The Marine Corps is looking for enlisted volunteers to get out early.
The move is part of a new program that applies to active duty enlisted Marines who were already set to leave service or had an “end of active service,” or EAS, date in fiscal year 2025, which runs from now until Sept. 30, according to a Marine Corps announcement posted Thursday.
Marines who are approved to leave early will separate earlier than their current contract end date but will still be considered as having completed their full active duty service. The program does not apply to Marines who signed up for the Marine Corps Reserve.
“It is understood that this program may result in temporary risks to some units due to falling below staffing levels. Units will not receive early staffing replacement,” the Marine Corps’ official notice states, adding that the program is used as a “force shaping tool.”
The Marine Corps has defined itself as a “middleweight force,” and the idea that the service would offer early exits for troops to cut down on size or even to save costs is not out of the norm.
It’s also likely to be an easy sell for first-term Marines who can see their EAS date on the horizon — and who will probably be singing the EAS Song on their way out the main gate a couple of months early.
In terms of who’s eligible, there are approximately 4,400 active duty Marines with an end-of-active-service date on or before Sept. 30. To qualify for the Voluntary Enlisted Early Reenlisted Program, as it’s officially titled, Marines must be “medically qualified, eligible for an honorable discharge, and have completed their Transition Readiness Seminar,” explained Maj. Jacoby Getty, a Marine Corps spokesman.
“This program underscores our commitment to supporting Marines’ personal and professional transitions by providing a clear and beneficial path for early separation where applicable,” Getty said.
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The Marine Corps previously offered early release options in 2014 for commissioned officers, which the service said would equate to nearly $3 million in savings, and in 2020 for Marines in specific tank and armor jobs, also for “force shaping” measures.
For this year’s early release program, the following Marines are not eligible: those with contracts ending after Sept. 30, scheduled to transfer to the Reserves, set to leave under other early release programs, on special duty assignment, and pending legal actions.
The announcement notes that early release could impact separation benefits in certain circumstances, so those Marines would not be released from active duty until their service length criteria are met for separation pay. Marines in the early release program will not have to repay retirement system continuation pay or bonuses for enlistment or selective retention.
UPDATE: 7/31/2025; This article was updated after publication with additional information from a Marine Corps official.
