All of the branches of the United States military have met or will meet their recruiting goals for fiscal year 2025 (FY25), which ends on September 30, 2025. Although the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Air Force experienced a notable shortfall in FY23, the United States Marine Corps has consistently met its recruiting objectives since 1994.
Now, two years later, the recruiting efforts have been strong, and so too have reenlistments.
The USMC is now seeking volunteers in the enlisted ranks who might want to discharge a bit early. According to an official announcement, Marines who were already set to leave service and had an “end of active service” (EAS) date for FY25 can separate earlier than their current contract date. Those individuals will still be considered to have completed their full active duty service.
The program is not open to those in the Marine Corps Reserve, however.
Moreover, it could impact separation benefits, and some Marines may not be released from their active duty until the service length requirements for separation pay are met. But those who do take part in the early release program will not be required to repay any bonuses for enlistment or selective retention and retirement system continuation pay.
“It is understood that this program may result in temporary risks to some units due to falling below staffing levels. Units will not receive early staffing replacement,” stated the official notice, which was posted on Thursday.
Conditions Apply
According to the notice, Marines whose contracts end after September 30 aren’t eligible, nor are those who had planned to transfer to Marine Corps Reserves or were set to leave the service under another early release program. In addition, those with one special duty assignment and a pending legal action will have to stick it out.
The United States Marine Corps had previously offered an early release program in 2020 for those in armor and tank billets, when the service announced it was divesting its fleet of M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks as part of its Force Design 2030 restructuring. In 2014, another early release was offered to commissioned officers.
The Department of Defense did not release figures on how many Marines took advantage of the prior early release programs. However, Task & Purpose reported that there are currently around 4,400 active duty Marines with an end-of-active service date on or before September 30 of this year.
“This program underscores our commitment to supporting Marines’ personal and professional transitions by providing a clear and beneficial path for early separation where applicable,” Major Jacoby Getty, Marine Corps spokesperson, told Task & Purpose.
USMC Force Redesign
Thursday’s announcement also came as the USMC reached five years, the midway point, to its Force Design 2030 initiative, which aims to transition the corps from a “Second Army” that was employed in counterinsurgency missions to a more agile force that would be capable of operating in contested environments, notably the Indo-Pacific.
As part of the new direction, the Marine Corps has sought to enhance its recruiting and retention efforts. Marine officials have indicated that retaining Marines has been more critical than continually recruiting new ones. Yet, it also hasn’t made sense to keep those whose time in the service is ending. That fact explains why with just 60 days left, some Marines are getting out early, just in time to enjoy the end of summer.
