Reserve Officer Continuation and Retention
This page addresses only Reserve officers who are serving in Ready Reserve (SELRES, VTU, IRR) or Standby Reserve-Active (USNR-S1) status. It does not address Full-Time Support (FTS) officers.
There are provisions of law and policy that allow continuation and retention of certain Navy Reserve officers past mandatory attrition dates when they become subject to the following provisions of law:
Attrition Provisions of Law (Promotion Failures/Years of Service)
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 Military Service Obligation (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 after approval of the Board 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 CDR 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 CAPT 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.
Attrition (Age Restrictions)
Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 14509, 14703, 12308
Navy Reserve officers must be separated on the last day of the month in which they reach age 62. Officer who are eligible for retired pay and benefits at age 60 must receive a waiver to remain in the Navy Reserve until age 62. Certain officers may be retained past age 62 but not later than the date they reach age 68.
Continuation Eligibility
Officers eligible for continuation are defined in Title 10 US Code, Chapter 1407, and SECNAV’s Retention and Continuation Plan (See link above right).
Retention Eligibility
Retention Until Age 62
Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenant Commanders, in the Medical Corps (2105), Dental Corps (2205), Nurse Corps (2905), Medical Service Corps (2305), (Designated to perform service as an optometrist, podiatrist, allied health officer, or biomedical sciences officer) and Chaplain Corps (4105) may be retained until age 62.
All officers (below flag rank) in any designator who have reached non-regular (reserve) retirement eligibility may, with the officer's consent and by order of the Secretary of the Navy, be retained until age 62.
Retention Past Age 62
Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenant Commanders, in the Medical Corps (2105), Dental Corps (2205), Nurse Corps (2905), Medical Service Corps (2305), (Designated to perform service as an optometrist, podiatrist, allied health officer, or biomedical sciences officer) and Chaplain Corps (4105) may be retained past age 62 not to exceed age 68.
Per section 14703 of the Title 10, U.S. Code, SECNAV may, with the officer’s consent, retain in an active status beyond 68 years of age an officer who holds a medical subspecialty determined to be necessary by the Navy. The officer will submit to SECNAV an exception to policy request via their chain of command. The adjudicated request will be included with the retention request submitted to the PERS-9 Continuation and Retention Panel.
Continuation and Retention Process
Officers’ records will be screened by PERS-911D, and those eligible for continuation or retention will be notified 9 to 11 months before their mandatory attrition date and will be provided information on procedures for requesting continuation/retention.
The officer must then return the form provided with the notification letter and provide any supporting documentation and endorsements to formally request continuation/retention. Continuation/Retention requests will be considered by a Panel of Officers and the recommendations of the panel will be approved by PERS-9.
The deadline for requesting continuation/retention will be provided in the notification letter from PERS-911D. No request will be considered if received less than one week before the convening date of the Panel.
Continuation/Retention Panels
Continuation/Retention Panels meet monthly, normally on the 1st Tuesday of each month. The Panel considers the member's current status, history of participation/performance, community manning, correspondence to the Panel, any adverse information (if applicable), active duty orders currently serving under (if applicable), and any previous periods of continuation or retention (if applicable).
The results of the Panel are promulgated by official letter normally within 5 business days after the Panel results have been approved by PERS-9.