Col. Shane Mendenhall congratulates Spc. Jesse Martindale on his promotion to specialist in April 2024 at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Martindale was promoted early through the Army Soldier Referral Program after a friend he referred joined the Army. (Maria Christina Yager/U.S. Army)

A program offering promotions to junior soldiers who refer others to the Army is being extended for another year.

The Soldier Referral Program will now run through Feb. 26, 2026, the service said in a personnel message Monday.

Soldiers in the pay grades of E-1 to E-3 who refer someone who joins the Army and goes to basic training can receive a promotion to the next rank under the program, which began in January 2023.

A soldier may receive only one rank advancement under the program.

Higher-ranking soldiers or those no longer eligible for advancement can earn the U.S. Army Recruiting Ribbon, which was created at the same time as the incentive program.

Earning the recruiting ribbon is worth 10 promotion points. Soldiers can earn the Army Recruiting Ribbon up to four times in their career.