UNCLASSIFIED// ATTENTION INVITED TO ROUTINE R 202000Z JAN 12 PSN 596803K31 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN ZEN//OU=DOD/OU=NAVY/OU=ADDRESS LISTS(UC)/CN=AL NAVADMIN(UC) INFO ZEN/CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS QQQQ SUBJ: NAVADMIN 025/12 - FY-12 TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY (T ERA) POLICY UNCLASSIFIED// PASS TO ALL OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// UNCLAS//N01800// NAVADMIN 025/12 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JAN// SUBJ/FY-12 TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY (TERA) POLICY// REF/A/DOC/P.L. 112-81/SECTION 504/31DEC11// REF/B/DOC/P.L. 102-484/SECTION 4403/23OCT92// NARR/REF A IS THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012. REF B IS THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1993.// RMKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES IMPLEMENTATION OF EARLY RETIREMENT POLICY FOR SAILORS WITH AT LEAST 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE AS OF 1 SEPTEMBER 2012 WHO WERE NOT SELECTED FOR RETENTION BY THE ENLISTED RETENTION BOARD (ERB). FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE, THE TERM "RETIREMENT" IS SYNONYMOUS WITH "TRANSFER TO FLEET RESERVE." 2. SIGNED INTO LAW ON 31 DECEMBER 2011, REF A REINSTATED THE AUTHORITY WHICH ORIGINATED IN REF B ALLOWING THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO OFFER EARLY RETIREMENT TO SERVICE MEMBERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE. TERA IS A DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY, NOT AN ENTITLEMENT. IT IS A TEMPORARY, VOLUNTARY PROGRAM THAT SERVICES MAY USE, UPON APPROVAL BY THE SERVICE SECRETARY, AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE FORCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY TO SHAPE THE FORCE. TERA OFFERS VOLUNTARY EARLY RETIREMENT, AT A REDUCED MONTHLY RETIREMENT PAY, TO ELIGIBLE MEMBERS PRIOR TO COMPLETING 20 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE. NAVY APPLICATION OF THIS AUTHORITY FOR FY-12, AS APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, IS LIMITED TO THE SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BELOW. FUTURE USE OF TERA IS UNDER CONSIDERATION, AND ANY DECISION TO USE THE AUTHORITY IN THE YEARS AHEAD WILL BE ADDRESSED IN A FUTURE NAVADMIN. SINCE TERA IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT, ELIGIBLE MEMBERS DESIRING EARLY RETIREMENT MUST APPLY FOR CONSIDERATION, AND APPROVAL IS NOT ASSURED. 3. ELIGIBILITY. ONLY ENLISTED MEMBERS CONSIDERED, BUT NOT SELECTED FOR RETENTION, BY THE FY-12 ERB, WHO WILL HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE AS OF 1 SEPTEMBER 2012, ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TERA IN FY-12. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS MAY NOT BE WAIVED. 4. APPLICATION FOR EARLY RETIREMENT. QUALIFYING MEMBERS DESIRING CONSIDERATION FOR EARLY RETIREMENT UNDER TERA MUST APPLY FOLLOWING PROCEDURES TO BE PROMULGATED BY A FORTHCOMING NAVADMIN. NAVY PERSONNEL COMMAND WILL CONTACT EVERY ELIGIBLE SAILOR, OR THEIR COMMAND, TO ENSURE ALL ELIGIBLE SAILORS ARE AWARE OF THIS BENEFIT. ERB SAILORS APPROVED FOR EARLY RETIREMENT WILL BE VOLUNTARILY RETIRED NO LATER THAN 1 SEPTEMBER 2012. SAILORS OFFERED EARLY RETIREMENT WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION PAY (ISP), BUT THEY WILL REMAIN QUALIFIED FOR ENHANCED ERB TRANSITION BENEFITS UNTIL THEIR RETIREMENT DATE. ELIGIBLE SAILORS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF EARLY RETIREMENT WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMAND RETENTION TEAM. 5. SHORT TERM EXTENSIONS. ELIGIBLE SAILORS DESIRING TO APPLY FOR EARLY RETIREMENT WHOSE CURRENT END OF ACTIVE OBLIGATED SERVICE (EAOS) AS EXTENDED, OR SOFT EAOS (SEAOS), IS PRIOR TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2012 SHOULD SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR SHORT TERM EXTENSION TO COMNAVPERSCOM (PERS-81), VIA EMAIL TO PERS-81(AT)NAVY.MIL, FOR EXPEDITED PROCESSING AND APPROVAL. SAILORS WHO WILL NOT HAVE COMPLETED 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE BY THEIR SEAOS, BUT WHO WILL COMPLETE 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE BY 1 SEPTEMBER 2012, ARE ELIGIBLE. DUE TO THEIR TIME-SENSITIVE NATURE, COMMANDS SHOULD NOT DELAY IN SUBMITTING REQUESTS. REQUESTS FOR SHORT TERM EXTENSIONS TO ALLOW APPLICATION FOR EARLY RETIREMENT WILL GENERALLY BE APPROVED TO PERMIT ELIGIBLE SAILORS TO REMAIN ON ACTIVE DUTY UNTIL 1 SEPTEMBER 2012. ONCE PROGRAM APPLICATION PROCEDURES ARE ESTABLISHED, SAILORS MAY BE ABLE TO SEPARATE PRIOR TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2012 IF THEIR APPLICATION IS APPROVED AND THEY HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE. 6. POINTS OF CONTACT: NAVY PERSONNEL COMMAND POC IS THE NPC CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AT 1-866-U-ASK-NPC (1-866-827-5672). - DIRECT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING FY-12 TERA EARLY RETIREMENT POLICY FOR ERB SAILORS TO OPNAV (N132) VIA EMAIL TO NXAG_N132C(AT)NAVY.MIL. 7. RELEASED BY VICE ADMIRAL S. R. VAN BUSKIRK, N1.// BT #2291 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//