DoD Directives
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Department of Defense |
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DIRECTIVE |
NUMBER 1215.13
December 14, 1995
Certified Current as of November 21, 2003
Incorporating Change 1, July 8, 1998
ASD(RA)
SUBJECT: Reserve Component Member Participation Policy
References: (a) DoD Directive 1215.13, "Unsatisfactory Performance of Ready Reserve Obligation," June 30, 1979 (hereby canceled)
(b) DoD Directive 1215.5, "Participation in Reserve Training Programs," May 25, 1979 (hereby canceled)
(c) Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics) Memorandum, "Equivalent Training for Training Selected Reservists," September 18, 1978 (hereby canceled)
(d) Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics) Memorandum, "Policy on Reserve Participation in Training in the Selected Reserve," February 2, 1980 (hereby canceled)
(e) through (m), see enclosure 1
1. REISSUANCE AND PURPOSE
This Directive:
1.1. Reissues reference (a).
1.2. Replaces reference (b) and supersedes references (c) through (f) to update policy for satisfactory participation by members of the National Guard and the Reserve components in units and organizations of the Selected Reserve (SELRES) and as members of the Ready Reserve not assigned to the SELRES.
2. APPLICABILITY
This Directive applies to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Military Departments. The term "Military Services," as used herein, refers to the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard (by agreement with the Department of Transportation when it is not operating as a Military Service in the Navy). The term "Military Departments," as used herein, refers to the Departments of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a Service in the Department of the Navy.
3. POLICY
3.1. Reserve Participation
3.1.1.1. Each individual inducted, enlisted, or appointed in one of the Reserve components of the United States, who becomes a member of the Ready Reserve (other than through membership in the National Guard of the United States), shall, during the required statutory period in the Ready Reserve, be scheduled to participate as follows, except as provided in DoD Directive 1215.6 (reference (g)):
3.1.1.1.1. In at least 48 scheduled inactive duty training (IDT) periods and not less than 14 days, exclusive of travel time, of active duty training (ADT) each year; or,
3.1.1.1.2. On ADT for no more than 30 days each year, unless otherwise specifically prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
3.1.1.2. Subparagraphs 3.1.1.1.1. and 3.1.1.1.2., above, do not apply to graduates of the Federal or State Maritime Academies who are commissioned in the Naval Reserve.
3.1.2. Training Requirements for Members of the Army and Air National Guard. Members of the Army and Air National Guard shall:
3.1.2.1. Assemble for IDT and instruction at least 48 times each year.
3.1.2.2. Participate in training encampments, maneuvers, or other exercises for not less than 15 days a year, unless excused by the Secretary concerned.
3.1.3. Other Training Requirements. Additional training requirements for members of the Ready Reserve are established in reference (g).
3.1.4. Minimum Periods of Service. All members of the Ready Reserve first appointed, enlisted, or transferred into the SELRES shall agree to serve for a specified period, as determined by the Secretary concerned. In no case shall that service be for a period of less than 1 year. That service shall be agreed to by execution of an enlistment contract or a separate written document. Either document may be used to meet the SELRES service agreement requirements to entitlement for educational assistance under DoD Instruction 1322.17 (reference (h)).
3.2. Discharges and Transfers. Members may be discharged or transferred, in accordance with section 4., of DoD Instruction 1215.18 (reference (i)).
3.3. Involuntary Assignment
3.3.1. General. The Military Departments shall establish procedures to ensure that members of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) or members separated from active duty (AD) are afforded an equal opportunity for participation and assignment according to their skills, experience, and desires, and are not involuntarily assigned or transferred to the SELRES unless the respective Military Service's administrative requirements have been met. That requirement is not intended to reduce the obligations in section III of DoD Directive 1205.14 (reference (j)), to give preference for existing or projected vacancies to fully qualified persons being involuntarily separated from the Military Services or to members who are in receipt of the Special Separation Benefit (SSB) or the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 1174(a) and 1175 (reference (k)).
