R 161119Z AUG 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 407/13
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/FY14 MARINE CORPS ENLISTED TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY (TERA) PROGRAM//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CONGRESS/31DEC2011//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/CONGRESS/23OCT1992//
REF/C/MSGID:DOC/CMC MMSR/6JUN2007//
REF/D/MSGID:DOC/CONGRESS/7JAN2011//
REF/E/MSGID:DOC/DOD OSD/12APR2012//
REF/F/MSGID:DOC/SECNAV/YMD:18SEP2012/NOTAL//
REF/G/MSGID:MSG/CMC/021514ZOCT12//
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 ONLY 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 MCO P1900.16F, MARINE CORPS SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT MANUAL.  REF (D) IS TITLE 10, UNITED STATES CODE, SECTIONS 6333 AND 1412 GOVERNING RULES FOR RETIRED PAY ENTITLEMENTS.  REF (E) IS MEMORANDUM FROM THE OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PROVIDING PROCEDURAL GUIDANCE FOR THE CONDUCT OF TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT.  REF (F) IS SECNAV APPROVAL OF TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY FOR FY13-FY16.  REF (G) IS MARADMIN 549/12, FY13 MARINE CORPS ENLISTED TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY (TERA) PROGRAM//
POC/R. H. EZELL/MAJ/CMC MPP-20/QUAN/TEL:DSN 278-9361//
POC/G. J. AUBIN/CAPT/CMC MMSR-2/QUAN/TEL:DSN 278-9324//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PER REFERENCES (A), (B), AND (F), THE MARINE CORPS IS AUTHORIZED TO OFFER VOLUNTARY EARLY RETIREMENT AT A REDUCED MONTHLY RETAINER PAY RATE TO ACTIVE COMPONENT MARINES WITH MORE THAN 15 AND LESS THAN 20 YEARS ACTIVE DUTY DURING FISCAL YEAR 2014.  THE TERA PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE STRATEGIC FORCE MANAGEMENT OF THE MARINE CORPS AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AN INDIVIDUAL ENTITLEMENT.  THE TERA PROGRAM WILL BE USED TO RETIRE MARINES WHO, ABSENT THE AVAILABILITY OF TERA, WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED TO QUALIFY FOR A 20-YEAR RETIREMENT.  MARINES TRANSFERRED TO THE FLEET MARINE CORPS RESERVE UNDER TERA ARE NOT ENTITLED TO INVOLUNTARY SEPARATIONS PAY (ISP), SPECIAL SEPARATION BENEFITS (SSB), OR VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE (VSI).
2.  ELIGIBILITY.  THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC CRITERIA IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT:
    A.  ALL ACTIVE COMPONENT MARINE STAFF SERGEANTS (E6) IN THE FOLLOWING MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES ARE ELIGIBLE: 0369, 0481, 0619, 0629, 1361, 2146, 2311, 2862, 5524, 6074, 6112, 6122, 6152, 6172, 6174, 6212, 6252, 6322, AND 6469.  ALL ACTIVE COMPONENT MARINE GUNNERY SERGEANTS (E7) IN THE FOLLOWING MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES ARE ELIGIBLE: 0161, 6112, 6152, 6172, AND 6322.  ADDITIONALLY, ALL MARINE STAFF SERGEANTS (E6) WHO HAVE FAILED SELECTION FOR PROMOTION TO E7 AT LEAST ONE TIME ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.  MARINES WHO REQUESTED NON-CONSIDERATION FOR PROMOTION ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR TERA.
    B.  TERA APPLICATIONS FROM MARINES OF A GRADE OR MOS NOT LISTED IN PARAGRAPH 2, SECTION A WILL NOT RECEIVE FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION.  REEVALUATION OF ELIGIBLE MOS'S AND GRADES AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION WILL OCCUR NO LESS THAN ANNUALLY THROUGHOUT THE DRAWDOWN PERIOD.
    C.  A MARINE MUST MEET ALL OTHER RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA UNDER REFERENCE (C).  ADDITIONALLY, MARINES 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.
    D.  THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF FLEET MARINE CORPS RESERVE TRANSFER MUST BE NO LATER THAN 30 SEPTEMBER 2014.
    E.  PER REFERENCE (E), MARINES 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.
    F.  WAIVERS OF OTHER SERVICE OBLIGATIONS INCURRED (I.E. TIME ON STATION, EDUCATION PAY-BACK, ETC) WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE CORPS.
    G.  MARINES MUST NOT BE STABILIZED FOR DEPLOYMENT AT THE TIME OF REQUESTED EARLY RETIREMENT.  ADDITIONALLY, MARINES NOT STABILIZED BUT POSSESSING OBLIGATED SERVICE TO MEET FUTURE DEPLOYMENT DEMAND WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
    H.  MARINES PENDING LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDINGS, ADMINISTRATIVE SEPARATION, OR DISABILITY SEPARATION OR RETIREMENT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR TERA.
    I.  COMMANDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; THEY WILL ENSURE THAT APPROVAL DOES NOT REDUCE ON BOARD STAFFING BELOW 80 PERCENT OF TABLE OF ORGANIZATION AND NO LESS THAN 70 PERCENT OF THE PRIMARY MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY OF THE MARINE REQUESTING TERA.
