Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 6000.13
December 30, 2015
Incorporating Change 1, Effective May 3, 2016
USD(P&R)
SUBJECT: Accession and Retention Policies, Programs, and Incentives for Military Health
Professions Officers (HPOs)
References: See Enclosure 1
1. PURPOSE. This instruction reissues DoD Instruction (DoDI) 6000.13 (Reference (a)) in
accordance with the authority in DoD Directive (DoDD) 5124.02 (Reference (b)) to establish
policy, assign responsibilities, and prescribe procedures for:
a. Military Department payment of incentives and bonuses to HPOs pursuant to section 335
of Title 37, United States Code (U.S.C.) (Reference (c)).
b. Incremental transition from current special pays and bonuses for HPOs pursuant to
sections 301d, 301e, 302, 302a, 302b, 302c, 302c-1, 302d through 302l, 303, and 303a of
Reference (c) to the incentives and bonuses authorized by section 335 of Reference (c).
c. Deferral of retirement for Regular commissioned HPOs and retention of HPOs in an
active status in the Reserve Component (RC) pursuant to sections 1251 and 14703 of Title 10,
U.S.C. (Reference (d)).
d. Incremental transition from the current procedures for stipend or loan repayment for RC
HPOs in DoDD 1205.20 (Reference (e)) and DoDI 1205.21 (Reference (f)) to the procedures in
this instruction.
2. APPLICABILITY. This instruction applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the DoD (referred to collectively in
this instruction as the “DoD Components”).
3. POLICY. It is DoD policy that:
