MCAS BEAUFORT S.C. -- Marine Corps captains and majors are the next group to be impacted by the drawdown in troop strength according to Marine Corps Administrative Message 401/13.
The message details changes to Marine Corps Order P.1900.16F, namely the provision that states twice-passed majors and those captains with 15 years of service who
have been passed over twice will be able to remain in the Corps until eligible for retirement.
From now on, the officers who meet the above criteria will only be retained if their “[C]ontinued service is in the best interest of the Marine Corps.”
Officers who are passed over twice will then be put on a continuation board which convenes immediately after the promotion boards. The continuation board has the ability
to recommend up to 100 percent retention. The drawdown in troop strength has already affected the enlisted ranks in various ways. MARADMIN 548/12 outlines the
Enlisted Career Force Retention Controls, which sets the term limits for noncommissioned and staff noncommissioned officers. Corporals are capped at eight years, sergeants
must be promoted by the 10 year mark, and staff sergeants top out at 20 years.
The more senior staff NCOs have term limits as well, however, there is no guarantee that staff sergeants and above will be allowed to reenlist if they are not competitive assets to
the Marine Corps. For more information, see MARADMIN 401/13 for officer retention, MARADMIN 548/12 for the enlisted side, or call your unit
career retention specialist.