R 132038Z NOV 20
MARADMIN 683/20
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/CONTINUATION PAY PROGRAM FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2021 FOR BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM PARTICIPANTS//
REF/A/DOC/MCBUL/20201231//
REF/B/DOC/ASPM/20181024//
REF/C/DOC/MCTFS-PRIUM/20180417//
REF/D/DOC/PAA/20190702//
AMPN/REF A IS MCBUL 1800, THE MARINE CORPS BRS POLICY. REF B IS MCTFS-APSM SECTION 110107. REF C IS THE MCTFS-PRIUM CH 9 SECTION 18. REF D IS PERSONNEL ADMIN ADVISORY (PAA) 06 2019//
POC1/ALAN HARGIS/CIV/MPO/TEL: 703-784-9386/EMAIL: ALAN.HARGIS@USMC.MIL//
POC2/ANDREW KRAWCZEL/MAJ/MPO/TEL: 703-784-9386/EMAIL: ANDREW.KRAWCZEL@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. Purpose. To announce the Blended Retirement System (BRS) Continuation Pay (CP) Program for Calendar Year (CY) 2021, and to provide supplemental guidance to enclosure 4 of reference (a). Only Marines enrolled in the BRS are eligible to receive CP.
2. Background. Per reference (a), Marines who enrolled into BRS and complete 12 years of service (YOS) may be eligible to receive a one-time CP payment in exchange for an agreement to serve four (4) additional years of obligated service. BRS participants who will reach 12 YOS in CY 2021 will receive notification of their eligibility via Marine On-Line (MOL) and Leave and Earning Statement messages 180 days and 30 days before reaching 12 YOS.
3. CP Eligibility. Marines enrolled in the BRS are eligible for CP, per the requirements in the below subparagraphs. For the purpose of CP eligibility, 12 YOS is defined as 12 years and zero days of service as calculated from the Marine’s Pay Entry Base Date (PEBD).
3.A. Active Component and Active Reserve. BRS participants who complete 12 YOS, as computed from their PEBD, during CY 2021 and agree to serve an additional four (4) year commitment, to run concurrent with any existing service obligation, are eligible.
3.B. Reserve Component other than Active Reserve. BRS participants who complete 12 YOS, as computed from their PEBD, during CY 2021, are in a paid status, and agree to serve an additional four (4) year Selected Reserve commitment, to run concurrent with any existing service obligation, are eligible. For the purpose of CP, Reserve Marines are in a paid status if affiliated with the Selected Reserve or on active duty orders on the day they complete 12 YOS. Such Reserve Marines are not required to be performing duty on the day they complete 12 YOS.
3.C. BRS participants who complete 12 YOS, but have been issued orders to separate from the Marine Corps are not eligible to receive CP. Separation orders are considered issued when the MOL Outbound Interview (OBI) has been approved by the local commander.
4. CP Election Procedures. BRS participants must sign a statement of understanding (SOU) accepting or declining CP before completing 12 YOS and submit the SOU to their unit admin via Electronic Personnel Action Request (EPAR) or e-mail, if EPAR is unavailable. Participants with SOUs signed or witnessed on or after reaching 12 YOS are not eligible to receive CP. Unit admin will make payment via diary entry TTC 450 SEQ 000 (Accept CP) or TTC 450 SEQ 001 (Decline CP) in accordance with references (c) and (d) and send a scanned copy of the SOU to the Marine’s Official Military Personnel File via email to MMRP-20 at smb.manpower.mmrp@usmc.mil. Payment will be disbursed via Electronic Funds Transfer during the normal monthly pay cycles.
5. Amount of payment. CP payments are subject to federal and state income tax withholding unless otherwise entitled to Combat Zone Tax Exclusion during the month 12 YOS is reached in accordance with reference (b).
5.A. Active Component and Active Reserve Marines. CP is 2.5 times monthly basic pay with over 12 YOS monthly basic pay rate.
5.B. Reserve Component Marines other than Active Reserve. CP is 0.5 times monthly basic pay, based on active duty base pay, at the over 12 YOS monthly basic pay rate.
6. Timing and Method of Payment. The effective date of payment will be at 12 YOS. The disbursement of CP is authorized to be made on or after the completion of 12 YOS. The goal is to disburse payment within 30 days of completing 12 YOS. CP is payable as a single payment or as two, three, or four equal installments, paid on the anniversary of the first payment. The payment option is irrevocable and selected when completing the SOU. Once the Marine has elected to receive CP, payment amounts, status updates, and obligated service dates may be found by visiting MOL. In MOL, navigate to Personal Information, BRS/TSP Report, and lastly, BRS-CP.
7. Marines who receive CP and do not fulfill their additional obligated service are subject to recoupment as described in the references. Reserve Marines who are involuntarily transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) (e.g., end of assignment tour) will be given a 6-month grace period from the date of transfer to be assigned to a Select Reserve billet. Recoupment action will be initiated if the Marine is not assigned to a Select Reserve billet before the 6-month grace period expires.
8. Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Marines should carefully choose their TSP contribution percentages of CP monies because those contributions are not matched and will count towards their annual Elective Deferral Limit (i.e., 19,500 dollars in 2020). When the Elective Deferral Limit is reached for the year, Marines are unable to make contributions of basic pay for the remainder of the year and the Marine Corps matching contributions stop. However, the monthly 1 percent automatic contribution by the Marine Corps, an amount equal to 1 percent of monthly basic pay, will continue. Further details concerning these limits can be found at https:(slash)(slash)www.tsp.gov/PlanParticipation/EligibilityAndContributions/contributionLimits.html.
9. CP SOUs and other support materials are available on the BRS for Marines website (https:(slash)(slash)www.manpower.usmc.mil/BRS).
10. This MARADMIN is applicable to the Marine Corps Total Force.
11. Releases authorized by BGen J. G. Woodworth Director, Manpower Plans and Policy Division.//