE SENT FORWARD TO HRC VIA THE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS).
CMS CASES MUST BE REFERRED TO HRC WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE COMMANDER’S ENDORSEMENT AND NOT
LATER THAN 60 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE SOLDIER'S REQUEST.
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D. REQUESTS FOR CSRB WILL BE DISAPPROVED IF THE REQUESTING SOLDIER DOES NOT POSSESS AN MOS
LISTED IN THE TABLE ABOVE AS THEIR PRIMARY MOS, REGARDLESS OF THE DATE ON THE SOLDIER’S
REQUEST, EXCEPT AS NOTED IN PARAGRAPH 6C BELOW.
6. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
A. CSRB REQUEST MEMORANDUMS WILL BE DOWNLOADED FROM AKO KNOWLEDGE CENTER
ATHTTPS://WWW.US.ARMY.MIL/SUITE/DOC/15659832. SOLDIERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION NO
EARLIER THAN 180 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START OF THEIR TARGETED TAFS AND NO LATER THAN 60 DAYS
PRIOR TO THE END OF THEIR TARGETED TAFS TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR PROCESSING.
B. THE APPROVAL FROM HRC (AHRC-EPF) AND REENLISTMENT CONTRACT (IF APPLICABLE) ARE THE
DOCUMENTS OBLIGATING THE SOLDIER TO THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT AND WILL BE USED BY
DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE (DFAS) AS THE AUTHORITY TO DISPERSE PAYMENT OF THE
BONUS.
C. COMMAND SERGEANTS MAJOR WHO POSSESS A SECONDARY MOS OF 18Z MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR A
CSRB IAW THIS MESSAGE.
D. APPROVAL OF THE CSRB TERM IS AUTHORITY TO RETAIN SOLDIERS BEYOND THEIR RCP, IF APPLICABLE.
E. SOLDIERS MAY NOT RECEIVE MORE THAN $200,000 IN TOTAL BONUS PAYMENTS UNDER THE CSRB AND
SELECTIVE RETENTION BONUS (SRB) PROGRAMS DURING A CAREER, UNLESS A SPECIFIC EXCEPTION BY
THE OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE IS PROVIDED. SOLDIERS MAY NOT RECEIVE A CSRB
AND SRB FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME.
F. SOLDIERS WHO VOLUNTARILY OR INVOLUNTARILY SEPARATE PRIOR TO COMPLETING THE TERM OF
SERVICE FOR WHICH THE CSRB WAS PAID ARE SUBJECT TO RECOUPMENT OF THE CSRB.
G. SOLDIERS SELECTED FOR THE RANK OF CSM UNDER THE CENTRALIZED LIST PROCESS WILL NOT HAVE
THEIR CSRB RECOUPED, AS THIS SELECTION IS IN THE NORMAL LINE OF PROGRESSION FOR THEIR MOS.
7. SOLDIERS WITH QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO BONUSES AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ADDRESSED IN
THIS MESSAGE SHOULD CONTACT THEIR SERVICING CAREER COUNSELOR. SERVICING CAREER
COUNSELORS WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MESSAGE SHOULD CONTACT THEIR APPROPRIATE
COMMAND RETENTION OFFICE. POC FOR THIS MESSAGE IS THE RETENTION AND RECLASSIFICATION
BRANCH, AHRC-EPF-R, HRC, FT KNOX.
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