Attrition & Retirement

Attrition FAQs

Q1. How long does my Officer Commission last?

A commission is indefinite, unless you resign your commission or are discharged by board action. When commissioned, you incur an eight-year Military Service Obligation (MSO). Normally, you may not be discharged until after you have met that obligation. You are not automatically discharged when your MSO expires.

Q2. How do I resign my commission?

You must have completed your eight-year Military Service Obligation (MSO) before you are eligible to request resignation. You may request resignation through NSIPS (preferred). Once logged into NSIPS, go to Main Menu -> Employee Self Service -> Retirements and Separations -> Request Retirement/Separations and under the Request Details you will select Regular Officer Resignation. If you no longer have access to NSIPS, refer to MILPERSMAN 1920-190 under Unqualified Resignation from Inactive Duty for proper format of letter and submit your signed request to Pers-911D, via email at Pers-911-d@us.navy.mil or via regular mail.

Q3. What is the status of my resignation request?

You may find out the status of your resignation request by checking NSIPS or contacting MyNavy Career Center via email at askmncc@us.navy.mil, or via telephone at 1-833-330-6622.

Q4. What happens if I am not promoted?

Title 10 U.S. Code, Chapter 1407 requires the following attrition actions:
Lieutenants: in an active status (USNR-R or USNR-S1) who twice fail of selection to LCDR and have completed the eight-year MSO will be transferred to the Retired Reserve, if qualified, or be honorably discharged from the Navy Reserve not later than the first day of the seventh month in which the President approves the report which considered the officer for the second time.

Lieutenant Commanders: in an active status (USNR-R or USNR-S1) who twice fail of selection to Commander and have completed 20 years of commissioned service will be transferred to the Retired Reserve, if qualified, or be honorably discharged from the Navy Reserve not later than the first day of the month following the month in which the officer completes 20 years of commissioned service.

Commanders: in an active status (USNR-R or USNR-S1) who are not on the promotion list to the next higher pay-grade will be transferred to the Retired Reserve, if qualified, or be honorably discharged from the Navy Reserve not later than the first day of the month following the month in which the officer completes 28 years of commissioned service.

Captains: in an active status (USNR-R or USNR-S1) who are not on the promotion list to the next higher pay-grade will be transferred to the Retired Reserve, if qualified, or be honorably discharged from the Navy Reserve not later than the first day of the month following the month in which the officer completes 30 years of commissioned service.

Note 1: Women and Nurse Corps officers who were commissioned in the Navy Reserve and were in an active status on 30 September 1996, are exempt from the above listed attrition policy and may remain in an active status, if otherwise qualified, until they become subject to the age restrictions of 10 USC 12308 or 10 USC 14509.

Note 2: Each year SECNAV's Retention and Continuation Plan authorizes the continuation or retention of a small number of certain officers to meet mobilization requirements and special skill needs. For specific information regarding eligibility for retention or continuation please visit the Reserve Officer Continuation page.

Limited Duty Officers (LDO) are subject to the same attrition provisions for the ranks listed above.
Chief Warrant Officers (CWO5) may remain in an active status until completion of 33 years qualifying service or age 62, whichever occurs first.
Chief Warrant Officers (CWO4, CWO3, CWO2) may remain in an active status until completion of 30 years qualifying service or age 62, whichever occurs first.
Chief Warrant Officers (CWO4, CWO3, CWO2) may remain in an active status until twice failing of select for the next higher warrant officer grade, 30 years qualifying service, or age 62, whichever occurs first.
As officers approach the above attrition provisions, PERS-911 will forward correspondence with information about required separation or any options for continuation or retention.

Q5. Can I be retained/continued in an active status past the attrition provision limits?

Please see the Reserve Officer Continuation webpage (on the left-side toolbar) for further details.

Q6. What are the age restrictions for commissioned reserve officers?

The maximum age for all officers (O6 and below) is 62, effective 17 October 2006.

Note 1: If an officer is eligible for retirement on his/her 60th birthday, the officer must be approved for retention to remain in the Navy Reserve until age 62. PERS-911 will notify all affected officers and provide information for requesting retention.

