The U.S. Navy announced Tuesday that it is offering substantial financial incentives to retain officers who neutralize explosive devices. The new bonuses target explosive ordnance disposal warfare lieutenants and lieutenant commanders at specific points in their commissioned service.

Eligible officers can receive bonuses worth as much as $100,000, depending on rank, years of commissioned service and the contract selected. The offer gives both covered ranks a choice between 2 year and 4 year commitments with different payment plans.

For lieutenants, eligibility begins after six years of commissioned service. Those officers may choose a 2 year contract that pays $12,500 annually, creating a defined retention incentive for sailors who have reached that stage of their Navy careers.

The lieutenant option can extend beyond that initial agreement. A lieutenant who takes the 2 year bonus may have the opportunity to receive another 2 year bonus worth the same amount after reaching eight years of commissioned service.

That structure gives eligible lieutenants an immediate payment path while also allowing for a second bonus at the next stated service milestone. Each annual payment under the described 2 year lieutenant contract is $12,500.

Lieutenant commanders face a different top line offer once they reach 10 years of commissioned service. The Navy is offering those officers $100,000 in retention bonuses when they sign a 4 year contract after attaining that mark.

The announcement therefore sets separate eligibility points for the two ranks. Lieutenants enter the program at six years of commissioned service, while lieutenant commanders become eligible for the $100,000, 4 year retention offer after 10 years.

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The program does not make the payment automatic. An eligible officer must submit an application through the officer’s commanding officer, and that filing can be made within one year of the date the officer becomes eligible.

The paperwork requirements include a copy of the officer’s original signed contract. Commanding officer approval must also be sent to the Bureau of Naval Personnel, which receives the materials for consideration under the announced retention bonus process.

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Those submission rules place both the contract and command approval in the application package. Officers seeking the incentive must route the request through command and provide the specified documents to the Bureau of Naval Personnel.

The financial offer arrives as the Navy has recently directed explosive ordnance resources toward Arctic training. The United States and allied nations are focusing on defending frozen terrain from Chinese and Russian infiltration.

During February’s Arctic Specialist 26 exercise, U.S. sailors trained alongside Swedish and Norwegian troops. The participants worked to destroy explosives both underwater and on land, putting the specialty’s capabilities to use across two different operating environments.

The exercise brought American sailors together with forces from two allied nations for explosive ordnance training. Their work covered explosive destruction beneath the water and ashore as the Navy committed resources to the Arctic.

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The retention announcement centers on experienced commissioned officers who meet the Navy’s stated service thresholds. Rank, years of commissioned service, contract length and the required application materials all determine how an officer can pursue the available bonus.

For eligible lieutenants, the announced route begins at six years and can include the later bonus opportunity at eight years. For eligible lieutenant commanders, the headline offer is $100,000 tied to a 4 year agreement after 10 years of commissioned service.

Applications still depend on the required command route and review by the Bureau of Naval Personnel. Officers have a one year eligibility window to submit the original signed contract copy and commanding officer approval for consideration.