Pappas, Moylan, Golden Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Green to Gold Program Participants’ Benefits

Today Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01), James Moylan (GU-AL), and Jared Golden (ME-02) reintroduced the Save the Green to Gold Program Act. This bipartisan legislation would ensure servicemembers participation in the Army’s Green-to-Gold (G2G) Active Duty Option Program is recognized toward their Time in Service (TIS) calculation, which determines future pay and retirement benefits.

“The Green-to-Gold Active Duty Program has historically allowed active duty Army soldiers the opportunity to simultaneously serve, advance within the Army, and obtain a degree without any impact on their prospective military careers. However, changes to Army policy for soldiers’ Time in Service accruement for the program could threaten their future pay and retirement benefits,” said Congressman Pappas. “The soldiers who participate in this program have already dedicated themselves to serving our country, commit to remaining on Active Duty, and seek to further their military careers and service. This bipartisan legislation will protect the benefits that Army soldiers participating in the program rightly deserve, and I thank Congressmen Moylan and Golden for joining me in this effort.”

The G2G Active Duty Program offers eligible enlisted active duty Army soldiers the opportunity to pursue a degree and become commissioned Army officers upon the attainment of their degree. The Army has traditionally counted soldier time enrolled in university as part of TIS for both pay and retirement purposes, making the program a popular pathway to advancement within the Army while also enabling servicemembers to obtain a degree. However, in April 2023, the U.S. Army Cadet Command revised its ROTC Program policies, including the G2G Active Duty Option Program. The decision marked a stark departure from the Army’s prior application of its authority under the law regarding TIS accrual during program participation.  

Background:

In December 2023, Pappas and Moylan sent a bipartisan letter to the Army expressing concerns about its new policy on recognition of the Green-to-Gold (G2G) Active Duty Option Program toward Time in Service (TIS) and calling on them to grant an exception for the most recent class, many of whom applied with the expectation that they would continue to accrue TIS during their participation in the G2G Program as was historically allowed. Heeding their calls, it was announced in March 2024 that the Army would fully recognize the participation of this year’s soldiers in the G2G program.

Pappas, Moylan, and Golden first introduced this bipartisan legislation in August 2024.