Retention
We Honor Your Dedication
Your commitment to your state and family, a lifelong journey shaping the heart of the South Carolina Army National Guard.
ELIGIBILITY
Current Army National Guard Soldiers must meet the following general eligibility criteria to qualify for an REB:
- You must have less than 13 years and one month time in service at the time of your current ETS, based upon your Pay Entry Basic Date. The total military service criteria includes time in an inactive status.
- You must hold the military-grade and skill qualification required for the position you're re-enlisting/extending into (with the exceptions below).
- Soldiers re-enlisting/extending cannot receive more than two bonus incentives during a contractual period. Soldiers currently receiving benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill® Kicker are eligible for the REB. Soldiers with an active Student Loan Repayment Program contract are eligible provided they will not receive payments during the same term of service as the re-enlistment/extension period.
- You must be in a pay grade of E-3 to E-7 on the date of request and contract start date.
- You must re-enlist/extend for either a two-, four- or six-year term of service.
- You must re-enlist or extend Duty Military Occupational Skill Qualified (DMOSQ) in an MOS within most units (check with your Readiness NCO or state Incentive Manager to see if your unit qualifies), regardless of state or national assigned strength levels, unless that unit is in a transition period (deployment, reorganization, inactivation or relocation) only. (Exceptions are 25 or 35 Series DMOSQ Soldiers transferring to fill a 17 Series in a Cyber Unit.)
- Additional units authorized are Special Operations Detachments (SOD), Medical TDAs and Cyber units.
- If you are deployed outside the continental United States (OCONUS), you must be under mobilization orders (USC Title 10 section 12301 [d], USC Title 10 section 12302, or USC Title 10 section 12406).
- You must re-enlist or extend between 0 and 365 days of your ETS.
- You cannot be under any type of Suspension of Favorable Personnel Actions at the time of re-enlistment or extension.
- You cannot be in a Military Technician status (includes indefinite technicians and temporary technicians on assignment for more than 180 days in any continuous 12-month period).
- You cannot be in an Active Guard Reserve (AGR) status. This includes an AGR Soldier in a Troop Program Unit status while deployed.
Retention NCO Contacts
Contact your Retention NCO to see how continuing your service can benefit you.
Army National Guard retention benefits
Education
SC National Guard Educational Assistance Program
The SCNG College Assistance Program will pay 100% of college tuition and fees at state supported institutions up to $12,000 per year, with a lifetime cap of $25,000 per service-member. Service Members must be in good academic with the institution to receive CAP funding. Visit https://www.scguard.ng.mil/Resources/Education-Office/ for more information about the EAP.
GI Bill (CH 1606)
Up to $493/month (full-time student rate). Also, if eligible, GI Bill Kicker provides additional $350/month (full-time rate). (Total $843 aid directly to you.)
GI Bill (CH.33 “POST-9/11”)
Deployments, ADOS and AGR orders earn this upgraded GI Bill. SM with 6-16 years of service can transfer educational benefits (TEB) to dependents. Learn more about GI Bill benefits at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/handouts_forms.asp.
Army Tuition Assistance (TA)
Up to $250/semester hour at any college or university that accepts TA. Create account and more info at: https://www.armyignited.army.mil/student/public/welcome.
Army Credentialing Assistance Program (Army COOL)
Pays for more than 1,500 industry standard credentials. Up to $4,000 per year.
Visit https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/index.html for more information.
Life Insurance
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is a life insurance program available to all active duty and reserve members of the uniformed services of the United States. Supervised by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the program is administered by the Prudential Insurance Company of America.
Veterans' Group Life Insurance
Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) is a similar product available to veterans. SGLI policyholders may convert their policy to VGLI upon discharge unless an exception for total disability applies. Premiums for VGLI are higher and are based on the age of the insured.
For more information visit https://www.va.gov/life-insurance/options-eligibility/sgli/
Bonuses and Retirement
Reenlistment/Extension Bonus
Paid Lump Sum: $10,000/3yr extension (can be combined with SLRP & GI Bill Kicker)
Eligibility Requirements: DMOSQ, pay grades E-3 through E-7, no greater than 13 years and 1-month TIS on contract start date. Payment is processed lump sum upon contract start date.
Non-regular Retirement (traditional retirement)
Enlisted personnel and Officers with 20 or more years of qualifying service are eligible for non-regular retired pay. Soldiers must request to retire and provide a desired effective date of retirement. Soldiers must elect to be transferred to the Retired Reserve or Individual Ready Reserve. Retirement benefits and pay start at age 60. (Note: pay can be received sooner if eligible under the Reduced Age Retirement criteria.)
Non-traditional (National Guard) Retirement
Twenty Good Years (non-regular retirement) monthly payments that begin at age 60. You can start drawing retirement funds early by completing overseas deployments.
An enlisted member who retired after 20 years at the pay level of E-7 could expect to receive about $2,400 a month for retirement.
Calculate your benefits at https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil.
Blended Retirement
This gives you automatic one percent and up to five percent DOD matching contributions to your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a defined contribution retirement savings and investment plan that offers savings and tax benefits similar to 401(k) or similar plans offered by private corporations. Continuation pay option is a direct cash payout, like a bonus, available to Service members enrolled in the Blended Retirement System (BRS). myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/
Free Money!
Automatic one percent and up to four percent DOD matching contributions to your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
Continuation Pay
8-12 years of service
.5-6 times active duty base pay
CAN BE combined with other incentives