https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated December 21, 2022
Defense Primer: Active Component Enlisted Retention
Retention
The term retention refers to the rate at which military
personnel voluntarily choose to stay in the military after
their obligated term of service has ended (as determined by
their enlistment contract). Imbalances in the retention rate
can cause problems within the military personnel system. A
common retention concern is that too few people will stay
in, thereby creating a shortage of experienced leaders,
decreasing military efficiency, and lowering job
satisfaction. This was a particular concern from 2004 to
2009, as the stress of major combat deployments to Iraq and
Afghanistan raised concerns about the willingness of
military personnel to continue serving. The opposite
concern may also occur at times, particularly during force
drawdowns: that too many people will stay in, thereby
decreasing promotion opportunities and possibly requiring
involuntarily separations to prevent the organization from
becoming “top heavy” with middle- and upper-level leaders
or to comply with end-strength limitations. Each of these
imbalances can also have a negative impact on recruiting by
making the military a less-attractive career option.
Congressional Role
The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers
over the Armed Forces, including the power “To raise and
support Armies” and “To provide and maintain a Navy.” In
the exercise of this authority, Congress has historically
shown great interest in maintaining military retention rates
sufficient to sustain a fully manned and capable military
workforce. Through its oversight powers, Congress
monitors the performance of the Executive Branch in
managing the size and quality of the military workforce.
Congress influences retention rates in a variety of ways,
including authorizing and funding
overall compensation levels, particularly in light of their
competitiveness with private-sector compensation;
quality-of-life initiatives that enhance servicemember
and family member satisfaction with a military career;
retention programs that provide for dedicated career
counselors; and
retention incentives, such as reenlistment bonuses.
More broadly, congressionally established personnel end-
strength levels can influence each armed service’s retention
goals. For example, if Congress were to substantially
increase the end-strength for an armed service, that service
would generally require a greater number of new recruits,
higher rates of retention among current servicemembers, or
some combination of the two. Congress also establishes
criteria that affect eligibility for continued service, such as
disability separation and retirement (Title 10, U.S. Code,
Chapter 61) and punitive discharge for criminal activity
(Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 45).
Retention Goals and Results
Table 1 lists active component enlisted retention goals and
results for FY2020-FY2022. The data are broken out by
armed service and retention zones, which are established by
each armed service to reflect important phases in the
military career lifecycle. For example, a soldier coming to
the end of his or her first enlistment after serving for four
years in the Army would be in the Army’s Initial Term
retention zone; a similarly situated sailor would fall into the
Navy’s Zone A retention zone. The armed services’ main
retention zones listed in Table 1 are defined as follows:
Army Retention Zones
Initial Term: serving in first enlistment, regardless of
length
Mid-career: second or subsequent enlistment with less
than 10 years of service
Career: second or subsequent enlistment with 10 or
more years of service
Navy Retention Zones
Zone A: up to six years of service
Zone B: 6 years of service to under 10 years of service
Zone C: 10 years of service to under 14 years of service
Marine Corps Retention Zones
First term: serving in first enlistment
Subsequent: second or subsequent enlistment, with less
than 18 years of service
Air Force Retention Zones
Zone A: 17 months to under 6 years of service
Zone B: 6 years of service to under 10 years of service
Zone C: 10 years of service to under 14 years of service
Congressional interest in retention typically increases when
an armed service fails to meet its goal for one or more
retention zones by about 10% or more, and particularly if
the shortfall continues over several years. Additionally,
even if an armed service is meeting its goals by retention
zones, Congress may nonetheless focus on retention
