§317 Special pay: officers in critical acquisition positions extending period of active duty

Summary

An officer can get a retention bonus if they sign a written agreement to stay on active duty in a critical acquisition job for at least one year and the Secretary accepts that agreement. This applies to officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps who are in the acquisition workforce and are serving in or selected for a critical acquisition position under section 1731 of title 10, and who are eligible to retire or whose assignment will push past their retirement eligibility. The bonus for each year cannot be more than 15 percent of the officer’s annual basic pay at the time of the agreement. Once the Secretary accepts the agreement, the total bonus amount is fixed and may be paid all at once or in installments. The bonus is extra pay on top of other pay. If an officer leaves before finishing the agreed time after receiving any of the bonus, they must repay it under section 303a(e). The agreed service time counts in addition to other commitments, except it may run at the same time as certain 1734 commitments. The military Secretaries must issue rules to carry this out, and service rules need the Secretary of Defense’s approval.