Army

Army permanently extends voluntary retirement request window to 24 months

The Army has officially changed when soldiers can request voluntary retirement.

April 29, 2026 6:29 pm

3 min read

The Army has permanently expanded the voluntary retirement request window, allowing eligible soldiers to submit their requests at least 12 months and no more than 24 months before their desired retirement date.

In an April 17 memo to the force, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the changes will “enhance the accuracy of forecasting unanticipated losses, synchronize personnel movement cycles with Army Human Resources Command and provide greater support to soldiers transitioning out of military service.”

The policy formalizes what had previously been a pilot effort.

Col. Kris Saling, Army Recruiting Command innovation director, said the 24-month retirement pilot helped the Army better forecast vacancies while giving soldiers more time to spread out key transition steps — including job training, permissive temporary duty, terminal leave and final relocation. The extended timeline, she said, helps make the shift to civilian life more manageable — something the Army doesn’t “spend enough time and resources on.”

“We are really looking at how we resource transition for folks. It’s very uneven across organizations and definitely across grades. And we have a lot of feelings about how it impacts readiness if we give people more time and resources to transition,” Saling said in a LinkedIn post last year.

“The numbers speak to our priorities. We spend 10-12 weeks and an average of $55k a person to make a new soldier. To turn that soldier into a civilian? 2-4 days and $800 a person. Why prioritize transition more? How does that help readiness? Because these are our veterans. And our veterans, when treated right, are the best recruiters we have. They are a continuation of the value proposition of the Army as they continue to serve. They need that time to build back their identity, to find their place and purpose, and to become citizens. And giving it to them might change a manning roster, but it does nothing but good for us in the long run,” she added.

Soldiers are eligible for voluntary retirement if they are currently on active duty, have at least 18 years of active federal service and are able to complete all service obligations by their requested retirement date.

The new policy, however, places restrictions on when retirement requests can be submitted — soldiers who are being considered for a new assignment or have already received orders for a permanent change of station cannot file a voluntary retirement request. In those cases, service members with at least 19 years of service can request retirement instead of accepting the assignment, but must do so within 12 months.

Driscoll said soldiers can begin planning their transition and access Transition Assistance Program resources after submitting a retirement request, but command-approved activities — including permissive temporary duty, SkillBridge participation and installation clearing — cannot begin until the final 12 months of service.

The directive also introduces additional rules for soldiers in the ranks of lieutenant colonel and colonel, chief warrant officer 4, chief warrant officer 5 and master sergeant through command sergeant major. Commanders must provide detailed assessments of those soldiers’ careers and develop written plans outlining how they will be utilized during their remaining time in service before sending retirement requests for final approval.

Commanders can also deny retirement requests submitted more than 12 months in advance if doing so is necessary to meet operational demands or address critical manning needs.

And requesting or being approved for retirement “does not prohibit reassignment if necessary to meet Army requirements or to be subject to future force shaping initiatives determined to be in the best interest of the Army,” Driscoll said in the memo.

The Army’s deputy chief of staff for personnel will incorporate the directive into existing regulations within the next two years, while Human Resources Command is expected to issue additional implementation guidance.

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