Navy Reserve Retirement generally includes first Retirement Awaiting Pay (effective the 1st of the month), and later in time Retirement With Pay (effective nominally age 60, but may be reduced to as early as age 50 with qualifying active orders.) Per Title 10 USC, individual members MUST apply for their retirement, including those able to directly Retire With Pay.
•NAVADMIN 243/14 directed all Navy Reserve members to receive retirement counseling, via Career Development Boards (CDBs) for enlisted, and Mid-Term Counseling for officers. OPNAVINST 1750.5A specifically directs that all retiring sailors, active and reserve, shall receive counseling as to their Survivor Benefits. Retirement Transition Outreach provides members with a means to receive such counseling during this significant Military Life Cycle (MLC) Career Life Event (CLE).
•NAVADMIN 273/17 directed members with commands that have access to Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) Web to submit requests through the Employee Self-Service Retirements and Separations (RnS) function, effective 01 January 2018.
•NAVADMIN 160/20 announced interim policy guidance pertaining to command-sponsored retirement ceremonies delayed due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
In early 2020, several changes were released to improve the NSIPS RnS module. Now, the NSIPS RnS module allows members with 19 qualifying years to submit retirement requests. Those NPQ members with 15 qualifying years can also now submit retirement requests, if the member’s MAS code had been similarly changed to reflect that status. NSIPS will no longer let a member submit a retirement request earlier than 12 months in advance of the retirement effective date, and it will not let a member to submit with a retirement effective date in the past.
Contact MNCC by phone at 1-833-330-MNCC (6622), or email askmncc@navy.mil:
- If you have specific inquiries on your request to retire, especially where your Personally Identifiable Information would be required to answer your question.
- If for any reason you are unsure if PERS-912 has your correct name and address, including that you did not provide it in your submitted retirement package documents, or have changed your contact information recently.
- If you (or a member for whom you are researching) submitted your Retirement With Pay application six months ago, but have not yet received via regular USPS mail from NPC PERS-912 your Retirement Orders letter “Retirement Order and Transfer Authorization to Retired Reserve Status with Pay for Non-Regular Service“, or you have not been otherwise contacted by PERS-912 for specific follow-up or additional items, your retirement has not been completely processed.
All documents received and entered into the PERS-9 database now generate an automatic email notification from the MyNavy Career Center to the service member acknowledging receipt.
For information concerning the Reserve Transition Outreach Brief can be found here.
Applying for Retirement with Pay
1. Notification is forwarded in advance to advise you how to submit an application for retired pay at age 60. If you have not received notification four months prior to your 60th birthday, please contact PERS-912 by calling 1-833-330-6622. The earliest date retired pay may commence is your 60th birthday or the day after completion of 20 years of qualifying service, whichever is later unless early retirement is authorized under NDAA 2008.
2. The following forms must be completed and returned to PERS-912 at the address listed below. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (https://get.adobe.com/reader/) to view these files. The browser you are using and how it is configured to handle PDF files, also plays into the ability of your opening the file.
• DD Form 108, Application for Retired Pay Benefits
• DD Form 2656 , Data for Payment of Retired Personnel (All other versions are obsolete) Form must be saved to computer and then opened from the saved file.
3. Complete processing of an application normally takes several months. Please include your social security number on all correspondence. If you have a change of any information, before your 60th birthday, please report the update to PERS-912 by calling 1-833-330-6622 immediately.
4. Mail all forms with original signatures to:
Commander
Navy Personnel Command (PERS-912)
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055
5. The following Instructions apply to the DD Form 108, items 9 through 17: Detailed completion of these items is not required. However, if these are not completed, you must write, across the corresponding spaces, a statement to the effect that you will accept records of service as maintained by the Department of the Navy. Use of such a statement does NOT preclude your right to have records corrected, if necessary.
6. If you are transferring to the retired pay status from a drilling status current policy requires endorsements from your chain of command.
7. While ALL documents received and entered into the PERS-9 database now generate an email notification from the MyNavy Career Center, Retired with Pay submissions will receive an additional email acknowledging receipt of the complete package –OR– if the retirement package is incomplete, an email will identify any documents missing or incomplete.
Applying for Retirement without Pay
Applications for retirement without pay should be submitted per the format and timeframes listed in Figure 20-4 of BUPERSINST 1001.39F CH-1.
A sample of the Format for Requesting Transfer to the Retired Reserve can also be found on the Forms for Download page.
IRR members applying for retirement without pay should mail their applications to PERS-912 at the address listed above or faxed to (901) 874-7044.
All others submit their request through NSIPS. See your Command Career Counselor or Admin personnel for assistance.
When a Sailor requests Retirement without pay and they have received a NOE then you will process the retirement date as requested per BUPERSINST 1001.39F, CHAP. 20, paragraph 2014. For example, if a Sailor has received a NOE stating they have reached their 20 qualifying years for non-regular retirement and they request to retire on Jan 1, 2019, then you will retire the Sailor on Jan. 1, 2019 with or without approval from PERS per BUPERSINST 1001.39F.
If a Sailor has not received a NOE and they request retirement prior to receiving their NOE, then they will be transferred to the VTU the day prior to their requested retirement date to await PERS approval. They will not be allowed to drill in the VTU, they will need to be given AAs until PERS approval and they will not be eligible to request SGLI. If the Sailors EOS will expire prior to approval from PERS, then you will extend them for no more than 6 months awaiting PERS approval.
This only applies to those Sailors who have requested non-regular retirement.
Benefits for Gray Area Retirees and Recipients of Retired Pay
As a Retired Reserve service member who has received a 20-year letter but has not received retirement pay, you may be eligible to receive gray area benefits.
The following shows these benefits compared to the full retiree's: Benefits for Retired Reserve Members.
Identification Card (ID card) – To obtain ID cards you and your eligible dependents should go to the nearest card issuing facility with a copy of your retirement orders (and dependents’ birth/marriage documentation if not previously enrolled in DEERS). This ID card includes commissary, theater and unlimited exchange privileges. You may locate the closest facility either by dialing 1-800-538-9552, the person answering the telephone will assist or log into www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl and search by your zip code. You will be given the three closest card issuing facilities.
10 USC 12731 has been changed to allow qualified Reservists to start receiving retired pay earlier than age 60. (See NDAA 2008).
Notification of Change of Address
Retired Reservists who will be eligible for retired pay at age 60 (gray area) and personnel on the Retired List (receiving pay) are responsible for keeping Navy Personnel Command PERS-912 informed of their current mailing address. If a temporary change of residence is planned and mail cannot be delivered promptly by means of the existing mailing address, the member should also inform PERS-912 of the temporary address at the beginning of the temporary residence period and of the return to the permanent address at the end of the period.
Contact PERS-912 by calling 1-833-330-6622 to update your mailing address.
Personnel receiving retired pay and former members must also notify the Director, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, U.S. Military Retirement Pay, 8899 E 56th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46249-1200, toll free number 1-800-321-1080.
Retired Pay Computations
The following USA HRC website may be used as a tool to perform an unofficial estimate of Reserve retired pay: Retirement Calculation. You are not required to enter your name to perform calculations.
Utilize our downloadable calculator in Excel format. Retirement Calculator.xlsx