An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Article Display

Officers, enlisted members offered early retirement

  • Published
  • By Debbie Gildea
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas --  Technical and master sergeants, captains, majors and lieutenant colonels in certain Air Force specialties may apply to retire with fewer than 20 years of active service under the Temporary Early Retirement Authority, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

Commonly referred to as the 15-year retirement, TERA is one of several force management programs the Air Force will implement during fiscal year 2014 to meet end-strength goals, said Lt. Col. John Barlett, AFPC operations division chief.

To be eligible for consideration, members must have at least 15 but fewer than 20 years of total active duty time as of Oct. 31, 2013. Applications will be accepted from July 29 - Aug. 15, and those approved must be retired by Nov. 1, 2013.

Interested enlisted Airmen and officers who have active duty service commitments or time in grade requirements may be eligible for a waiver, although some waivers may require the member to repay the government.

"Active duty service commitments incurred from technical training attendance can be fully waived with no requirement for repayment, but if you transferred your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to a family member and they have used part or all of the benefits, you may be required to repay those funds," Barlett explained.

Airmen must apply through the virtual military personnel flight, accessible via the Air Force Portal or the myPers website. After submission, applicants can check the status under "MyStuff" in the vMPF.

Airmen with an approved date of separation or a separation/retirement application pending prior to July 19 are not eligible for TERA. If an otherwise eligible member's separation or retirement application is disapproved, the member may be eligible to apply for TERA.

In addition, approved applicants who are subsequently selected for promotion will be allowed to withdraw their applications, but they will only have 10 weekdays after their promotion notification to do so.

Approved applicants should immediately contact their local Airmen and Family Readiness Center to register for the mandatory transition assistance program seminar.

"TAP is a great benefit for retiring and separating Airmen, and because it is now mandatory, available slots may be limited. Members separating under a force management program should contact their base program managers to ensure that they aren't delayed by this requirement," Barlett said.

For full application instructions and eligibility requirements and a list of eligible career fields, go to the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil and search for "PSDM 13-73" for the enlisted program or "PSDM 13-74" for the officer program.