R 252119Z MAR 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 155/13
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/FY14 MARINE CORPS OFFICER TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY (TERA) PROGRAM//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CONGRESS/31DEC2011//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/CONGRESS/23OCT1992//
REF/C/MSGID:DOC/CONGRESS/7JAN2011//
REF/D/MSGID:DOC/CMC MMSR/6JUN2007//
REF/E/MSGID:MSG/CMC MRA MP/172041ZOCT2011//
REF/F/MSGID:DOC/CONGRESS/7JAN2011//
REF/G/MSGID:DOC/DOD OSD/12APR2012//
NARR/REF (A) IS THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012 GRANTING THE SERVICES TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO OFFER MILITARY PERSONNEL THE OPTION OF RETIRING AFTER 15 YEARS OF SERVICE.  REF (B) IS THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1993 GOVERNING RULES FOR TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT.  REF (C) IS TITLE 10, UNITED STATES CODE, CHAPTER 571, SECTION 6323 GOVERNING RULES FOR VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OF AN OFFICER.  REF (D) IS MCO P1900.16F, MARINE CORPS SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT MANUAL.  REF (E) IS MARADMIN 619/11 ANNOUNCING AUTHORIZATION OF TEMPORARY REDUCTION OF ACTIVE DUTY YEARS OF COMMISSIONED SERVICE.  REF (F) IS TITLE 10, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTIONS 3991, 6333, 8991 AND 1412 GOVERNING RULES FOR RETIRED PAY ENTITLEMENTS.  REF (G) IS MEMORANDUM FROM THE OFFICE OF THE UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE PROVIDING PROCEDURAL GUIDANCE FOR THE CONDUCT OF TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT.
POC/G. J. AUBIN/CAPT/CMC MMSR-2/QUAN/TEL:DSN 278-9324//
POC/T. M. MCBRIDE/MAJ/CMC MPP-30/QUAN/TEL:DSN 278-9364//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PURPOSE.  ANNOUNCING A DISCRETIONARY FORCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTING TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY (TERA), PER REFERENCES (A) AND (B), OFFERING VOLUNTARY EARLY RETIREMENT AT A REDUCED MONTHLY RETIREMENT PAY RATE TO ACTIVE COMPONENT UNRESTRICTED OFFICERS WITH MORE THAN 15 AND LESS THAN 20 YEARS ACTIVE DUTY DURING FISCAL YEAR 2014.  THE TERA PROGRAM IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT AND EACH REQUEST WILL BE CONSIDERED BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE CORPS.  OFFICERS RETIRED UNDER TERA ARE NOT ENTITLED TO INVOLUNTARY SEPARATIONS PAY (ISP), VOLUNTARY SEPARATION PAY (VSP), SPECIAL SEPARATION BENEFITS (SSB), OR VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE (VSI).
2.  ELIGIBILITY.  THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC CRITERIA ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT:
    A.  ALL ACTIVE COMPONENT UNRESTRICTED MARINE CORPS CAPTAINS, MAJORS, OR LIEUTENANT COLONELS IN THE FOLLOWING MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES (MOS) ARE ELIGIBLE FOR EARLY RETIREMENT UNDER THIS PROGRAM: 0180, 02XX, 0302, 0402, 0602, 0802, 1302, 1802, 1803, 3002, 3404, 4302, 4402, 5803, 6002, 6602, 72XX, 7509, 7523, 7525, 7543, 7556/57, 7562, 7563, 7564/66, 7565, AND 7588.  ADDITIONALLY, CAPTAINS AND MAJORS WHO FAILED SELECTION FOR PROMOTION TO THE NEXT RANK ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR EARLY RETIREMENT UNDER THIS PROGRAM (REGARDLESS OF MOS).  MARINES WHO REQUESTED NON-CONSIDERATION FOR PROMOTION ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR TERA.
    B.  AN OFFICER MUST MEET ALL OTHER RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA UNDER REFERENCE (D).  PER REFERENCES (A) AND (B) OFFICERS MUST REACH AT LEAST 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE BUT LESS THAN 20 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE BY THEIR EFFECTIVE DATE OF RETIREMENT DURING FY14 TO BE ELIGIBLE.
    C.  PER REFERENCES (C) AND (D), OFFICERS MAY APPLY FOR RETIREMENT AFTER COMPLETING AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE AS A COMMISSIONED OFFICER.  REFERENCE (E) PROVIDES ELIGIBILITY TO WAIVE THE 10 YEARS OF COMMISSIONED SERVICE (YCS) TO 8 YCS.
    D.  RETIREMENT MUST BE EFFECTIVE NLT 1 SEPTEMBER 2014.  REEVALUATION OF OVER-STRENGTH MOS'S AND ADJUSTMENTS OF ELIGIBLE OFFICERS TO THIS PROGRAM WILL OCCUR ANNUALLY DURING THE DRAWDOWN PERIOD.  FUTURE APPLICATION OF TERA WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN SUBSEQUENT MARADMINS.
    E.  PER REFERENCE (G), OFFICERS WHO PREVIOUSLY ELECTED TO TRANSFER POST 9/11 GI BILL BENEFITS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TERA WITH NO EFFECT ON TRANSFERRED BENEFITS.  THIS WAIVER OF OBLIGATED SERVICE FOR POST 9/11 GI BILL BENEFITS TRANSFER IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO FORCE SHAPING SEPARATIONS.  MARINES ARE REMINDED TO REVIEW EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS PRIOR TO SEPARATING.
