Officer Promotion & Obligated Service

[Schlag]

So kind of random and obscure, but figured that it'd be worth asking - particularly of the OCM, or one of the Detailers if they are lurking on the forum.

Have a guy at a command who is selected for LCDR but intends to resign and go to the Reserves. He will probably resign and transition to the Reserves after less than 12 months of actually wearing LCDR. Can he do this? Or do you accept an obligated service whenever you promote?

I *thought* that there was an obligated service or minimum required service for retirement purposes (something like you had to wear LCDR for 6 mos, CDR for 2 years, and CAPT for 3 years to actually retire in that rank). But I didn't think there was any such requirement for resignation and transition to the SELRES.

I've scoured the MILPERSMAN and can't find anything to help. Figured I'd cook off a flare and see if anyone knows where I can look or if they know what ground truth is. Any guidance would be appreciated.

[Sum1]

There are at least two questions here. One is if promoting incurs an active duty service obligation, and I can find no information that says it does. If someone DID say that is does, I would be shocked.

The second question is if there is a minimum time in a rank in order to "retire" as that rank. That is a tougher question because I think there are instances where this is the case, but I think it would require some MILPERSMAN searching. I know LDOs revert upon retirement if they don't have their minimum commissioned time, but that's the extent of my direct knowledge on the subject.

[COMEVIL]

There are at least two questions here. One is if promoting incurs an active duty service obligation, and I can find no information that says it does. If someone DID say that is does, I would be shocked.

There are plenty of obligations to consider, related or unrelated to advancement: advanced education obligated service, bonuses, special pay, Minimum Tour for Separation, Minimum Service Requirement.

More info here:

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/personnelconductandseparations/Pages/OfficerResignations.aspx

The second question is if there is a minimum time in a rank in order to "retire" as that rank. That is a tougher question because I think there are instances where this is the case, but I think it would require some MILPERSMAN searching. I know LDOs revert upon retirement if they don't have their minimum commissioned time, but that's the extent of my direct knowledge on the subject.

Retirement guidance is pretty clear:

10 USC 6323, OPNAVINST 1811.3A Voluntary Retirement for Active Duty Officers (20 years)

For CAPT and CDR
20 years and 1 day of Active Duty Service
10 years active commissioned (YCS) service or 8 YCS if waiver is approved per ALNAV 016/13 and NAVADMIN 109/13
3 years TIG (Time In Grade) or if waiver is approved per NAVADMIN 371/08

For LCDR and below
20 years and 1 day of Active Duty Service
2 years TIG (Time In Grade) or if waiver is approved per OPNAVINST 1811.3A

and...

OFFICER RETIREMENT WAIVERS

Time-in-Grade (TIG) - Per OPNAVINST 1811.3A, unless retirement in the next inferior grade is directed by SECNAV for an officer or warrant officer under SECNAVINST 1920.6C, then officers, warrant officers, and enlisted members retired voluntarily or transferred to the Fleet Reserve shall be retired in the highest grade satisfactorily held upon completion of the following TIG requirements. COMNAVPERSCOM shall make determinations and recommendations of satisfactory service, considering factors noted found in Paragraph 7h of the OPNAVINST 1811.3A.

Next Lower Grade (NLG) - Per OPNAVINST 1811.3A, COMNAVPERSCOM may authorize a member who does not meet the applicable time-in-grade requirement to be retired in the next lower grade in which the member served on active duty satisfactorily.

TIG and NLG waiver submission requirements can be found at the PERS-835 link for officer retirements voluntary retirement example.

[Schlag]

So notwithstanding other stated obligations (bonuses, education, minimum time on station) there is no obligation associated with promotion?

I just want to make sure that we separate the question of minimum time for retirement and minimum time for separation because I think people have a tendency of blurring/confusing the two.

Just to be clear, original question is WRT separation, not retirement.

[COMEVIL]

So notwithstanding other stated obligations (bonuses, education, minimum time on station) there is no obligation associated with promotion?

I just want to make sure that we separate the question of minimum time for retirement and minimum time for separation because I think people have a tendency of blurring/confusing the two.

Just to be clear, original question is WRT separation, not retirement.

Directly related to promotion? -- not that I am aware of.

Of course, if all depends on BUPERS approval, which is where other requirements may come into play.

[CNO Guy]

There is no obligation of additional service when accepting/promoting to LCDR that would prevent someone from separating/resigning.

That being said, there are a few things to consider:
(1) Reserve affiliation is not guaranteed, certainly in the IWC where the communities are all at 100%+ full
(2) Waiting for validation of your time spent in the Navy by seeing your name on a promotion list before separating/resigning is wrong on too many fronts...could be an entire post

Retirement is different as someone else already pointed out.

[COMEVIL]

(2) Waiting for validation of your time spent in the Navy by seeing your name on a promotion list before separating/resigning is wrong on too many fronts...could be an entire post

I'd be curious to read that post.

[Sum1]

(2) Waiting for validation of your time spent in the Navy by seeing your name on a promotion list before separating/resigning is wrong on too many fronts...could be an entire post

I'd be curious to read that post.

I was thinking the same thing.