Q7. How do I request a waiver past age 62?

Waivers past age 62 are allowed for Navy Reserve officers in the Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Nurse Corps, Medical Service Corps (with certain subspecialties) and Chaplain Corps. Officers eligible to request a waiver will be notified by PERS-911 around their 61st birthday. The officer must then request an age waiver using the format provided with the notification letter. The request must be forwarded to PERS-911 through the member's chain of command for endorsement. Officers granted age 62 waivers must be separated no later than their 68th birthday.

Q8. Can I remain in my pay billet after failing of selection for promotion?

For information on policy about remaining in pay billets, please contact your local Navy Operational Support Center or Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command.

Retirement FAQs

Q1. How do I request retirement?

Applying for Retirement without Pay

Applying for Retirement with Pay

Q2. What are the time-in-grade requirements for officers? Can I request a time-in-grade waiver?

OPNAVINST 1820.1B addresses this issue for all grades and ranks. For voluntary retirement requests, the time-in-grade requirement for grades O-5 through O-8 is a minimum of three years. A waiver may be requested to reduce the requirement to two years. A waiver needs to be submitted as a separate enclosure to your retirement request. Sample TIG Waiver Template.
To request a TIG waiver, submit your request to PERS-911D via email to pers-911d.fct@navy.mil in the form of standard Navy correspondence.

TO: Secretary of the Navy

FROM: Commander, Navy Personnel Command (PERS-911D)

SECNAV historically has only approved TIG waivers due to hardship. The letter needs to explain in detail what the hardship is.

Once PERS-911D receives your request they will populate a package and route to SECNAV.

The time-in-grade requirement for grades O-1 through O-4 is a minimum of six months.

For Warrant Officers, 30 days must be served in grade to retire in that grade.

For involuntary requests (i.e., due to attrition provisions of law, age restrictions or certain physical disabilities), the time-in-grade requirement for all ranks is six months.

Note: Time-in-grade is any time spent in the Ready or Standby Reserve (Active), where the member remains a mobilization liability. Periods of misconduct, moral or professional, may be deducted from time satisfactorily served as determined by CHNAVPERS.

Q3. How many years of commissioned service must I have in order to retire as an officer?

Reserve officers earning non-regular (Reserve) retirements have no minimum commissioned service time requirement. They may retire in their current grade as long as they've met the minimum time-in-grade requirements. Title 10 US Code, Section 6323, which requires a minimum of 10 years of commissioned time, is only applicable to members earning active duty retirements.

Q4. What is the status of my retirement request?

You may find out the status of your retirement request by contacting PERS-912 at 1-866-827-5672.

Q5. Can a retirement request ever be denied?

Normally, members can expect to be retired per their request. Some obvious reasons to deny a retirement include:

The member does not meet all of the requirements to retire.
The member is under mobilization orders, and the retirement request will necessarily be delayed until the orders are fulfilled.
The member has not completed time-in-grade requirements, and the processing is held in abeyance until resolved with the member.
There are legal, medical, or other reasons, which may delay processing.

Retirement Eligibility

Navy Reserve personnel must have completed a minimum of 20 years of qualifying service (earning a minimum of 50 points per anniversary year). Drill pay (SELRES) members who have completed 15 or more years of qualifying service and are no longer physically qualified for Navy service also are eligible to receive retired pay at age 60.

Note: If otherwise eligible, members may remain in an active status until age 62. However, to receive retired pay at age 60 (or anytime before age 62), members must request transfer to Retired Reserve Status and request to receive retired pay.

There is no longer a legal requirement that the last 6 years of qualifying service be served in a reserve component. However, there is a grandfathering clause in the law that requires members who attained 20 years of qualifying service before 26 April 2005 to serve their last six qualifying years in a Reserve Component.

Members must not be eligible for and receiving any other retired or retainer pay.

Members must not be excluded from retired pay per one of the exclusionary provisions of 10 USC Chapter 1223.
Member must submit an application before they can receive retired pay. Members will be sent reminders and paperwork to complete 6 to 9 months prior to their 60th birthday.

Need Career, Pay or Personnel help?
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