3.3.2. Officers with Obligated Service. At the discretion of the Military Services and with the approval of the losing and gaining commanders, officers with obligated SELRES service may be involuntarily assigned or transferred to units in the SELRES of their Reserve component within the commuting distance defined in definition E2.1.1. of enclosure 2 of DoD Instruction 1215.18 (reference (i)).
3.4. Members Participating in the VSI or SSB Programs
3.4.1. General. The VSI and/or SSB programs offer entitlement benefits and two alternative separation payments and benefit options, each with a requirement for affiliation with the Ready Reserve of a Reserve component. Policy guidance for these two programs is found in the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and Policy Memorandums (references (l) and (m)). Members electing either the VSI and/or SSB program shall have an equal opportunity to compete for available SELRES billets as do other members of the Ready Reserve.
3.4.2. The VSI. For members who elect to participate in the VSI program, the VSI annual payments shall be discontinued if the member is separated from the Ready Reserve, unless one of the following conditions applies:
3.4.2.1. If the member dies, full VSI annual payments shall continue to beneficiaries that the member has designated for the remaining period of entitlement.
3.4.2.2. If the member becomes ineligible to continue to serve in the Ready Reserve due to law, regulation, policy, or other reasons determined to be no fault of the member concerned, the member shall be transferred to the Standby Reserve or the Retired Reserve of a Reserve component, as appropriate, but shall retain entitlement to VSI entitlements.
3.4.3. The SSB. Members who are approved for the SSB shall enter into a written agreement with the Military Department concerned to serve in the Ready Reserve for a period of not less than 3 years following their separation from AD. If the member has a Military Service Obligation (MSO) under Section 651 of title 10 U.S.C. (reference (k)) or any other law that is not completed when the member is separated from AD, the 3-year obligation shall begin the day after the day the member completes that MSO. Members who receive the SSB and who subsequently receive compensation for a period of Active or Reserve component service may be required to repay a portion of their SSB if they later receive retired or retainer pay or subsequently become eligible for disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. (See the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and Personnel Memorandums (references (l) and (m)).)
4. RESPONSIBILITIES
4.1. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, under the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, consistent with this Directive, shall:
4.1.1. Establish criteria for satisfactory participation by members of the National Guard and Reserve components in units and organizations of the SELRES and as members of the Ready Reserve not assigned to the SELRES; and,
4.1.2. Establish administrative procedures for processing members of the National Guard and Reserve components who do not meet the member participation requirements.
4.2. The Secretaries of the Military Departments, consistent with this Directive, shall:
4.2.1. Issue regulations prescribing criteria for "satisfactory and unsatisfactory participation" by members of their respective Reserve components; and,
4.2.2. Ensure that applicants understand their MSO before assignment to the Reserve component.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Directive is effective immediately.
Enclosures - 1
E1. ENCLOSURE 1
REFERENCES, continued
(e) Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, "Policy on Reserve Participation in Training in the Selected Reserve," October 18, 1982 (hereby canceled)
(f) Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, "Individual Ready Reserve Mandatory Annual Screening Policy," May 5, 1986 (hereby canceled)
(g) DoD Directive 1215.6, "Uniform Reserve, Training and Retirement Categories," December 18, 1990
(h) DoD Instruction 1322.17, "Montgomery GI Bill for the Selected Reserve," November 21, 1991
(i) DoD Instruction 1215.18, "Reserve Component Member Participation Requirements," January 11, 1996
(j) DoD Directive 1205.14, "Enlistment, Appointment and Assignment of Individuals in Reserve Components," May 24, 1974
(k) Title 10, United States Code
(l) Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and Personnel Memorandum, "Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) and Special Separation Benefit (SSB) Policy Guidance," January 3, 1992
(m) Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and Personnel Memorandum, "Policy Guidance for Additional Separation Benefits and Revised Policy for Issuance of Uniformed Services Identification (ID) and Privilege Cards for Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) and Special Separation Benefit (SSB) Program Beneficiaries," January 19, 1993