FISCAL YEAR 2018 (FY18) SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE (SMCR) RESERVE OFFICER RETENTION BONUS (RORB) AND FORWARD AIR CONTROLLER (FAC)/AIR OFFICER RETENTION BONUS
Date Signed: 8/9/2017 | MARADMINS Number: 429/17
MARADMINS : 429/17
R 082117Z AUG 17
MARADMIN 429/17
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA RA//
SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2018 (FY18) SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE (SMCR) RESERVE OFFICER RETENTION BONUS (RORB) AND FORWARD AIR CONTROLLER (FAC)/AIR OFFICER RETENTION BONUS//
REF/A/MSGID: DOC/DODI 1304.34/YMD: 20160711//
REF/B/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20140501//
REF/C/MSGID: DOC/MCTFSPRIUM/YMD: 20120807//
REF/D/MSGID: DOC/MCO 1001R.1L/YMD: 20151223//
NARR/REFERENCE (A) IS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSTRUCTION 1304.34 GENERAL BONUS AUTHORITY FOR OFFICERS. REFERENCE (B) IS NAVMC 3500.42B, TACP T AND R MANUAL. REFERENCE (C) IS THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM PERSONNEL REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS MANUAL. REFERENCE (D) IS THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT MANUAL (MCRAMM).//
POC/J. POLANCO/GYSGT/RA (RIT)/TEL: (703) 432-9771/EMAIL: SMB-RIT@USMC.MIL//
POC/T. A. DEMPSEY/CAPT/RA (RIT)/TEL: (703) 784-0510/EMAIL: SMB-RIT@USMC.MIL//
POC/N. R. ALEN/MAJ/RA (RAP)/TEL: (703) 784-9135/EMAIL: RAP@USMC.MIL//
POC/S. J. JACKSON/MSGT/RA (RAP)/TEL: (703) 784-9135/EMAIL: RAP@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Purpose.  In accordance with (IAW) reference (a), this MARADMIN announces the eligibility, application procedures, and reporting procedures for the FY18 SMCR RORB and FAC/Air Officer Retention Bonus.  The 20,000 dollar lump sum bonuses are for company grade officers joined to an SMCR unit.  Officers must be filling a valid Billet Identification Code (BIC) in their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).  Officers will incur a three year drilling obligation in the approved SMCR BIC beginning on affiliation date.
2.  Unit and MOS eligibility
    a.  The FY18 20,000 dollar RORB is applicable to the following units for company grade officers with the required Primary MOS (PMOS)/Necessary MOS (NMOS) (read in four columns):
MOS   Unit Name                             City                State
0302  H and S Co 1/23 4th MARDIV            Ellington           TX
0302  Rfl Co A 1/23 4th MARDIV              Ellington           TX
0302  Rfl Co B 1/23 4th MARDIV              Bossier City        LA
0302  H and S Co 3/23 4th MARDIV            Bridgeton           MO
0302  Rfl Co I 3/23 4th MARDIV              N. Little Rock      AR
0302  Rfl Co L 3/23 4th MARDIV              Montgomery          AL
0302  Rfl Co K 3/23 4th MARDIV              Smyrna              TN
0302  H and S Co 1/24 4th MARDIV            Detroit             MI
0302  Rfl Co A 1/24 4th MARDIV              Grand Rapids        MI
0302  Rfl Co B 1/24 4th MARDIV              Terre Haute         IN
0302  Rfl Co C 1/24 4th MARDIV              Lansing             MI
0302  Wpns Co 1/24 4th MARDIV               Perrysburg          OH
0302  H and S Co 2/24 4th MARDIV            Chicago             IL
0302  Rfl Co E 2/24 4th MARDIV              Granger             IA
0302  Rfl Co F 2/24 4th MARDIV              Milwaukee           WI
0302  Rfl Co G 2/24 4th MARDIV              Madison             WI
0302  H and S Co 1/25 4th MARDIV            Ft Devens           MA
0302  Rfl Co A 1/25 4th MARDIV              Brunswick           ME
0302  Rfl Co B 1/25 4th MARDIV              Londonderry         NH
0302  H and S Co 2/25 4th MARDIV            Brooklyn            NY
0302  H and S Co 3/25 4th MARDIV            Brookpark           OH
0302  Rfl Co I 3/25 4th MARDIV              Johnson City        TN
0302  Rfl Co K 3/25 4th MARDIV              Pittsburgh          PA
0302  Rfl Co L 3/25 4th MARDIV              Columbus            OH
0302  Wpns Co 3/25 4th MARDIV               North Canton        OH
0802  HQTRS Btry 2/14 4th MARDIV            Grand Prairie       TX
0802  Rckt Btry D 2/14 4th MARDIV           El Paso             TX
