Inactive Reserve Separation and Retirement (MMSR-5)

Service listed in 10 USC 12732 that was performed prior to 1 July, 1949 is qualifying service. Years of service after 1 July, 1949 are considered qualifying only if credited with a minimum of 50 retirement points during a full anniversary year.

Members of the Marine Corps Reserve who are on the Active Status List (ASL) may earn retirement points in any one or a combination of the following methods:

Active Service:
One point is credited for each day of active duty or Annual Training (AT) including travel time. Retirement points for paid AT are governed by the Disbursing Officer’s endorsement. For AT without pay, retirement points are determined from the reporting and detaching endorsements plus travel time, if applicable. In the Continental United States, no more than one day constructive travel time may be credited for AT.

Inactive Duty Service:
     –One point is credited for each authorized drill attended in either pay or non-pay status. Drill credit is not granted on a day credited for AT.

     –Points are credited upon satisfactory completion of authorized correspondence courses. The points vary with the course completed. Credit is granted for the satisfactory completion of each unit of a course. Credit applies as of the date the last satisfactory assignment of each unit is processed.

     –Up to fifteen (15) membership retirement points are awarded for each anniversary year during which the Marine is not on the Inactive Status List (ISL), retired, or on active duty for the full anniversary year.

     –For Inactive Duty Service a maximum of 130 retirement points may be credited each anniversary year. Points for active service and AT are credited day-for-day.

Effective 15 October, 1999, DOD INST. 1517.8, the date used to determine the anniversary year is established as the date the Marine entered into active service or into active status in a Reserve Component. The beginning date (“From” date) of an anniversary year will be the first day a Marine joins a component whether it is Regular or Reserve. The ending date (“To” date) of an anniversary year will be 365 days from the beginning date. There is no change in the anniversary year upon Marine’s transfer from a Regular component to a Reserve component if after 1 July, 1965.

The start date for each anniversary year will not be adjusted unless the Marine has a break in service. A “break in service” occurs only when a Marine transfers to an Inactive Status List, the Temporary Disability Retired List, the Retired Reserve, or is discharged for a period greater than 24 hours. There is no break in service if the Marine transfers directly to another Regular or Reserve component.

–Officers: The start date for officers with cadet or midshipmen service will be established as the date of commission.

–Enlisted: For enlisted Marines who have service as a cadet or midshipman but did not later receive or who do not hold a commission as an officer, service as a cadet or midshipman at a service academy shall be included and counted as active duty, only if they return to enlisted status and complete their period of obligation. The anniversary date will be the date of initial entry into military service.

–Anniversary “year” is any consecutive 365 days, or 366 days during leap year, beginning with the anniversary date.

An “eligible status” is frequently referred to as “active status” meaning not on ISL or Retired. For the purpose intended here, reference to “eligible status” or “ineligible status” will mean a status during which the reservist may or may not participate for retirement point credit.

Eligible Status:
–Members of the Marine Corps Reserve are in an eligible status and may earn retirement point credit if they are: (1) in the Ready Reserve, (2) on active duty, or (3) on inactive duty but have a service obligation.

–Participation by Marines of the Standby Reserve is restricted to those Marines who still have a service obligation, those who have at least 18 years but less than 20 years qualifying service, and those Marines screened from the Ready Reserve as key federal employees or for other reasons as determined by the Secretary of the Navy.

–A Marine who has met the service and age requirements for retired pay under 10 USC 12731 may not accrue additional service credits after the date of initial eligibility (usually age 60) unless retained in an active status by the Secretary of the Navy under authority contained in 10 USC 12308.

