R 021825Z OCT 17
MARADMIN 543/17
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR THE CONTINUATION PAY PROGRAM FOR BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM (BRS) PARTICIPANTS REACHING 12 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF CALENDAR YEAR 2018//
REF/A/DOC/MCBUL/20170618//
REF/B/DOC/DON/20170427//
REF/C/DOC/MCO/20131126//
REF/D/MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA/091726Z DEC 16//
AMPN/REF A IS MCBUL 1800, THE MARINE CORPS BRS POLICY. REF B IS THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY BRS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE. REF C IS MCO 1900.16, THE MARINE CORPS SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT MANUAL (MARCORSEPMAN) WITH CHANGE 1. REF D IS MARADMIN 644/16, BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM (BRS) OPT-IN ELIGIBLE POPULATION.//
POC/MAJ RON GARNER/MAJ/UNIT: MPO/TEL: 703-784-9563/EMAIL: RONALD.T.GARNER@USMC.MIL/UNIT: RAP/TEL: 703-784-9139/EMAIL: RAP@USMC.MIL //
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Purpose.  To announce Continuation Pay (CP) procedures for Marines electing to participate in the Blended Retirement System (BRS) who reach 12 years of service (YOS) as calculated from their Pay Entry Base Date (PEBD) during the period 1 January 2018 to 28 February 2018, and to provide supplemental guidance to enclosure 4 of reference (a).  Marines who are not enrolled in the BRS are not eligible to receive CP.
2.  Background.
2.A.  Per the references, the BRS is effective 1 January 2018.  Marines with a Date of Original Entry of Armed Forces on or before 31 December 2017 are grandfathered into the parameters of the High-Three legacy retirement system.  As defined by references (a) and (d), Marines who are eligible to enroll in the BRS may do so as of 1 January 2018.  Upon reaching 12 YOS, Marines who are enrolled in the BRS may be eligible to receive a one-time CP payment in exchange for an agreement to serve four (4) additional years of obligated service.  For the purpose of CP eligibility, 12 YOS is defined as 12 years and zero days of service as calculated from the Marine’s PEBD.
2.B.  Marines who will complete 12 YOS in CY 2018 have the entire CY to make a decision to remain in the High-Three legacy retirement system or enroll in the BRS.  To qualify for CP, Marines must enroll in the BRS before completing 12 YOS.  Marines who enroll in the BRS after already completing 12 YOS are not eligible for CP.  The effective date of a BRS opt-in election decision is the date a Marine records their decision in Marine Online (MOL) or signs the BRS election form (to be used by exception in unusual circumstances) per previous MARADMIN.
2.C.  Members of the Reserve Component must be eligible to receive basic pay or inactive duty pay on the date they complete 12 YOS in order to receive CP.  Reserve Component members who receive CP must serve their additional four (4) years of obligated service in the Selected Reserve.  Reserve Marines who elect to receive CP should consult with a Career Retention Specialist in order to increase their contractual time in the Selected Reserve.
3.  Affected population.  The Marine Corps has identified three populations of Marines potentially eligible to receive CP during CY2018.
3.A.  Group 1 consists of Marines who reach 12 YOS as computed from their PEBD between 1 January 2018 and 15 January 2018.
3.B.  Group 2 consists of Marines who reach 12 YOS as computed from their PEBD between 16 January 2018 and 28 February 2018.
3.C.  Group 3 consists of Marines who reach 12 YOS as computed from their PEBD between 1 March 2018 and 31 December 2018.
3.D.  The instructions that follow apply to Marines in Groups 1 and 2.  Instructions for Group 3 Marines will follow in a later MARADMIN.
4.  Procedures for Group 1 Marines.
4.A.  Group 1 Marines must be notified of their eligibility to opt in to the BRS in person by a command designated representative and sign a NAVMC 118(11) entry to acknowledge notification no later than 30 days prior to reaching 12 YOS.
4.B.  Commanders must report the notification completion for each Marine notified using training event code Z7.  The signed NAVMC 118(11) entry is the only authorized source document to report the training event code.  Commanders must send a scanned copy of the NAVMC 118(11) entry via email to MMRP-20 at smb.manpower.mmrp@usmc.mil for inclusion in the Marine’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF).
4.C.  Marines who intend to enroll in the BRS and elect to receive CP may sign and date a CP Statement of Understanding (SOU) before 1 January 2018, but no earlier than 1 November 2017.  The SOU must be witnessed and signed by a warrant or commissioned officer.  The signed, dated and witnessed SOU is the official record of accepting or declining CP.
4.D.  Marines who elect to receive CP must sign the SOU and retain the SOU until opting into the BRS and then submit the SOU to their unit administrative office via Electronic Personnel Action Request (EPAR) in MOL no later than 30 days after completing 12 YOS.  The payment of CP is contingent on the Marine enrolling into the BRS via MOL before completing 12 YOS.
4.E.  Marines who decline CP must sign the SOU and submit it to their unit administrative office via EPAR in MOL no later than 30 days after completing 12 YOS.  The SOU must be witnessed and signed by a warrant or commissioned officer.  Unit Admin must send a scanned copy of the SOU to the Marine’s OMPF via email to MMRP-20 at smb.manpower.mmrp@usmc.mil.
5.  Procedures for Group 2 Marines
5.A.  Group 2 Marines must be notified of their eligibility to opt in to the BRS in person by a command designated representative and sign a NAVMC 118(11) entry to acknowledge notification no later than 30 days prior to reaching 12 YOS.
5.B.  Commanders must report the notification completion for each Marine notified using training event code Z7.  The signed NAVMC 118(11) entry is the only authorized source document to report the training event code.  Commanders must send a scanned copy of the NAVMC 118(11) entry via email to MMRP-20 at smb.manpower.mmrp@usmc.mil for inclusion in the Marine’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF).
5.C.  For Group 2 Marines, after notification, the normal CP procedures apply and will be described in a MARADMIN to follow at a later date.
6.  NAVMC 118(11) forms and CP SOU are available on the Marine Corps website for BRS (https:(SLASH)(SLASH)www.manpower.usmc.mil/BRS) or email your questions to BRS@usmc.mil.
7.  This MARADMIN is applicable to the Marine Corps Total Force.
8.  Release authorized by LtGen Michael A. Rocco, Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.//