0802  Rckt Btry F 2/14 4th MARDIV           Oklahoma City       OK
0802  Arty Btry M 3/14 4th MARDIV           Chattanooga         TN
0802  Arty Btry O 5/14 4th MARDIV           Seal Beach          CA
0802  Arty Btry P 5/14 4th MARDIV           Spokane             WA
0802  4th ANGLICO FHG                       W Palm Beach        FL
1302  Combat Engr Co E 4th CEB 4th MARDIV   Bessemer            AL
1302  Det B MWSS-471 MAG-41 4th MAW         Selfridge           MI
1803  AAV Co D 4th AAV Bn 4th MARDIV        Tampa               FL
5803  MP Co A 4th Law Enf Bn FHG            Lexington           KY
    b.  The FY18 20,000 dollar FAC/Air Officer Retention Bonus is for officers who possess the 7502 Additional MOS (AMOS) and are assigned to infantry, light armored reconnaissance, tank, and reconnaissance battalions, infantry regiments, and Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies (ANGLICOs).
3.  Eligibility requirements
    a.  RORB.  Commissioned company grade officers, including officers currently serving in an SMCR unit, who meet the MOS requirements in paragraph 2.
        (1) SMCR officers must be within 90 days of completing their current drilling obligation, or have completed any required service, and be serving in a Reserve Affairs (RA) validated BIC commensurate with the officer's grade and MOS prior to application submission.
        (2) SMCR officers conducting an inter-unit transfer (IUT) may request the RORB in conjunction with the IUT.  Adjudication of the RORB by RA will occur concurrently to the IUT approval.  Units must include a completed Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) IUT request checklist (available from MARFORRES G-1 section), submitted with the Total Force Retention System (TFRS) request as an attachment.  The IUT checklist must be endorsed by the gaining command.
        (3) Officers serving in the Active Component (AC), Active Reserve (AR), Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), or Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) program are eligible to request this incentive once joined to an incentivized SMCR unit and valid BIC.
        (4) Prior service AC or AR officers must be released from active duty under honorable conditions.
        (5) Reserve officers must not have more than a four year break in service from the AC or last Selected Reserve assignment at the time the RORB is accepted.
        (6) SMCR officers that were commissioned via the Reserve Officer Commissioning Programs (OCC-R, RECP, and MCP-R) must be within 90 days of, or have already passed, their mandatory drill participation stop date (MDPSD).  The three year retention obligation is in addition to any remaining mandatory participation requirement.
        (7) IMAs are eligible regardless of the time remaining in their IMA tour.  Upon approval by RA, officers will be released from their IMA tour and assigned to the gaining SMCR unit.
        (8) Not be in receipt of, or entitled to receive retirement or retainer pay.
        (9) Officer must serve in a valid BIC as a grade and MOS match (N-grade of one up and one down will normally be authorized).
        (10) Captains selected for promotion to major and captains in-zone for promotion to major are not eligible for this incentive.
        (11) Lieutenants or captains who have failed selection to the next higher grade while in the unrestricted Reserve competitive category are not eligible for this incentive.  Failures of selection to the next higher grade incurred while in the Active Component competitive category do not necessarily disqualify an otherwise eligible officer.
        (12) Eligibility requirements may be waived by RA based on emergent needs of the Marine Corps Reserve.
    b.  FAC/Air Officer Retention Bonus
        (1) Commissioned company grade officers and majors with less than four years time in grade (TIG), joined to an SMCR unit, in a valid FAC or Air Officer BIC.
        (2) The officer must possess the AMOS of 7502 and have a minimum of 12 months of currency remaining from their most recent 18 month evaluation IAW reference (b) certification.
