Retention plays a pivotal role in the career trajectories of Soldiers, offering essential guidance and support as service members navigate their journey in the Army.

Career counselors, officially titled 79S, provide Soldiers with valuable options for their future, focusing on keeping talented individuals in the ranks. Their expertise ensures Soldiers have the tools and knowledge needed to make the best decisions for their careers, ultimately enhancing job satisfaction and career longevity within the Army.

Whether a Soldier wishes to continue their path as a military police officer or explore new opportunities within the armed forces, retention is equipped to help them make informed decisions that align with their personal and professional goals. As structure within the Army changes, certain military occupational specialties become a priority for growth and can come with incentives, including promotions and bonuses.

“The Army identifies certain MOSs (Military Occupational Specialty) for growth,” said Master Sgt. Ayla Papp, 89th Military Police Brigade senior career counselor. “These MOSs are the jobs that the Army wants Soldiers to focus on reclassifying into that can come with the benefit of promotion to the next grade. These promotions can sometimes be automatic promotions upon graduation of the advanced individual training, as well as up to $90,000 in bonuses.”

Meeting retention goals is challenging, however, Papp is here to provide Soldiers opportunities and offer solutions to further the careers for individuals seeking help.

“My ultimate goal is to ensure that I can align the wants, needs, and desires of the Soldier with the needs of the Army,” Papp said. “We have too many opportunities within the Army for someone to be dissatisfied with their career or situation in their life. There are over 200 jobs that we can look into together and find a good fit for a Soldier to continue their Army career.”

For those hesitant about searching and beginning a new job in the Army, Papp also brings reassurance in the form of job training for the Soldier to see a new MOS firsthand.

“If a Soldier is interested in seeing the day-to-day events of a new MOS, we have the opportunity to coordinate with units that share that MOS,” Papp said. “We want Soldiers to get immersed in the MOS they are interested in and see if they enjoy it before pursuing the administrative process to reclass.”

With the help of retention, Cpl. Dalton Lee, 410th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th MP Bde., was able to find a job that fits perfectly for him: counterintelligence. After spending two years as a military police officer, Lee was ready to find a new job as his Army career continues.

“After serving at the U.S. and Mexican border for seven months, I knew I wanted to find a job that was humanitarian focused,” Lee said. “I was interested in a job that would teach me skill sets to work towards humanitarian efforts, such as human trafficking or terrorism.”

Lee took advantage of retention and knew he wanted to learn more about becoming a 35L, or counterintelligence agent.

“I visited retention with counterintelligence in mind, and, luckily, the job was available,” Lee said. “I was pointed in the right direction, given the website to apply, and received outstanding encouragement and direction through the process of building my packet. Retention was also able to get me a bonus when I reenlisted for four more years.”

Papp gave some words of advice for Soldiers looking to transition careers in the Army, recommending they seek help with retention.

“Adjustment can be intimidating,” Papp said. “However, if you are looking for a new job, we can give you access to so many different jobs in other fields. I encourage those who need help to come to retention and discover all the opportunities that could spark a fire for a successful and fulfilling Army career.”