Can you retire straight from recruiting duty?

If your report date was at 17.5 years you would need an RCP ETP to be placed on assignment and PCS.

A three year tour is the SRR for Recruiting. That means, barring an SRR waiver from the CG of HRC, everyone gets a three year tour. USAREC is not looking to onboard someone who is incapable of completing a tour. Their strength projections are based around three year tours.

Sometimes a branch will place you on assignment and require you to process the ETP but 90% of the time branch will not place a Soldier on assignment if they can't take the assignment - ie, flags, RCP, etc.

Recruiting doesn't usually like to take end of life Soldiers for Recruiting. They are getting a Soldier for 18 months of work, who has no incentive to work. Coming in at 17 years, you can start TAP at 18 years. At 18 years you have Sanctuary and can pretty much show up to work and go home without fear of losing retirement without criminal charges. The last year on Active Duty you can almost expect that person to be gone for transition, medical appointments, job Interviews, TAP classes, and CSP.

This is why USAREC doesn't like to onboard Soldiers with over 15 years time in service, and why you are very unlikely to be accepted for recruiting if you apply

Of course! How elese would 79S's retire?

SFC (Join to see) general rules for PCS, you have to have enough time left or be willing to extend to meet it. If you don’t have an approved retirement or a directed mandatory retirement on an indefinite enlistment, you have time to accept.

You usually get a one year obligation by accepting a PCS move. Schools may also incur other obligations.

When you apply for retirement they look at obligations, MOS strength, audit the time for eligibility etc when they review it.