        (3) Aviators who do not possess the AMOS 7502 must submit a Reenlistment Extension Lateral Move (RELM) via a Prior Service Recruiter (PSR)/Career Planner (CP) requesting to attend the Amphibious Tactical Air Control Party Course offered at Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coronado, California, or NAB Little Creek, Virginia, in accordance with MARADMIN 426/17.  RA will execute payment upon completion of the required course and the AMOS reported in Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS).  School seats are limited and may not be available for all units.
        (4) Lieutenants or captains who have failed selection to the next higher grade while in the unrestricted Reserve competitive category are not eligible for this incentive.  Failures of selection to the next higher grade incurred while in the Active Component competitive category do not necessarily disqualify an otherwise eligible officer.
        (5) Application procedures.  The Total Force Retention System (TFRS) request must include training documentation verifying the officer’s graduation date from Amphibious Tactical Air Control Party Course or most recent 18 month evaluation if applicable.
        (6) Aviators who are between 30 to 42 months since their last successful evaluation (or original certification) may apply for the FAC/Air Officer Retention Bonus after joining the unit, provided they complete recertification prior to expiration of the 24 month window (e.g., 42 months since their last successful evaluation or original certification).
        (7) Recipients must serve in a FAC or Air Officer BIC in the assigned unit for three years.
        (8) Recipients must remain current and complete an evaluation every 18 months IAW reference (b).  Remaining current will require up to five days of active duty or up to 10 additional paid drills every six months.  These currency requirements are in addition to the unit’s 48-drill inactive duty training and annual training schedules.
        (9) Time previously served at the unit will not be applied toward the obligation specified in the statement of understanding (SOU).
        (10) In addition to the recoupment triggers outlined in paragraph 7 below, recoupment will be initiated if the officer is assigned to a BIC other than a FAC or Air Officer.  Recoupment will be initiated by the unit if the officer does not successfully complete an 18 month evaluation.
4.  Administrative guidance
    a.  PSRs will provide incentive requests along with the new join package to the unit CP for submission to RA for AC and IRR Marines effective the day the applicant joins the unit.  Unit CPs will submit the request for Marines that are current members of the AR, SMCR, and IMA Marines requesting to IUT to an SMCR unit.
    b.  Requests must be received by RA no later than 20 August 2018.  Officers must obtain RA bonus approval prior to 1 September 2018 and accept payment within 60 days or prior to 24 September 2018, whichever comes first.  Direct Affiliation Program participants must first join the approved BIC and SMCR unit prior to 24 September 2018 to be eligible for the bonus.  Failure to join the approved BIC and SMCR unit within this window will result in bonus revocation, except in conjunction with a lateral move, as specified in paragraph 5 below.
    c.  All requests must be submitted via TFRS to RA.
    d.  A signed SOU must be submitted with the TFRS request prior to issuance of a bonus.  SOUs can be retrieved via TFRS, or by visiting the Manpower and Reserve Affairs website at www.manpower.usmc.mil.  Select “Reserve Marine”, “RCT”, “Incentives/Bonuses”, “Officer Bonuses”, “SMCR RORB, FAC, AIRO Retention Bonus”.
    e.  RA will adjudicate and return the officer incentive request via TFRS to the originator (PSR/CP) with the following items:
        (1) RA endorsed SOU with bonus approval or disapproval.
        (2) Incentive Administrative Reporting Guidance document.
    f.  Once the officer incentive request is accepted in TFRS, the following actions are required:
        (1) The originator must:
            (a) Enter the acceptance date in TFRS.
            (b) Provide the endorsed SOU, Incentive Administrative Reporting Guidance document, and TFRS approval to the unit’s administrative section for appropriate action.
        (2) The unit’s administrative section must:
            (a) Verify MCTFS D302 screen to validate posting of the obligation remark.
            (b) Report the reserve BIC via the Inventory Development Management System (IDMS), bonus PEF code, and applicable bonus entry per the Incentive Administrative Reporting Guidance document via the Unit Diary/Marine Integrated Personnel System (UD/MIPS).
