TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY.

SEC. 4403. TEMPORARY EARLY RETIREMENT AUTHORITY. (a) Purpose.—The purpose of this section is to provide the Secretary of Defense a temporary additional force management tool with which to effect the drawdown of military forces through 1995. (b) Retirement for 15 to 20 Years of Service.— (1) During the active force drawdown period, the Secretary of the Army may— (A) apply the provisions of section 3911 of title 10, United States Code, to a regular or reserve commissioned officer with at least 15 but less than 20 years of service by substituting “at least 15 years” for “at least 20 years” in subsection (a) of that section; (B) apply the provisions of section 3914 of such title to an enlisted member with at least 15 but less than 20 years of service by substituting “at least 15“ for “at least 20“; and (C) apply the provisions of section 1293 of such title to a warrant officer with at least 15 but less than 20 years of service by substituting “at least 15 years” for “at least 20 years”. (2) During the active force drawdown period, the Secretary of the Navy may— (A) apply the provisions of section 6323 of title 10, United States Code, to an officer with at least 15 but less than 20 years of service by substituting “at least 15 years” for “at least 20 years” in subsection (a) of that section; (B) apply the provisions of section 6330 of such title to an enlisted member of the Navy or Marine Corps with at least 15 but less than 20 years of service by substituting “15 or more years” for “20 or more years” in the first sentence of subsection (a), in the case of an enlisted member of the Navy, and in the second sentence of subsection (b), in the case of an enlisted member of the Marine Corps; and (C) apply the provisions of section 1293 of such title to a warrant officer with at least 15 but less than 20 years of service by substituting “at least 15 years” for “at least 20 years”. (3) During the active force drawdown period, the Secretary of the Air Force may— (A) apply the provisions of section 8911 of title 10, United States Code, to a regular or reserve commissioned officer with at least 15 but less than 20 years of service by substituting “at least 15 years” for “at least 20 years” in subsection (a) of that section; and (B) apply the provisions of section 8914 of such title to an enlisted member with at least 15 but less than 20 years of service by substituting “at least 15” for “at least 20”. (c) Additional Eligibility Requirement.—In order to be eligible for retirement by reason of the authority provided in subsection (b), a member of the Armed Forces shall— (1) register on the registry maintained under section 1143a(b) of title 10, United States Code (as added by section 4462(a)); and (2) receive information regarding public and community service job opportunities from the Secretary of Defense or 106 STAT. 2703another source approved by the Secretary and be afforded, on request, counseling on such job opportunities. (d) Regulations.—The Secretary of each military department may prescribe regulations and policies regarding the criteria for eligibility for early retirement by reason of eligibility pursuant to this section and for the approval of applications for such retirement. Such criteria may include factors such as grade, years of service, and skill. (e) Computation of Retired Pay.—Retired or retainer pay of a member retired (or transferred to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve) under a provision of title 10, United States Code, by reason of eligibility pursuant to subsection (b) shall be reduced by 1/12th of 1 percent for each full month by which the number of months of active service of the member are less than 240 as of the date of the member's retirement (or transfer to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve). (f) Funding.— (1) Notwithstanding section 1463 of title 10, United States Code, and subject to the availability of appropriations for this purpose, the Secretary of each military department shall provide in accordance with this section for the payment of retired pay payable during the fiscal years covered by the other provisions of this subsection to members of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of that Secretary who are being retired under the authority of this section. (2) In each fiscal year in which the Secretary of a military department retires a member of the Armed Forces under the authority of this section, the Secretary shall credit to a subaccount (which the Secretary shall establish) within the appropriation account for that fiscal year for pay and allowances of active duty members of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of that Secretary such amount as is necessary to pay the retired pay payable to such member for the entire initial period (determined under paragraph (3)) of the entitlement of that member to receive retired pay. (3) The initial period applicable under paragraph (2) in the case of a retired member referred to in that paragraph is the number of years (and any fraction of a year) that is equal to the difference between 20 years and the number of years (and any fraction of a year) of service that were completed by the member (as computed under the provision of law used for determining the member’s years of service for eligibility to retirement) before being retired under the authority of this section. (4) The Secretary shall pay the member’s retired pay for such initial period out of amounts credited to the sub-account under paragraph (2). The amounts so credited with respect to that member shall remain available for payment for that period. (5) For purposes of this subsection— (A) the transfer of an enlisted member of the Navy or Marine Corps to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve shall be treated as a retirement; and (B) the term “retired pay” shall be treated as including retainer pay. (g) Coordination With Other Separation Provisions.— (1) A member of the Armed Forces retired under the authority of this section is not entitled to benefits under section 1174, 1174a, or 1175 of title 10, United States Code. (2) Section 638a(b)(4)(C) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting “(other than by reason of eligibility pursuant 106 STAT. 2704to section 4403 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993)” after “any provision of law”. (h) Members Receiving SSB or VSI.—The Secretary of a military department may retire (or transfer to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve) pursuant to the authority provided by this section a member of a reserve component who before the date of the enactment of this Act was separated from active duty pursuant to an agreement entered into under section 1174a or 1175 of title 10, United States Code. The retired or retainer pay of any such member so retired (or transferred) by reason of the authority provided in this section shall be reduced by the amount of any payment to such member before the date of such retirement under the provisions of such agreement under section 1174a or 1175 of title 10, United States Code. (i) Active Force Drawdown Period.—For purposes of this section, the active force drawdown period is the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on October 1, 1995.