    F.  WAIVERS OF OTHER SERVICE OBLIGATIONS INCURRED WILL BE CONSIDERED CASE-BY-CASE BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE CORPS.  AVIATORS WITH THE MOS 7562 MAY REQUEST A RELEASE FROM THEIR AVIATION CONTINUATION PAY (ACP) CONTRACT PER MARADMIN 366-11, WHICH IS MCBUL 7220 VOLUNTARY EARLY RELEASE FROM ACP FOR 7562.  EXCEPT FOR THE MOS 7562, WAIVERS OF AVIATION CONTINUATION PAY (ACP) WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
    G.  EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GIVEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING AN OFFICER ELIGIBLE FOR TERA.
    H.  OFFICERS PENDING LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDINGS, ADMINISTRATIVE SEPARATION, OR DISABILITY SEPARATION OR RETIREMENT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR TERA.
3.  RETIRED PAY COMPUTATION.  THE BASIC TERA RETAINER PAY ENTITLEMENT PER REFERENCE (G) IS COMPUTED AT THE NORMAL PAY MULTIPLIER OF 2.5 PERCENT FOR EACH YEAR OF CREDITABLE ACTIVE SERVICE AND REDUCED BY 1 PERCENT FOR EACH YEAR LESS THAN 20.  RETIRED PAY MULTIPLIERS ARE SUBJECT TO REDUCTION IF THE OFFICER PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED THE CAREER STATUS BONUS/REDUX.  IN ADDITION FOR THOSE UNDER THE CAREER STATUS BONUS/REDUX, THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT NORMALLY APPLIED TO RETIRED PAY WILL BE REDUCED FOR OFFICERS RECEIVING TERA BY 1 PERCENTAGE POINT IF THE STANDARD COLA FOR RETIREES IS GREATER THAN 1 PERCENT.  INFORMATION REGARDINGRETIREMENT PAY CALCULATIONS IS FOUND IN THE REFERENCE SECTION ON THE MMSR WEBSITE AT: HTTPS:(DOUBLESLASH)WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL(FORWARDSLASH)PORTAL(FORWARDSLASH)PAGE(FORWARDSLASH)PORTAL(FORWARDSLASH)M(UNDERSCORE)RA(UNDERSCORE)HOME(FORWARDLASH)MMSR(FOWARDSLASH)RETIREMENTS.  EXAMPLE:  THE CALCULATION FOR A MAJOR WITH 16 YEARS OF SERVICE IS 2.5 PERCENT (.025) MULTIPLIED BY 16 (YEARS OF SERVICE BASED ON ARMED FORCES ACTIVE DUTY BASE DATE) (.025 X 16 = .4).  THEN REDUCED BY 1 PERCENT (.01) FOR EACH YEAR LESS THAN 20 (20 - 16); 40 PERCENT MINUS 4 PERCENT EQUALS 36 PERCENT.  MULTIPLY THIS PERCENTAGE BY THE HIGH THREE AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY TO CALCULATE RETIREMENT ANNUITY.  (.025 X YOS - (.01(20-YOS)) X HIGH AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY).  A MAJOR WITH 16 YEARS OF SERVICE WOULD GET 36 PERCENT OF HIGH THREE, APPROXIMATELY A (DOLLARSIGN)30,250 RETIREMENT ANNUITY.
4.  COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS 
    A.  SUBMIT TERA REQUESTS BY AA FORM VIA THE CHAIN OF COMMAND TO CMC (MMSR-2) PER REF (D).  REQUESTS FOR A WAIVER OF OTHER SERVICE OBLIGATIONS REQUIRE JUSTIFICATION, AND EACH APPLICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE-BY-CASE, BASED ON FORCE REQUIREMENTS AND THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE CORPS.  SUBMIT REQUESTS TO THE CMC(MMSR-2) ORGANIZATIONAL MAILBOX AT: SMB.MANPOWER.MMSR2O(AT)USMC.MIL.
    B.  THE AA FORM WILL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
        (1)  A STATEMENT THAT ALL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA IN REFERENCE (D) 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 RETIREMENT DATE.
        (3) THE DATE OF INTENDED RETIREMENT.
        (4) THE PLANNED DETACHMENT DATE.
    C.  THE FIRST ELIGIBLE DATE OF RETIREMENT UNDER THE FY14 TERA PROGRAM IS 1 OCTOBER 2013.
    D.  TERA REQUESTS WILL BE APPROVED THROUGH THE MARINE CORP TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM.  ONCE APPROVED MMSR-2 WILL REPORT TTC 775 000 PLANNED SPD OF RBE1.  THIS ENTRY WILL REFLECT ON THE RT01 SCREEN.  THE NARRATIVE REASON OF "EARLY RETIREMENT" WILL BE USED WHEN PREPARING THE DD FORM 214.  THE SEPARATION AUTHORITY WILL BE PARAGRAPH 2003 OF REFERENCE (D). 
    E.  TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM IN AN ORDERLY MANNER, THE DECISION TO APPLY FOR TERA IS A FINAL AND IRREVOCABLE DECISION TO RETIRE FROM THE MARINE CORPS.  REQUESTS TO WITHDRAW, CANCEL, OR MODIFY APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE APPROVED.
    F.  HQMC (MP) MAINTAINS ALL POLICY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM.
    G.  SECNAV (MRA) MAINTAINS FINAL APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR ALL REQUESTS.
5.  THIS MARADMIN IS NOT APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE.
6.  THIS MARADMIN CANCELS ON 30 SEP 2014.  THIS MARADMIN MAY BE MODIFIED OR CANCELED AT ANYTIME BEFORE 30 SEP 2014.
7.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//