            (c) E-mail the RA endorsed SOU to Manpower Management Records and Performance (MMRP) Branch for inclusion into the member’s Official Military Personnel File to smb.manpower.mmsb@usmc.mil.
    g.  Payment will execute upon completion of all MCTFS reporting and posting requirements IAW reference (c).
    h.  In the event the officer does not accept the bonus approval or join with the SMCR unit, the originator must notify RA via organizational mailbox at SMB-RIT@usmc.mil.
    i.  Waiver requests with all required endorsements will be routed to RA and submitted as an attachment to the TFRS request at the time of submission.  Waiver requests submitted from PSRs will include Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) endorsement via MCRC OPS G-3.  Waiver requests submitted from CPs will include the member’s chain of command endorsements to include Commander, MARFORRES.  RA will approve/disapprove waiver requests in the adjudication process of the TFRS request.
    j.  Officers must affiliate with the gaining unit (if not already joined to an eligible unit/BIC) between 1 October 2017 and 1 September 2018
    k.  All approved bonuses must be paid by 24 September 2018.
    l.  Marines in receipt of this bonus are required to waive the reasonable commuting distance requirement (if applicable) per reference (d).
5.  Retraining in conjunction with the RORB or FAC/Air Officer Retention Bonus
    a.  Requests for assignment to the SMCR lateral move program must be submitted and approved by RA prior to the Marine joining or agreeing to remain with the SMCR unit.
    b.  Marines assigned to the SMCR lateral move program must report for formal MOS training within 180 days of affiliation with the contracted SMCR unit.  Failure to meet this deadline will result in ineligibility for the applicable incentive, and may result in transfer to the IRR.
    c.  If a Marine is accepted to the SMCR lateral move program, payment of the applicable incentive will not be received until MOS training is complete.
    d.  Selection to major will disqualify an officer from retraining eligibility, with the exception of civil affairs, naval aviators approved for transition or conversion by the Deputy Commandant for Aviation or the Commanding General, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, and officers transitioning to the 0202 primary MOS.
    e.  The training requirements will not be waived.
6.  Obligation
    a.  Recipients of these incentives will incur a three year obligation to the SMCR beginning on the date affiliated with the unit or signed the SOU, whichever is later.  The three year service obligation of officers who submit for the bonus during the last 90 days of their current SMCR obligation will not run concurrent.  The new three year obligation will begin upon completion of the current obligation.  Contractual time previously served will not be applied towards the new contractual obligation.
    b.  Recipients must serve in a BIC commensurate with their grade and MOS at the joining unit for three years.  Requests for IUT must be adjudicated by RA.  RA will be notified and the D302 MCTFS remarks updated in the case of a Marine who is later assigned to a different BIC.
    c.  Officers who have transferred their Post-9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill-SelRes education benefits to a dependent or spouse in accordance with Department of Defense Instruction 1341.13 and Section 16132a of Title 10, U.S.C., are eligible for a retention bonus in accordance with reference (a).
7.  Recoupment.  Recoupment will occur on a prorated basis if the officer:
    a.  Fails to fulfill the three year service obligation.
    b.  Fails to participate satisfactorily in all scheduled drills and annual training IAW reference (b).
    c.  Executes a subsequent lateral move without RA approval.
    d.  Changes BICs without RA approval (this includes any excess BICs).
    e.  Executes an IUT without RA approval, including an IUT to a BIC with the same billet title/description.
    f.  Performs Active Duty Operational Support (ADOS) with a unit other than their own for a period greater than 90 cumulative days per FY without prior approval by RA.  Acceptance of ADOS orders to attend Expeditionary Warfare School (or other career-level PME) and/or Marine Corps Command and Staff (or other intermediate-level PME) will not count towards this 90 days but will require the extension of the MDPSD by the same number of days covered by the school ADOS orders.
    g.  Accesses to the AC or the AR program.
    h.  Elects to transfer to the IMA program, not due to Force Structure Review Group (FSRG) or Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) IAW paragraph 6b.
    i.  Transfers to the IRR or another Service.
    j.  Resigns his or her commission.
8.  Requests for early release or deferment of the three year service obligation shall be submitted to RA.
9.  The RORB and FAC/Air Officer Retention Bonus are distributed as a 20,000 dollar lump sum payment, less any applicable taxes, and will not be paid out while member is on active duty orders.
10.  Incentives will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted, or existing unit shortfalls are overcome.  Availability of funds will be updated periodically via TFRS message as required.
11.  Direct liaison is authorized between SMCR units and RA.
12.  This MARADMIN cancels on 30 September 2018.
13.  Release authorized by Colonel J. M. Morrisroe, Director, Reserve Affairs Division, Acting.//