Ineligible Status:
–Members of the Marine Corps Reserve in an ineligible status may not participate for retirement point credit if they are (1) on ISL, (2) on the Retired List or in the Retired Reserve not on active duty, or (3) on the Temporary Disability Retired List

Members of the Marine Corps Reserve in an eligible status who have 20 or more years of qualifying service and are not yet 60 years old must earn a minimum of 50 points, including the 15 membership points, in their most recent anniversary year. Annually, those Marines who have failed to maintain the 50 point minimum will be notified and after notification, offered the following:

–Transfer to the Retired Reserve, if qualified and application is made therefore; or,

–If not qualified for transfer to the Retired Reserve or does not apply for transfer to the Retired Reserve, be transferred to the ISL if qualified therefore; or,

–Officers in an eligible status who have less than 20 years of qualifying service must earn a minimum of 27 points, including 15 membership points, in their most recent anniversary year to remain in an eligible status. Annually, CMC (MMSR-5) identifies the officers who have failed to maintain the 27 point minimum (known as 27 point fails). After notification, those officers may be:

In summary, the following items are emphasized:
–The Marines must be in an eligible status to earn points. A Marine Corps reservist maintains an eligible status by earning at least minimum point requirement (27 or 50,as applicable).

–A Marine must earn at least 50 retirement points during the anniversary year to earn a year of qualifying service after 1 July, 1949.

–Total inactive duty points authorized as creditable.
          60: Service prior to 24 September, 1996
          75: Service from 24 September, 1996 – 29 October, 2000
          90: Service from 30 October, 2000 – 17 January, 2008
          130: Service from 18 January, 2008 – present.

–There is no limit on the number of Active Duty or AT points. However, a Marine may not receive credit for more than 365/366 retirement points in any combination of active or inactive points in any one anniversary year.

A minimum of 50 retirement points are required per anniversary year to earn a qualifying year for retirement purposes. However, there are possible pitfalls that may surround the minimum point achievement. Many reservists are denied a qualifying year because they geared their participation to the 50-point minimum, then discovered that the points they were counting on were not all creditable for retirement purposes. By the time this happens it is usually too late to do anything about it, since retirement points cannot be earned nor credited retroactively to an anniversary year already ended.

Examples:
Annual Training Credit – AT performed during a period crossing two fiscal years can be credited to either fiscal year for retention in a Selected Reserve unit. However, for the purpose of crediting qualifying service, retirement points are credited the days the Active duty is actually performed and entered to the anniversary year accordingly.

     –Correspondence Courses – Courses cannot be repeated for credit unless there has been a major revision in the course.
     –Correspondence Courses are recorded in the anniversary year based on the completion date assigned on the completion letter.

Besides providing a cushion against the situations described above, extra points can increase the amount of retired pay at age 60. The additional effort it takes to earn the extra points may well turn out to be the ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure.

Here are situations that may require a proration of retirement points.

   – Prorating an anniversary year when the reservist was on the Inactive Status List (ISL) or in a Retired status during a portion of that year. If the reservist was on the ISL, discharges or in a Retired Status for any portion of an anniversary year, that year will not be credited as a full year of qualifying service irrespective of the number of retirement points earned. However, the time during which the Marine was in an active status is considered qualifying service providing he/she earned the required points, on a pro rata basis, during that period. Two or more partial periods may be combined to make a satisfactory year of service.

   – Prorating a partial year for the purpose of completion of the 20th qualifying year and transfer to Retired status. Reserve component Marine must be credited with at least the minimum number of prorated points and they must request transfer from an active status which must be submitted before the end of the period being prorated.

Example: The Marine is not yet 60 years of age. His anniversary year extends from 1 July through 30 June and he has completed 19 years, 8 months, and 16 days qualifying service as of 30 June of his last completed anniversary year. He can complete his 20th qualifying year before another full anniversary year expires; however, to do so he/she must determine the period and the number of points required to credit that period as qualifying time. For example, he/she may transfer to the Retired Reserve without pay effective 1 November. Hence, the period to be prorated extends from 1 July to 31 October (a total of 123 days) which is sufficient to complete 20 years. If he/she earns at least 12 points (not counting membership points) during this 123 day period, he/she has completed the point requirement. However, this is only half of the story. A change of status is also required and, since transfer to the Retired Reserve cannot be effected retroactively, he/she must submit a request before 1 November (approximately 60 or 90 days in advance is advisable).

– Under the provisions of The National Defense Authorization Act for 2005, any service member who completes 20 years of qualifying service on or after 25 April 2005 is eligible for a Reserve Retirement. However, a Marine who earned 20 years or more years of qualifying service before 25 April 2005 should contact MMSR-5 concerning retirement eligibility.

