How to Obtain a Satisfactory Year in the IRR
Many Marines upon entry to the IRR Program do not understand the ‘full scoop’ on what is required of them during this time. Therefore, it is not uncommon that members within the IRR do not understand what is considered satisfactory participation or how to obtain a “Sat Year.”
Simply Put: In order to earn a satisfactory year towards retirement as an IRR, SMCR, or IMA member you must earn 50 CRCR points per anniversary year while taking into consideration a member earns 15 point just for keeping info up to date on MOL thus leaving 35 remaining points.
What are CRCR points?
Your Career Retirement Credit Report points essentially are a means of measuring your participation while in the reserves. Participation equates to one CRCR point per day of active duty, or one CRCR point per drill period. One Drill = 4 hours of SMCR duty; Max 2 Drills per Day.
In addition a member of the Marine Reserves may earn CRCR points through Marine Corps Institute Distance Education Courses (MCI’s) as well as Marine Net Courses. The point value per course is determined by the amount of study hours listing in the course syllabus.
Requesting Orders
In addition, as an IRR member you may request Reserve Counterpart Training for up to 28 days (RCT orders). You may request RCT orders by contacting a local Reserve unit as well as submitting an ePAR via MOL. Members may earn CRCR points by serving on funeral details at a local SMCR as a “courtesy participant”, just ensure that a muster sheet is completed and verified and gained permission prior from the unit. Last, a member may request to be issued “Associate Duty Orders,” for non-pay participation, that enables a member to receive a dental check up and PHA. It is also possible for a SMCR unit to approve orders for a Marine if they have a special skill or Training MOS that is critical to the unit’s mission on a temporary basis. (i.e.- Giving orders to a MCMAP or MCIWS Instructor to train Marines for a drill period)
Another type of orders available for IRR Marines are called ADOS, or Active Duty Operational Support. These are similar to Associate Duty Orders in that the Marine will be working for the unit, but in this case they can go for up to one whole year of active time. The purpose of ADOS is to fill a critical manpower shortfall at a unit, generally in an administrative or clerical billet. These orders will also be requested through the unit the Marine will be serving with.
Questions
IRR Musters are the first line in earning CRCR points to inform and support members during the initial transition phase from active duty to Civilian life.
For any other questions or concerns regarding earning participation points, your best point of contact is the Customer Service Center at 800-255-5082 or csc@marforres.usmc.mil. You can also request information and orders by submitting an ePAR through your MOL Portal Homepage (insert link) by using the ePAR link at the top.