Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction 15/04 – Release by Reason of Years of Service

1. Identification

Date of Issue: 2004-07-19

Date of Modification: 2025-01-31

Application: This Instruction applies to all Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members of the Regular Force. 

Approval Authority: Chief of Military Personnel (CMP)

Enquiries:

• Administrative Response Centre (ARC) for policy
• Director General Military Careers (DGMC) for Administration

2. Definitions

Compulsory Retirement Age (CRA) (Âge de la retraite obligatoire (ARO))

This is the age beyond which a member of the CAF may not serve, unless an extension to CRA is authorized. The age that is applicable to an officer or non-commissioned member (NCM) of the Regular Force will be in accordance with the appropriate table to QR&O 15.17 (Officers) and QR&O 15.31 (NCMs). 

Full-time Paid Service (Service rémunéré à plein temps)

Service in any component of either the Regular Forces or Reserve Forces of Her Majesty, wheresoever raised, provided the member was on full-time duty and received a full day’s pay. 

Years of Service, Non-Commissioned Members (Années de service, militaire du rang)

Full-time paid service in any of Her Majesty’s Forces. 

Years of Service, Officers (Années de service, Officiers)

Full time paid service, including service as a non-commissioned member, in any of Her Majesty’s Forces. 

3. Purpose

3.1 This instruction, which amplifies QR&O 15.17 (3)(b) – Release of Officers – Age and Length of Service and QR&O 15.31(2) Release of Non-Commissioned Members – Age and Length of Service, sets out the procedures for release of members of the Regular Force on or after the completion of 30 years of service (YOS). The intent of this program is to provide the CAF additional capability to manage personnel flow in order to continue to enhance operational capability.

4. Application

4.1 Subparagraph 15.17(3)(b) of QR&O states that: 

“… an officer of the Regular Force must be released… after the completion of 30 years of fulltime paid service, including service as a non-commissioned member, in any of Her Majesty’s Forces, if the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) so recommends.” 

4.2 Subparagraph 15.31(2)(b) of QR&O states that: 

“… a non-commissioned member of the Regular Force must be released… after the completion of 30 years of service, if the Chief of Defence Staff so directs.”

4.3 The procedure for the release of General/Flag officers or Colonel/Captain(N) (Col/Capt(N)) on or after 30 years of service is the responsibility of the CDS. 

4.4 A term of service (TOS) does not provide a guarantee that a CAF member will reach CRA. CAF standards for medical and physical fitness will always apply. TOS conversion procedures control personnel flow. Therefore, conversion from one engagement to the next remains conditional on service requirements and on selection by merit at the appropriate career gate. The length of a special indefinite period of service remains dependent on service requirements. 

4.5 The effect of QR&O 15.17(3)(b) and 15.31(2)(b) is that all members of the Regular Force are liable to be released from the CAF on or after the completion of 30 YOS if the CDS recommends (officers) or directs (NCMs) release. In practice, only individuals in military occupations (MOCs) that are experiencing manning problems will be subject to this provision. The manning problems that might necessitate invoking the authority for release after 30 years of service include but are not limited to: 

1. MOC above Preferred Manning Level.
2. Annual review of the MOC (AMOR) indicates personnel flow or manning problems.
3. Rank-to-rank ratios are undesirable.

4.6 However, before a decision is made to use these QR&O provisions for release, there are several other solutions that may be taken into account. Release on or after the completion of 30 years of service must be considered as a last resort. Possible solutions are noted below, but resolution of identified problems is not limited to these suggestions. 

1. Officers and NCMs:
   1. All members are subject to posting until CRA.
   2. Employ members out of occupation in occupations that are short (ANY positions). (DGMC authority).
   3. Selective promotions over authorized limits (promotion above preferred manning level) to solve specific occupational needs (DGMC authority).
2. NCMs
   1. Chief Warrant Officer/Chief Petty Officer 1st class (CWO/CPO1) or Master Warrant Officer/Chief Petty Officer 2nd class (MWO/CPO2) may be employable in selected vacant Captain/Lieutenant(N) (Capt/Lt(N)) positions (DGMC authority).
   2. Commissioning from the ranks.

4.7 Release on or after completion of 30 YOS is not a mechanism by which the CAF will release poor performers. 

4.8 The annual military occupation review (AMOR) is the current determinative method of identification of occupation-specific manning problems. Other mechanisms, such as the Retention Intervention Process and MOC modelling, may also be used as a determinative program. The process will determine the number of members involved and the likely duration of the problem. Solutions other than release of members will be investigated first. If it is determined that release is the only option, a special merit list will be drawn up of those in the MOC who have completed 30 or more years of service. The reverse order of this merit list will be used to determine the individuals who will be released in accordance with QR&O 15.17(3)(b) or 15.31(2)(b). Those selected for release as a result of this process will be given a one-year Notice of Intent to Release. An appropriate release item in the table to QR&O article 15.01 will be used to release members under this program.

4.9 The following table sets out the responsibilities of those involved in this process:

5. References

Acts, Regulations, Central Agency Policies and Associated DAOD

• QR&O Chapter 15, Release

Other References

• CFAO 15-2, Release Regular Force (this document can only be accessed on the DWAN)
• CAFMPI 14/04, The Canadian Armed Forces (Regular Force and Primary Reserve) Compulsory Retirement Age 60