– Under the provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2008, service members who perform an aggregate of 90 days of active service in a fiscal year, may reduce their eligibility age below age 60 by 3 months for each aggregate period served. The eligibility age may not be reduced below age 50.

– Have a minimum of 20 years of qualifying service.
– In order to receive pay, a Marine must be 60 years if age. (Note: NDAA 2008 allows for a reduction of 3 months for every aggregate of 90 days spent mobilized since 28 January, 2008.)
– Enlisted Marines must be under a valid contract or extension on the date of the transfer.
– A Marine who is discharged due to expiration of contract or any other reason, but meets all other requirements for retirement, is entitled to retire pay as a “former Marine” at age 60.
–Those reservists who earned 20 qualifying years before 25 April, 2005 must have earned the last 6 qualifying years while a member of the reserve component.

If you elected assignment to the Retired Reserve, MMSR-5 will automatically forward your pay application forms approximately four to six months prior to your 60th birthday.

If you elected discharge in lieu of transfer to the Retired Reserve, you must contact CMC (MMSR-5), via emal or by phone at (703) 784-9306/9307, for pay application forms.

To ensure you receive your retired pay in a timely manner, your pay forms should be returned to us at least 30 days prior to your 60th birthday. If you return your pay forms at least 30 days prior to the effective date of retirement, you will receive your first check (which will be a partial check from the effective date until the end of that month) by the 3rd day of the following month.

If you do not designate a financial institution in which you wish to have your retired pay deposited, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) will withhold your retired pay until such a time as the information is received.

You cannot earn or be credited with inactive duty retirement points, including membership points, while assigned to the retired Reserve. However, if recalled to active duty you may accrue active duty points.

Normally your retired pay will be computed based on the higher grade. If you took a voluntary demotion, CMC (MMSR-5) has the authority to authorize your retired pay to be calculated in the higher grade. However, if you were demoted for cause, then all information pertinent to your demotion must be forwarded to the Secretary of the Navy for a grade determination.

RCSBP is essentially irrevocable until the second anniversary of receipt of retired pay. Before this designated time, certain exceptions are made for changes in your marital status or if your election was for a person with insurable interest. Recent changes in the law allow you to discontinue participation in RCSBP within one year after the second year of commencement of retired pay. RCSBP is similar to insurance that guarantees an annuity to your survivors for a premium. You do not pay for this coverage until you start receiving retired pay.

Marine Corps Individual Reserve Support Activity (MCIRSA)maintains records only for those Marines currently in the IRR. For Marines who have been discharged from the IRR, only the National Personnel Records Center can provide copies of regular and reserve DD214s and copies of Service Record Books (SRBs) and Officer Qualification Records (OQRs). They only respond to written requests, and it generally takes from one to four months. In your letter, be sure to include your SSN, dates of service, component, rank, complete description of the information desired, phone, and address. Send your request to:

National Personnel Records Center
Attn: Marine Corps Records
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63138
Or you may visit: https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/

If you were recently discharged from active duty or the reserves (within the last two years), then MCIRSA or HQMC may have electronic copies of your records. If you have been recently discharged, e-mail or call MCIRSA; For replacement Discharge Certificates only, you may also write HQMC:

Commandant of the Marine Corps (MMRP-10)
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
2008 Elliot Road
Quantico, VA 22134-5030

A written letter requesting to resign your commission should be sent to the to the Marine Corps Individual Reserve Support Activity(MCIRSA), 2000 Opelousas Ave, New Orleans, LA 70114, with proper identifying information (Name, SSN, Address, DOB, Rank). If you qualify, you will be notified by CMC (MMSR-5). If you are a Selected Reservist, you must submit a request via your chain of command for approval authority.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Cleveland should be contacted with all questions regarding pay issues.

Yes, points for partial years are credited on a pro-rated basis based on the “Minimum Retirement Point Credit Chart”. Your point of contact is CMC (MMSR-5) at (703) 784-9306/9307 for more information.

