Military Careers, commissioning programs - Marine Corps Times

Retired Reserve

Service members collecting military pensions and benefits from active or reserve duty are placed in the Retired Reserve. This status includes:

• Retired reservists eligible for retired pay who have not reached age 60 and thus are not qualified to collect retirement pay. They are known as RET-2 or Retired Awaiting Pay reservists.

• Active-duty enlisted retirees of the Army and Air Force who have completed at least 20 but less than 30 years of combined active and inactive service. Once they reach 30 years of service, they are fully retired.

• Retired Navy and Marine Corps enlisted members with at least 20, but less than 30, years of service who are part of the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Reserve. After reaching the 30-year mark, they can be put on the retired list or ask to be assigned to the Retired Reserve.

Within the Retired Reserve are three mobilization categories, depending on physical fitness, age and date of retirement. A retiree who is under age 60, or disabled, will end up in Category 1 or 2. These members can be called up during wartime or other national emergencies. Their assigned category depends on their physical condition and how critical their skill is to the military.

Disabled vets and those older than 60 are not exempt from possible recall. Although placed in Category 3, they are evaluated on a case-by-case basis for recall during a full mobilization.