R 070800Z DEC 22
MARADMIN 630/22
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/MARINE CORPS TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY (TERA) PROGRAM//
REF/A/DOC/CMC/1FEB21//
REF/B/DOC/CONGRESS/23DEC16//
REF/C/DOC/DOD/21DEC18//
REF/D/DOC/SECNAV/6NOV18/NOTAL//
REF/E/DOC/SECNAV MRA/17DEC18/NOTAL//
REF/F/DOC/CMC MIF/3JUL13//
REF/G/DOC/CMC/08SEP2010//
REF/H/MSG/CMC/06MAY2020//
REF/I/DOC/CMC/17JUL2019//
REF/J/DOC/CMC/MAR2020//
NARR/REFERENCE (REF) (A) IS MCO 1900.16 W/CH 3, SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT MANUAL (SHORT TITLE: MARCORSEPMAN). REF (B) IS THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 WHICH GRANTS THE SERVICES TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO ALLOW MILITARY PERSONNEL TO RETIRE AFTER ONLY 15 YEARS OF SERVICE. REF (C) IS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSTRUCTION 1332.46 TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY FOR SERVICE MEMBERS THAT ESTABLISHES POLICY, ASSIGNS RESPONSIBILITIES, AND PROVIDES PROCEDURES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF TERA. REF (D) IS SECNAV MEMORANDUM THAT DELEGATES AUTHORITY TO ASSISTANT SECNAV (MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS) TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN TERA. REF (E) IS ASSISTANT SECNAV (MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS) MEMORANDUM THAT DELEGATES AUTHORITY TO THE MARINE CORPS TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN TERA. REF (F) IS MCO 1000.6, ASSIGNMENT, CLASSIFICATION, AND TRAVEL SYSTEM MANUAL (SHORT TITLE: ACTSMAN). REF (G) IS MCO 1040.31 ENLISTED RETENTION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. REF (H) IS MARADMIN 415/22 PUBLICATION OF FISCAL YEARS 2023 THROUGH 2043 TABLES OF ORGANIZATION AND EQUIPMENT. REF (I) IS 38TH COMMANDANT’S PLANNING GUIDANCE. REF (J) IS FORCE DESIGN 2030.//
POC/A. D. BICKNELL/CAPT/DC MRA/MPP-30/TEL: 703-784-9365//
POC/J. P. CRUZ/MAJ/DC MRA/MP/MPP-20/TEL: 703-784-9390//
POC/MRS. P. M. SANGSTER/DC MRA/MMSR-2/TEL: 703-784-9324//
POC/K. L. PORTERLOTT/MAJ/DC MRA/RAP-1/TEL: 703-784-9138//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. Purpose. Retirement with at least 20 years of service continues to be the basic retirement entitlement for those who complete a career in the Military Services. Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) is an exception to policy governing the regular retirement of service members in reference (a) and is not an entitlement. TERA is used to retire Service members who otherwise would have been expected to pursue and qualify for a 20-year retirement and serves as an additional force management tool to meet the needs of the Marine Corps. Per references (b) through (e), the Marine Corps is authorized to offer voluntary early retirement under certain criteria to Active Component (AC) and Active Reserve (AR) Marines with more than 15 and fewer than 20 years of active duty. This authority extends through 31 December 2025 unless sooner rescinded.
2. Justification for TERA submission. AC and AR TERA requests must meet one of the below criterion to be considered.
a. TERA in conjunction with waiving Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) findings. Marines found unfit by the PEB must have 15 but fewer than 20 years of active service and be willing to waive the PEB findings and proceedings in order to apply for TERA. PEB findings must be “unfit” in order to be considered for TERA. Marines can apply for TERA after accepting their “unfit” findings. Marines approved for early retirement in these cases must have a retirement date that occurs within the timeframe that a disability separation or retirement is expected to occur, usually within three to four months after accepting the “unfit” findings. Marines disapproved for TERA in conjunction with PEB findings will be required to execute their disability separation as directed by the PEB.
b. Marines receiving an administratively closed/denied reenlistment request due to force shaping needs may be eligible to apply for TERA.
c. AC Marines in Primary Military Occupational Specialties listed in paragraph 2c(1) and 2c(2) may apply for TERA consideration in accordance with Force Design Phase One requirements.
