BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- High year of tenure (HYT) extension and mandatory separation date (MSD) waivers allow eligible reservists to serve past their normal retirement date if they are interested in continuing their Air Force Reserve adventures.
In order to take advantage of these programs, Airmen must understand the waiver application process and ensure they adhere to the timeline.
Before applying for a HYT or MSD waiver, the member should consider the following criteria, which are used to evaluate waiver requests:
- What is the impact on unit readiness if losing the member?
- Is the member’s AFSC on the AFRC Critical Skills List?
- What are the local and command-wide manning statistics?
- Has the member completed the appropriate level of professional military education?
- Does the member have a current and passing fitness assessment?
- Is the member blocking a promotion or developmental opportunity for another member?
Additionally, the member’s performance and long-term record must warrant submission, the member should be mission-ready and an extension request should not be submitted solely to get a member to retirement. Members will be prohibited from participating past their MSD or HYT without an approved extension. For fiscal year 2018, extensions for 24 months or less will receive favorable consideration.
High Year of Tenure is a year point when an enlisted Airman is ineligible for reenlistment or extension of enlistment due to their grade and length of service. Individual Reservists must submit HYT extension waiver requests 180 days prior to their HYT date. HYT extension waiver requests are initiated by the member, endorsed by their active-component commander and HQ RIO Detachment Commander. The waiver is processed by the Airman’s servicing HQ RIO Detachment and finalized at ARPC/DPTTS. Additional HYT extension information is available in AFI 36-2606, Reenlistment and extension of enlistment in the United States Air Force.
Mandatory separation date, service credit and points beyond age 60 waivers authorize an officer to serve past the age of 60. These waivers must be submitted no earlier than 18 months and no later than 12 months prior to the member’s MSD. The waiver process is initiated by the member, then goes to their active-component commander for written justification. The waiver then routes to the member’s servicing HQ RIO Detachment commander and HQ RIO commander for concurrence. It is then submitted to ARPC/DPTTS for routing through AFRC and up to Secretary of the Air Force, which is the approval authority for MSD waivers.
Col. Jennifer McGonigle, the HQ RIO Detachment 3 commander, emphasized that the routing process is lengthy, eventually culminating with final approval or disapproval made by the Secretary of the Air Force.
“Submit early to avoid any potential break in support to your active duty unit,” she said.
Col. McGonigle, whose detachment has processes seven waivers so far this year, added that the justification portion of an MSD waiver request must show how the disapproval of the officer’s MSD extension would result in significant mission degradation.
More information on the MSD waiver process is available in the AFRC Guide for Requesting MSD Extensions and Service Credit and Points Beyond Age 60.
Individual Reservists should direct any additional question regarding HYT and MSD waiver extensions to their servicing HQ RIO Detachment.