How will an E-6 getting busted to E-5, prior to hitting the 20-year mark, impact their retirement eligibility and pay?

SPC Tim K — Tue, 27 May 2025 08:06:21 -0400

What if an Army E-6 Staff Sergeant gets to 14 years, and decides to re-enlist for 6 more years, to make it to 20 years and retirement safely. But then, a year or 2 later, he gets busted to E-5 Sergeant for some reason. What will happen with his HYT? Will he be able to complete his enlistment and 20 years even if he never gets back to E-6, or would he have some certain amount of time or conditions in which to get back to E-6 or be separated from the military before the 20 year retirement?

Response by COL Randall C. made May 27 at 2025 9:23 AM

COL Randall C. — Tue, 27 May 2025 09:23:09 -0400

If the Soldier is over their RCP due to reduction, then their ETS date is adjusted to 180 days from their new GED if it is currently further out. If the Soldier subsequently gets back their rank, then the ETS reverts back to what it was previously.

In this hypothetical situation, because a Soldier must serve the full TIG requirements (non-waiverable) to be promoted after being reduced, they would need to ensure their transition plan is updated.

BTW, your hypothetical (SSG with 14 years reenlisting for 6 years) wouldn't occur as they would be reenlisted under the Career Status Program (i.e., indef).
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* AR 601-280 (Army Retention Program) - https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN35366-AR_601-280-000-WEB-1.pdf
* DA PAM 601-280 (Army Retention Program Procedures) - https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2024/10/17/6e3d2b5a/smartbook-da-pam-601-280.pdf

ARN35366-AR_601-280-000-WEB-1.pdf

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 27 at 2025 12:17 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 27 May 2025 12:17:34 -0400

In this particular case, as the good COL Randall C. said, they will face the RCP Chapter Boot unless they get their rank back. However, another key thing to take into account is that any time a SSG thru CSM is reduced in grade due to an Article 15, they are automatically put up for the QMP Board. If they can hit their 16 months TIG and promoted again prior to RCP, then RCP is no longer a factor. Still looking at the QMP, however.

In case you are wondering, what automatically triggers a QMP Board for a SM (E6-E9) is the following:

Article 15 resulting in reduction
GOMOR
NCOER Relief for Cause
DUI (this one is 100% fatal; there have been NO persons retained that had a DIU).
Failure of an NCOES for promotion

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 28 at 2025 2:49 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:49:04 -0400

I'm curious though. What brought this very specific 'what if" question about?

Response by Damon Eddleman made Jun 2 at 2025 1:38 AM

Damon Eddleman — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 01:38:23 -0400

If an Army Staff Sergeant (E-6) with 14-16 years of service is demoted to Sergeant (E-5), they would almost certainly face **involuntary separation** due to exceeding the High Year Tenure (HYT) limit for an E-5 (typically 14 years). Their re-enlistment for 20 years would be curtailed, as reaching retirement after such a demotion would be highly unlikely without a rare HYT waiver or a very swift re-promotion back to E-6. https://www.whycatmeows.com

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Response by SGT Lorenzo Nieto made Jun 8 at 2025 6:27 AM

SGT Lorenzo Nieto — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 06:27:08 -0400

I think I’d work on getting that E-6 stripe back

Response by PO2 Michael Leppelman made Jun 8 at 2025 8:55 PM

PO2 Michael Leppelman — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 20:55:32 -0400

When I was in HYT for E5 and E6 was 20 years.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 24 at 2025 6:12 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 06:12:47 -0400

I know the answer to this question way too well as it actually happened to me. My infraction took place in Dec of 2013 in Korea. I was an E6 with over 16 years of service and INDEF status. In Jan of 2014 a MILPER message came out stating the previously referenced actions that would be taken for people in this situation. I was reduced on 2 May 2014 and since I was beyond the RCP standards for an E5, I was immediately scheduled for involuntary separation. Fortunately for me, at the time, the reserves were in serious need of personnel so I was able to reenlist into the army reserves without a break in service. More great news was in 9 years of reserve service, getting promoted back to E6 in 2019, and 1.5 mobilizations, I was able to acquire 18 years of active federal service. This allowed me to apply for sanctuary status, which sent me to Fort Stewart back in 2023 and I'm set to retire 31 Oct 2025. I might be the luckiest person to ever reach retirement status with the things I've done in my past, but I sure am grateful for the Army giving me a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and finally a 5th chance at retention and bouncing back.

Response by SGT Jack Stevens made Aug 1 at 2025 8:41 PM

SGT Jack Stevens — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:41:19 -0400

Usually if an NCO is reduced in rank, they are barred for reenlistment or any other favorable actions. And if reduced, they are usually separated after their other penalty are finished with( ie... confinement, extra duty, restriction).

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Aug 2 at 2025 7:31 PM

Cpl Vic Burk — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 19:31:55 -0400

Things sure have changed since I was in the Corps back in the 70's. The most that happened to someone back then if they got a DUI was they took away their base driving privileges. I seen it happen to those from Private to Gunnery Sergeant (E-1 to E-7). Come to think about it, a 1stLt also got a DUI. Not sure how that affected his promotion but as far as I know, he only lost his base driving privileges the same as enlisted.

Response by LTC Matthew Schlosser made Aug 3 at 2025 11:53 PM

LTC Matthew Schlosser — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 23:53:43 -0400

I would add the wrinkle of the "sanctuary program." If you're an E-5 past 18 years of service, don't you get to retire, RCP be damned? I ask this because I was the extremely rare O-4 who would have been past 18 years at my RCP if I had not been promoted. Naturally, I'm a stud, so it didn't happen, but it's an interesting intellectual exercise....

Response by PO2 Bill Reardon made Oct 7 at 2025 3:01 AM

PO2 Bill Reardon — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 03:01:39 -0400

When I was in Antarctica we had an ET1 that made Chief but was not frocked. He got into trouble and got busted down to ET2 and out of the Navy.