(1) Enlisted. 1812 Armor Marine, 1869 Senior Armor SNCO, and 2146 Main Battle Tank (MBT) Repairer/Technician.
(2) Officers. 1802 Tank Officer and 5803 Military Police Officer.
d. TERA due to circumstances of extreme hardship or exceptional need. TERA may be considered for extreme hardship or exceptional need in cases when the Marine demonstrates that a situation exists which is not of a temporary nature, is not susceptible to relief by other means available (i.e., USMC programs and resources such as EFMP, etc.), and that the situation is of such severity that it will preclude the Marine from reaching a 20-year retirement. Marines requesting TERA for extreme hardship or exceptional need shall first exhaust humanitarian transfer options in accordance with reference (f). These requests will be given potential consideration as long as the Marine meets all other eligibility criteria and where approval is consistent with the intent of TERA as a force shaping measure and aligns with the needs of the Marine Corps.
3. Active Component and Active Reserve Eligibility. In addition to meeting at least one of the criteria in paragraph 2, AC & AR Marines must meet all of the below criterion.
a. Must be in the Active Component or Active Reserve serving on active duty.
b. Must have more than 15 and fewer than 20 years of active service at the requested date of retirement.
c. Must be serving in pay grades E6-E9, WO-CWO5, or O1-O6.
d. Must not be stabilized for deployment at the time of their requested date of retirement.
e. Must not be pending legal action, legal proceedings, administrative separation, or disability evaluation.
f. Must meet all other regular retirement eligibility criteria under reference (a).
g. Complete all other service obligations (e.g., time on station, time in grade, commission service requirements, continuation pay, education pay-back). Waivers of existing service obligations will be considered on a case-by-case basis, factoring in force requirements and the needs of the Marine Corps.
h. Enlisted Marines must meet all reenlistment prerequisites per reference (g) and must not have been denied further service by CMC (MMEA) due to adversity on their current contract.
4. Considerations. Pay grade, military occupational specialty/occupational field inventory health, years of service, remaining obligated service, potential for future service and advancement, and future force structure requirements are all considerations in the approval process. Requests for waiver of service obligations or when pending/in receipt of orders require justification, and each application will be considered based on the needs of the Marine Corps. The requested retirement date will not normally be approved for a date beyond a Marine’s current end of active service (EAS). Any payments requiring a service obligation (i.e., Continuation Pay, Aviation Bonus, and Selective Retention Bonus) are subject to recoupment of the unearned portion of the payment if TERA is approved. Marines transferred to the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve under TERA are not entitled to Involuntary Separations Pay (ISP), Special Separation Benefits (SSB), Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI), or Voluntary Separation Pay (VSP).
5. Retired pay computation
a. Retirement pay calculations are found in reference (c). The basic TERA retainer pay entitlement is computed by applying a reduction factor obtained from reference (c). Retired pay multipliers are subject to further reduction if the Marine previously received the Career Status Bonus/REDUX or the Blended Retirement System. For Marines in receipt of TERA who previously received the Career Status Bonus/REDUX, the cost of living adjustment normally applied to retired pay will be reduced by one percentage point if the standard Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for retirees is greater than one percent.
b. Prior enlisted officers retiring with fewer than 10 years commissioned service will be retired in their highest enlisted pay grade held at the time prior to commissioning. Retired pay is computed using “constructed” pay history. The constructed pay history is not necessarily the highest 36 months of actual enlisted pay held at the time prior to commissioning but history of the enlisted pay rates that would have applied to the member if serving in their retired enlisted grade during any period of service as an officer.
