MOS 79S—Career Counselor

Qualifications for initial award of MOS 79S, Career Counselor:

PULHES: 222221
Physical Demands Rating: light
Required ASVAB Score: GT: 100 & ST: 96
Enlistment Bonus: N / A
Security Clearance: Secret
U.S. Citizenship: Required
Training Length / Location: 8 weeks, 2 days at Ft Jackson, SC
Other Requirements

Career Counselor (MOS 79S) Description / Major Duties:

Assists commanders at all levels with sustaining the Army’s readiness posture and achieving their retention mission. Advises commanders on all matters relating to the Army Retention Program, ensures mission accomplishment and processes reclassification actions. Process Bars to reenlistment. Counsels, reenlists, extends or transitions qualified Soldiers in the Active and Reserve Component to achieve the command’s retention mission. Conducts staff assistance visits. Manage a retention program budget.

Duties for MOS 79S at each skill level are:

MOSC 79S3O. Provide career counseling to Soldiers. Conduct retention interviews. Determines Soldiers’ eligibility to immediately reenlist or extend their enlistment, to include options and bonuses; prepares and reviews reenlistment and extension documents for accuracy; coordinates retention ceremonies. Advise commanders on criteria for selection of unit level retention NCOs. Advises Soldiers on all aspects that could impact their decision for continued service, to include the Declination of Continued Service Statement. Evaluate and trains unit level retention NCOs. Brief leaders, Soldiers, and families on matters relating to retention and reclassification actions. Maintain liaison with local personnel, agencies and finance offices. Manage retention mission, statistics, incentives and awards program.

MOSC 79S4O. Performs duties shown in preceding skill level and provides technical guidance as required. Review retention actions for accuracy. Interpret regulations and provides guidance to subordinates. Assist in the development and direction of command retention programs. Coordinate with strength managers to ensure command’s readiness posture. Plans, coordinates and conducts retention training. Explain unit performance data to leaders and superiors. Evaluate subordinate’s conduct of a retention interview. Determine Soldier’s eligibility and recommends Soldiers for retention duty. Plans and conducts retention training.

MOSC 79S5O. Performs duties shown in preceding skill levels and provides technical guidance as required. Analyzes retention trends; provides leadership, mentorship, and training, and recommends courses of action to achieve the commander’s retention mission. Reviews packets, interviews and recommends Soldiers for retention duty. Serves as the Field Reclassification Authority (FRA) (applies to SGM, SR Operations, and DRU SR Career Counselor positions only).

Other Requirements for Award of MOS 79S:

  • Must be serving on a second or subsequent tour.
  • Must have 36 months time remaining in service upon completion of the Career Counselor Course. Action must be taken prior to course attendance.
  • The following rank criteria must be met.
    (a) Be a SGT(P) or SSG with less than l5 years of active federal service upon graduation from the Career Counselor Course.
    (b) MOS closed for reclassification at SFC, MSG, and SGM. Exception, SFC awarded the Army Gold Recruiter Badge who has less than 15 years of active federal service and no more than 2 years time in grade.
  • Be a Phase I BNCOC Graduate.
  • Must have no history of lost or bad time during the current enlistment or in the past 3 years, whichever is longer.
  • Must have no history of drug or alcohol dependency intervention program of any type.
  • Not be pregnant at time of selection or prior to attendance at the Career Counselor Course.
  • Have no marital, emotional, or major medical problems (to include immediate family members) that would hinder performance as a Career Counselor. Note: Every effort will be made to assign Soldiers with family members enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) to a military installation where definitive medical care is available. There is no guarantee that the assigned location will accommodate the Family’s special needs.
  • Serving as an Retention NCO at company or higher level command and recommended by a LTC or higher commander. Additionally, all applicants for PMOS 79S must be interviewed and endorsed by a Command Career Counselor (SGM). DA G-1 (DAPE-MPE-PD) is the only approval authority for exceptions to policy.
  • No record of conviction by summary, special or general courts martial or civil courts of offense (e.g. Lautenberg Amendment) listed in AR 27-10 (Military Justice), chapter 24 or otherwise required to register as a sexual offender under AR 27-10, chapter 24.
  • MOS closed for reclassification to Soldiers who have been deemed permanently non-deployable in accordance with AR 614-30, AR 40-501, AR 220-1, and AR 601-280. Soldiers must meet the minimum criteria for retainability stated in AT 600-60, paragraph 4-2(b) and be fully deployable to all locations and echelons.
  • If serving on a dependent restricted tour, waive homebase or advanced assignment.
  • Must meet any additional selection criteria outlined in AR 601-280 (AA) or as announced in HQDA messages.
  • MOS closed for reclassification at SFC, MSG, and SGM, except for SFC awarded the Gold Recruiting Badge.

Additional Skill Identifiers for MOS 79S:

N / A

Article Last Modified: May 10, 2011

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