You may be able to purchase health insurance through a new program called TRICARE retired Reserve. Effective 1 October 2010, Gray Area retirees may be eligible to purchase TRICARE health coverage. Eligible Reserve retirees who are awaiting pay at age 60 can purchase TRICARE health coverage for themselves and their eligible family members. A retiree may be eligible if he/she is under age 60, and are not eligible for, nor enrolled in, the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. For calendar year 2016, the TRR member-only monthly premium is about $390, and the member and family monthly premium is about $960. Premiums will be adjusted annually. The comprehensive health care coverage provided by the premium-based TRR is similar to TRICARE Standard. After purchasing TRR, members will receive the TRICARE Retired Reserve Handbook, which includes details about covered services, how to get care, and who to contact for assistance. For more information, visit the following link: Tricare

Effective 15 October, 1999, DOD INST. 1517.8, the date used to determine the anniversary year is established as the date the Marine entered into active service or into active status in a Reserve Component. The beginning date (“From” date) of an anniversary year will be the first day a Marine joins a component whether it is Regular or Reserve. The ending date (“To” date) of an anniversary year will be 365 days from the beginning date. There is no change in the anniversary year upon Marine’s transfer from a Regular component to a Reserve component if after 1 July, 1965.

A final physical is only required for an active duty retirement. If a physical exam is desired and you are currently on active duty orders, you may request a physical prior to your EAS. If you are not on active duty, you will not be brought on active duty for the purpose of obtaining a final physical.

If you are planning a retirement ceremony, please inform MMSR-5 of your ceremony date. We will ensure that you receive blank certificates in time for your ceremony. Your actual certificates will be mailed when your orders and final CRCR are complete. Your unit will assist you in conducting a ceremony. If you are in the IRR or ISL, the Marine Corps Individual Reserve Support Activity will assist you with your retirement ceremony.

Write to: 
Department of the Navy
Board for Correction of Naval Records
701 S. Courthouse Road
Building 12, Suite 1001
Arlington, VA 22204-2490

Email: BCNRApplication@us.navy.mil

The form that should be submitted can be downloaded by following this link: DD FORM 149

Link to BCNR website: https://www.secnav.navy.mil/mra/bcnr/Pages/default.aspx

The following minimum satisfactory service in grade applies for Marines requesting transfer to the Retired Reserve Awaiting Pay at Age 60 per paragraph 3012 of the MarCorSepMan:

     – O5-O6 (3 years)
     – O1-O4 (6 months)
     – W1-W5 (30 days)
     – E7-E9 (2 years)
     – E6 (None)

If you do not have sufficient time in grade, MMSR-5 will contact you or your unit requesting written acknowledgement that you will be retired in a lesser grade. For example, a Reserve Colonel must have at least 36 months of qualifying service in order to retire as a Colonel. Since promotions occur in the middle of an anniversary year, the year in which a member is promoted counts only as a partial year. Two partial years may be combined to count as one qualifying year of service. Partial years are calculated using tables 3-3 and 3-4 from MCO 1900.16 CH 2 (MarCorSepMan). Contact MMSR-5 if you need assistance with this calculation.

Officers: If you were selected on a promotion board prior to October 1, 1996, you only have to have held the grade satisfactorily for 1 day. If you met the board on or after October 1, 1996, you will have to meet the following requirements:

–Voluntary Retirement- Lieutenant Colonel and above must serve satisfactorily in the higher grade for 3 year to receive retired pay in the higher grade. Major and below must serve satisfactorily in the higher grade for 6 months to receive retired pay in the higher grade.
–Involuntary Retirement- The time in grade for Lieutenant Colonel and above is reduced to 6 months, if involuntarily separated due to Mandatory Separation Date or age. These are the only two reasons that can reduce the time in grade.

Enlisted: Enlisted personnel in the grade of E7 and above must service two qualifying years from the date of promotion in order to retire at the higher grade.

If you are an IMA, MTU or IRR Marine going on active duty orders in excess of 30 days, your service record and medical/dental records should be mailed automatically to your gaining command. Should you require your medical record for something other than active duty, please contact the DRD clerk for your RUC, or e-mail the command.

If you have been discharged from the Marine Corps or the SMCR/IRR, your medical records have been forwarded to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). To request a copy of your medical record, call or write:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Records Management Center
P.O. Box 5020
St. Louis, MO 63115-0020
(314) 538-4500

Be sure to include your full name, dates of service, and your SSN.

