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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marines looking to leave active duty early have options that can benefit both them and the Corps.
“There are a few opportunities available to Marines depending on where they are at in their career,” said Gunnery Sgt. Andy Morley, a career planner with Headquarters and Support Battalion.
“These force-shaping measures help get the Marine Corps to the magic number they are trying to reach through a vehicle that helps Marines and the Marine Corps.”
Early retirement opportunities are available, including the voluntary enlisted early release program, voluntary separations pay and the temporary early retirement authority program, for Marines with more than 15 years of active-duty service.
Leaving the service early is not always negative and for many, it opens new opportunities outside the military. The fiscal year 2015 VEERP is available to enlisted Marines who have an end of active service date of Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. The program allows eligible Marines to exit up to 365 days prior to their original EAS date.
“I initially put in a request to use the VEERP to get out early and go to school,” said Lance Cpl. Ryan Louque, a legal services specialist with HQSPTBn.
“It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. The Marine Corps is over staffed, and there are Marines out there who want to go to school and this lets them do that.”
All active component first sergeants are eligible to apply, as well as all staff sergeants, gunnery sergeants and master sergeants in any primary military occupational specialty who have failed selection for promotion to the next higher grade.
Some Marines who fall under certain MOSs are not eligible. For more information concerning eligibility refer to MARADMIN 250/14.
The temporary early release program offers voluntary early retirement to active-duty Marines with more than 15 years and less than 20 years of active duty during fiscal year 2015.
Getting out of the Marine Corps is as big of a decision as joining the Marines, said Morley. After deciding what path is best, Marines should take a hard look at what steps they need to take personally to set themselves up for success during the transition phase of the change.
“Marines don’t focus on the transition of getting out,” said Morley, a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, native. “Transitioning is not necessarily an easy thing. You don’t just take the uniform off, hang it up in the closet and move onto a job the next day.
Transition is rough, and it’s a lot harder than one may think.”
The transition readiness seminar is currently set in place to help Marines transition and learn more about the benefits available to them, said Morley.
Making sure Marines don’t leave the Marine Corps with a lot of debt is something that is very important on the transition process.
Marines need to ask themselves some hard honest questions to prepare themselves, said Morley.
“Have you planned and scheduled your transition?” said Morley. “Marines have bills that they may not be able to fund when they get out. I hear Marines say all the time that they are going to live off of the GI Bill, and more often than not that isn’t a realistic plan.”
Whether in the first term or retiring after more than 20 years, being prepared is key to the future.
“We are all going to leave at some point; we are all going to transition,” said Morley. “Everybody wants to make sure that the Marine is taken care of and not out on the streets after they leave the Marine Corps. Planning your transition can be the difference between success or even possible failure after you get out.”
| Date Taken: | 01.21.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2015 15:55 |
| Story ID: | 152406 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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