JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. — Army career counselors from across I Corps attended a retention training summit between Jan. 20-22, 2026, to strengthen retention efforts, support readiness, and cultivate innovation as the Army continues to implement force wide policy changes.
Representatives from U.S. Army Human Resources Command and Headquarters, Department of the Army participated alongside Army career counselors traveling from Fort Carson, Colorado, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and Fort Wainwright, Alaska, collaborated with peers from America’s Corps units at JBLM discussing the latest updates on current and upcoming guidance impacting formations across the service.
The summit also served as an opportunity to build unity and coordination across I Corps Divisions following recent restructuring and the historic integration of 4th Infantry Division. Leaders said bringing counselors together was especially important given the small size of the career counselor field and the need for consistent practices across geographically dispersed formations. According to Sgt Maj. Jason Clark, I Corps Command Career Counselor, there are approximately 1,000 career counselors in the Army, and in many organizations, there is only one per unit.
“Because of the restructure, it’s important to bring these career counselors together and get them familiar with the organization and also understand the priorities as far as retention and readiness goes,” said Clark. “I want them to take back the knowledge that they learned, so they can better help empower commanders to run efficient retention programs and to ensure that we're retaining the Army's best.” A key topic during the summit was the Quality Tiered Incentive Program, known as QTIP, a merit-based initiative intended to recognize and reward high performing soldiers. While counselors said additional policy guidance is still forthcoming, leaders emphasized the program’s potential to support retention efforts by incentivizing continued service among top talent.
The explicit goal of the summit is to disseminate knowledge and share best practices that will elevate the quality of support provided to all Soldiers. These newly forged relationships are paramount to career counselor’s ability to seamlessly integrate into formations and ensure every Soldier receives the unparalleled support needed to excel in their career and contribute to our collective readiness.