DOD INSTRUCTION 1304.34
G
ENERAL BONUS AUTHORITY FOR OFFICERS
Originating Component: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Effective: July 11, 2016
Releasability: Cleared for public release. Available on the DoD Issuances Website at
http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives.
Incorporates and Cancels: Paragraph E1.2. of DoD Instruction 1304.29, “Administration of
Enlistment Bonuses, Accession Bonuses for New Officers in Critical
Skills, Selective Reenlistment Bonuses, and Critical Skills Retention
Bonuses for Active Members,” December 15, 2004
Approved by: Peter Levine, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness
Purpose: In accordance with the authority in DoD Directive 5124.02, this issuance:
• Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for the payment of a bonus, in
accordance with Section 332 of Title 37, United States Code (U.S.C.), to persons, members, or officers
who:
o Accept a commission or appointment as an officer in a Military Service;
o Affiliate with a Reserve Component of a Military Service;
o Continue to serve in a Military Service;
o Transfer between Regular and Reserve Components of the Military Service; or
o Transfer from one Military Service to another.
• Establishes transition policy for the transfer of the officer bonus authorities, in accordance with
Subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 37, U.S.C., to the officer bonus authority in Section 332 of
Subchapter II of Title 37, U.S.C.