3.  RETIRED PAY COMPUTATION.  THE BASIC TERA RETAINER PAY ENTITLEMENT PER REFERENCE (E) 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 YEARS OF CREDITABLE SERVICE.  RETIRED PAY MULTIPLIERS ARE SUBJECT TO REDUCTION IF THE MARINE PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED THE CAREER STATUS BONUS/REDUX.  IN ADDITION, FOR THOSE UNDER THE CAREER STATUS BONUS/REDUX OPTION, THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT NORMALLY APPLIED TO RETIRED PAY WILL BE REDUCED FOR MARINES RECEIVING TERA BY 1 PERCENTAGE POINT IF THE STANDARD COLA FOR RETIREES IS GREATER THAN 1 PERCENT.  ONLINE INFORMATION ON RETIREMENT PAY CALCULATIONS IS FOUND IN THE MMSR REFERENCE SECTION AT: HTTPS:/WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL/PORTAL/PAGE/PORTAL/M_RA_HOME/MM/SR/RETIREMENTSEXAMPLE:  THE CALCULATION FOR A GUNNERY SERGEANT 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 PENT(.01) FOR EACH YEAR LESS THAN 20 (20 - 16); 40 PERCENT MINUS 4 PERCENT EQUALS 36 PERCENT.  MULTIPLY THIS PERCENT BY THE HIGH THREE AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY TO CALCULATE RETIREMENT ANNUITY (.025 X YOS - (.01(20 - YOS)) X HIGH AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY).  A GUNNERY SERGEANT WITH 16 YEARS OF SERVICE WOULD RECEIVE 36 PERCENT OF HIGH THREE, APPROXIMATELY A $17,422 ANNUAL RETIREMENT ANNUITY.
4.  COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS
    A.  SUBMIT TERA REQUESTS BY AA FORM VIA THE CHAIN OF COMMAND TO CMC (MMSR-2) PER REFERENCE (C).  AT A MINIMUM, EACH REQUEST SHOULD BE ENDORSED BY THE BATTALION/SQUADRON COMMANDER.  THE PRIMARY METHOD TO SUBMIT A REQUEST IS THE MMSR-2 ORGANIZATIONAL MAIL BOX AT: SMB.MANPOWER.MMSR2E(AT) NMCI.USMC.MIL.  THE SECONDARY METHOD TO SUBMIT A REQUEST IS THE AUTOMATED MESSAGE HANDLING SYSTEM (AMHS).  ADDRESS MESSAGES TO: CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM MMSR2 (UC).  REQUESTS FOR A WAIVER OF SERVICE OBLIGATIONS REQUIRE JUSTIFICATION AND EACH APPLICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED CASE-BY-CASE, BASED ON FORCE REQUIREMENTS AND THE NEEDS OF THE MARINE CORPS.
    B.  THE AA FORM WILL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
        (1) A STATEMENT THAT ALL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA IN REFERENCE (C) 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 TO THE FLEET MARINE CORPS RESERVE.  THIS DATE MUST BE THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH IN WHICH THE MARINE DESIRES TRANSFER.
        (4) THE PLANNED DETACHMENT DATE.
    C.  A SUBMISSION WINDOW IS ESTABLISHED FOR THE TERA PROGRAM TO ALLOW COMMANDERS AND HQMC TO ASSESS IMPACTS ACROSS THE FISCAL YEAR AS A PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE-WIDE DRAWDOWN CONCEPT.  THIS WILL ALLOW COMMANDERS TO ASSESS THE IMPACTS TO THEIR STAFFING OVER THE COURSE OF THE FISCAL YEAR AS THEY CONDUCT THEIR MID-RANGE TRAINING PLAN.  THE SUBMISSION WINDOW WILL COMMENCE IMMEDIATELY UPON THE RELEASE OF THIS MARADMIN AND WILL CLOSE 18 OCTOBER 2013.  NO REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.  THE FIRST ELIGIBLE DATE TO TRANSFER TO THE FLEET MARINE CORPS RESERVE UNDER TERA IS 31 MARCH 2014.
    D.  TERA REQUESTS WILL BE APPROVED THROUGH THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM.  ONCE APPROVED, MMSR-2 WILL REPORT TTC 775 000 PLANNED SPD OF NBE1.  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 7007 OF REFERENCE (C).
    E.  MARINES CAN TRACK THE STATUS OF THEIR REQUEST THROUGH THE BASIC INDIVIDUAL RECORD IN MARINE ONLINE.  USE THE "RET/FMCR STATUS" FIELD UNDER CONTRACT INFORMATION.  ADDRESS FURTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING INDIVIDUAL REQUESTS THROUGH UNIT ADMINISTRATORS. PER REFERENCE (C) THE STANDARD WINDOW TO PROCESS A REQUEST IS 60 DAYS.
    F.  CAREER STATUS BONUS (CSB):  A CSB ELECTION DECISION IS REQUIRED BETWEEN 14 YEARS AND SIX MONTHS ACTIVE SERVICE AND 15 YEARS ACTIVE SERVICE.  MARINES WHO ENTERED THE SERVICE ON OR AFTER 1 AUGUST 1986 AND MEET ALL OF THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ARE GIVEN THE CSB/REDUX ELECTION OPPORTUNITY. COMMANDING OFFICERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO REPORT A CSB ELECTION CODE OF 5 (ELECTED NOT TO RECIEVE CSB) IN THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM FOR CSB ELIGIBLE MARINES WHO DID NOT MAKE THE REQUIRED ELECTION PRIOR TO APPROVAL OF THEIR TERA REQUEST.  MARINES WHO RECEIVED THE CSB AND ARE THEN APPROVED FOR TERA MUST SUBMIT AN INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION FOR WAIVER OF CSB RECOUPMENT TO THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY (M&RA).  SUBMIT WAIVER REQUESTS THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND TO MMSR-2.  TEMPLATES AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS ARE LOCATED AT THE WEBSITE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH THREE.
    G.  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.
    H.  HQMC (MP) MAINTAINS ALL POLICY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM.
    I.  HQMC (MM) 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 IF NOT CANCELED EARLIER.
7.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//