On a space available basis, local commanders may authorize Reserve Marines who have requested transfer to the Retired Reserve Awaiting Pay at Age 60 to attend local TAP/TAMP transition seminars.

Marines transferring to the Retired Reserve Awaiting Pay at Age 60 are not authorized retirement preparation PTAD.

Upon reaching 20 qualifying years of service, CMC (MMSR-5) will send you a letter, called a Notice of Eligibility (NOE). If you have not yet reached 20 qualifying years of service, you will receive that letter with your retirement package.

Per United States Code, Title 10, a Marine upon attaining retirement eligibility, must request transfer to the Retired Reserve Awaiting Pay at Age Sixty. If he/she does not, that Marine will be discharged and pick up the status of “former member.”

Per MCO 1900.16 CH 1, Para 1401.3.a.1: Active duty performed as a midshipman in a non-academy status (Bulldog, summer cruise, etc.) is not creditable toward officer active duty retirement, but is creditable toward the RPM, per Title 10 U.S.C. Section 971 and 47 CompGen 221, B-158027 dtd November 1967. RPM credit for summer cruise(s) requires the active duty orders (source documents) for these periods. These orders must have an arriving and departing endorsement.

It is recommended that you do not drill for at least 2 weeks prior to your retirement date. This will give the Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS) and administrators time to accurately process your transfer to the Retired Reserve Awaiting Pay At Age 60 and document final creditable points. 

Paragraph 3013 of the MarCorSepMan explained how to estimate retired monthly pay. The following link allows a member to enter personal information such as rank, number of satisfactory years, total number of points, and age to estimate military retired pay. The following link provides information and calculators that may be helpful. Please note that this is a DFAS website, and is not affiliated with, or administered by, the Marine Corps. Their helpdesk will not be able to answer any specific questions regarding your Marine Corps service or our policies. Retirement Calculator

Today the formula used is P/360 x .025 x B =$/MONTH, where P=total number of retirement points and B=base pay of the grade in which retired (using pay scale in the year in which you turn 60 years old). You’ll have to make an estimate of what your base pay will be in the year you turn 60 by using an assumed annual increase rate. You can find current base pay rates on the DFAS Cleveland home page. Note: This calculation does not include your cost of RCSBP if you elect to participate.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal year 2011 authorizes the reduction of eligibility age for retired pay to be reduced below 60 years of age by three months for each aggregate of 90 days the member serves on active duty after 28 January, 2008. DoD Instruction 1215.07 explains this change in law. We will calculate this date when we process your "transfer to the awaiting pay" retirement package, and the date you are eligible for retired pay will be included in your orders.

RCSBP is a Reserve program that lets you leave a percentage of your future retired pay as a monthly annuity to your beneficiaries. The maximum annuity is 55 percent of your retired pay. RCSBP elections are made within 90 days of receiving your NOE letter (20 year letter). Your choices include:

 – Option A. Decline to Make an Election until Age 60. You will remain eligible to elect SBP coverage at age 60, but an annuity will not be payable to your beneficiaries if you die before age 60.
 – Option B. Deferred Annuity. Provide coverage for an annuity to begin on what would have been your 60th birthday.
 – Option C. Immediate Annuity. Provide coverage for an annuity to begin immediately, whether you die before or after age 60.

Your election is irrevocable. Make your decision carefully. If you are married and fail to respond with 90 days of your NOE letter, the law requires that you are automatically enrolled in Option C. Option C provides coverage for your spouse immediately upon your death. Upon reaching age 60 and drawing retired pay, you will be able to make an election through SPB, consistent with your RCSPB election previously made.

The actuary website below has a link to the DoD actuary website that provides an excel spreadsheet for you to enter your personal information and also provides a comparison of SBP vs commercial life insurance policies. http://actuary.defense.gov/

It is important that you keep MMSR-5 informed of any changes to your mailing address, phone number or email address. You can update your address through:

     1.  Marine OnLine (MOL) (call 816-926-5916 for MOL assistance)
     2.  Via email to SMB.MANPOWER.MMSR5@usmc.mil
     3.  Via telephone at 703-784-9306/7 or
     4.  Via mail at CMC(MMSR-5), 3280 Russell Road, Quantico VA 22134.