Marine officers may qualify for early release program

By Rhonda Apple, Pentagram Staff WriterApril 15, 2014

usa image
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - The Marine Corps may be losing a few good men (and women) over the next two years because of a new early release program.

U.S. Marine Corps commissioned officers serving on active duty and meeting specific criteria may elect to end their obligated service early. The Officer Voluntary Early Release (OVER) Program, MARADMINS 178/14, was signed April 4 and provides guidance for Fiscal Year 15-16 early releases.

OVER is a cost savings initiative that sustains the force within budgetary constraints.

"We project saving about $2.8 million per Fiscal Year from FY14 through FY16," said Manpower and Reserve Affairs Deputy Public Affairs Officer Yvonne Carlock.

As of April 9, she said 21,322 commissioned officers serve in the Corp's active component. About 3,200 of those officers at the rank of first lieutenant are eligible for consideration in the program, she said.

Active duty Marine officers eligible with an end of active service (EAS) date between Oct. 1, 2014, to Sept. 30, 2016, and who have fewer than six years of commissioned service may be eligible for early release.

"An officer requesting an early release date that falls within FY15 or FY16, with a term of service expiring no more than 180 days from their requested early release date, qualifies for OVER," Carlock explained.

While the recently signed MARADMIN 178/14 provides guidance for qualifying officers' early releases for FY15-16, MARADMIN 441/12 provides early release guidance for FY14.

According to the message, Marines who are approved for OVER, will be considered to have completed their full active service. However, the officers are not exempt from completing Reserve or Ready Reserve obligations within their individual service contracts.

With a majority of officers serving on the Henderson Hall portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in senior leadership positions, "less than 200 officers in the battalion will be eligible for early release," said Headquarters and Service Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps Henderson Hall Consolidated Administration Director, CWO2 Michael Barclay.

Marines with questions about the program can contact Consolidated Administration at the Henderson Hall portion of the joint base at (703) 614-7171, or by visiting CONAD in Building 29.