c. Example calculation for a Staff Sergeant with 15 years of service who did not elect CSB/REDUX: (time in service reduction factors associated with TERA calculations are found in reference (c)). The difference of the number of months at the member’s requested retirement date and the number of months in 20 years of service (240 - 180 = 60 months)) for 60 months is a .950 reduction factor. For example, a 15 year Staff Sergeant with a high-36 month average basic pay of $4,249.00 would be computed as follows: $4,249.00 X ((180 / 12) X .025) X .950 = $1,513.00 for the estimated average monthly retirement annuity. Computation for Marines covered by the BRS retirement plan is the same as described above with the exception that the retired pay multiplier is reduced from .025 to .020. Marines approved for TERA retirement who are participants in the Blended Retirement System (BRS) may not elect a lump sum of retired pay upon retirement with fewer than 20 years of service.
6. Per reference (c), approval of TERA has no effect on previously approved transfer of Post 9/11 G.I. Bill education benefits. This waiver of obligated service for Post 9/11 G.I. Bill educational benefits transfer may be revoked based on change of Department of Defense (DOD) policy and the needs of the Marine Corps.
7. Per reference (a), personnel approved for TERA retirement are not eligible for promotion consideration.
8. Coordinating Instructions
a. Submit TERA requests by Administrative Action (AA) form via the chain of command to Manpower Management Separation and Retirement (MMSR-2) per reference (a). The primary method to submit a request is the MMSR-2 organizational mailbox at: Enlisted: smb.manpower.mmsr2e@usmc.mil; Officers: smb.manpower.mmsr2o@usmc.mil. Applications must include chain of command endorsement through the first general officer, with the exception of requesting TERA in conjunction with waiving PEB findings which requires endorsement at the O-5 command level. However, if TIG or commission service requirements have not been met, then first general officer endorsement is required for TERA in conjunction with waiving PEB findings. Endorsement recommendations should be made based on assessment of the character and quality of the applicant, taking into consideration performance and potential for further service. Final decision authority has been delegated to the Director, Manpower Management Division for AC Marines and Director, Reserve Affairs Division for AR Marines.
b. The AA form will contain the following information:
(1) A statement that all eligibility criteria in reference (a) has been satisfied or a justification for waiver of any service obligation.
(2) A statement verifying that a transition assistance class and final physical will be completed prior to Fleet Marine Corps Reserve transfer date.
(3) The date of intended transfer (requested retirement date) to the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve (enlisted) or Retired List (officers). This date must be the last day of the month for enlisted or the first day of the month for officers.
(4) The Planned Detachment Date (PDD).
(5) A statement of justification criteria outlined in paragraph 2 of this MARADMIN.
(6) Marines meeting eligibility criteria may apply upon publication of this MARADMIN. Requests for retirement must be submitted no later than four months prior to the PDD for ample processing time; this does not apply to TERA requests in conjunction with waiving PEB findings.
(7) For cases of TERA in lieu of DES findings, the following enclosures must also be provided: Copies of Election of Options, PEB waiver signed by the Commanding Officer, PEBLO, DES counsel and member.
c. After initial receipt by MMSR through the organizational mailbox, TERA requests are staffed via the Separation and Retirement Staffing System.
(1) Once approved, MMSR-2 will report Type Transaction Code 775 000 with a planned Separation Program Designator of NBE1 for enlisted Marines and RBE1 for officers. This entry will reflect on the RT01 screen in the Marine Corps Total Force System. The narrative reason of “Early Retirement” will be used when preparing the DD Form 214. The separation authority will be paragraph 7007 of reference (a).
(2) Marines can track the status of their request through the Basic Individual Record in Marine Online and by contacting their unit administrator. Use the “RET/FMCR Status” field under the retirement information section. Address further questions regarding individual requests through unit administrators. Per reference (a), the standard window to process a request is 60 days.
9. CMC (MP in conjunction with RA) maintains all policy associated with this program. CMC (MM/RA) maintains final approval authority for all TERA requests.
10. This MARADMIN is applicable to the AC and AR program.
11. This MARADMIN cancels on 31 December 2025 unless sooner rescinded.
12. Release authorized by LtGen James F. Glynn, Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.//