The House version of the 2013 defense bill also contains provisions that would reduce the duration of commissioned service required for service members to retire as officers to eight years, down from 10 years. The discretionary authority, given to the Secretary of Defense and each service’s secretary, would begin Sept. 30, 2013, and extend to Sept. 30, 2018. The measure also would increase time-in-grade retirement waiver limitations for officers in pay grades 0-5 and 0-6. The provision would enable the services to reduce their ranks of Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps colonels and lieutenant colonels, and Navy commanders and captains, by four percent. Present law sets the limit at two years of service. Under the House proposal, the limit would be extended to three years, expiring Sept. 30, 2018. Another provision would grant a similar increase in order to reduce the ranks of flag-rank officers in pay grades 0-7 and 0-8 by five percent.
