CALENDAR YEAR 2026 CONTINUATION PAY POLICY FOR BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM PARTICIPANTS
MARADMIN 003/26 · January 8, 2026 · Source
You're About to Hit 12 Years. Here's What Continuation Pay Looks Like in 2026.
If you're enrolled in the Blended Retirement System and approaching your 12-year mark, there's a payment coming your way.
This MARADMIN tells you exactly how much to expect.
And for Reserve Marines, the number is different from what your active-duty peers receive.
Reference: MARADMIN 003/26, signed 6 January 2026. Administered under Marine Corps Bulletin 1800 (BRS Policy) and MCTFS-PRIUM Chapter 9, Section 18.
The old problem
Continuation Pay multipliers can change year to year.
Marines planning their finances need to know the current rate before they hit the 12-year window.
Without an annual announcement, there's no official number to plan around.
The new rule, in one line
The 2025 multipliers carry forward unchanged into 2026.
What Continuation Pay actually is
If you opted into the Blended Retirement System, you are eligible for a mid-career cash payment called Continuation Pay.
It triggers at 12 years of service.
In exchange, you commit to at least 4 more years of service.
The payment is calculated by multiplying your monthly basic pay by a set number called the multiplier.
Higher multiplier. Bigger check.
The 2026 multipliers
Here is where Reserve and active-duty Marines part ways.
Reserve Component Marines (not on active duty as an Active Reserve):
✦ Multiplier: 1.0x monthly basic pay
Active Component Marines and Active Reserve (AR) Marines:
✦ Multiplier: 5.0x monthly basic pay
(Yes, that is a five-to-one difference. It is significant.)
The RC multiplier is based on your monthly reserve basic pay at the time you hit 12 years. It is not nothing. But it is worth understanding clearly before you sign.
Why this is a big deal
Continuation Pay is one of the three pillars of BRS alongside the pension and the TSP match.
A lot of Marines opted into BRS when it opened up, or entered service after 2018 and are automatically enrolled.
If you are in that group and you are approaching 12 years, this payment is real money with a real obligation attached.
The 4-year service commitment is not optional after you accept.
Knowing your multiplier now gives you time to run the numbers before you are sitting across from your career planner at the deadline.
A smaller note for active-duty Marines
Your multiplier is 5.0x, unchanged from 2025. The same 12-year trigger and 4-year service commitment apply. Connect with your local Personal Financial Manager (PFM) to map out the math before you sign.
The bottom line
BRS Continuation Pay multipliers for 2026 are:
✦ Reserve Component (not on active duty as AR): 1.0x ✦ Active Component and Active Reserve: 5.0x
Same as last year. Clock starts at 12 years of service.
What to do with this
If you are a Reserve Marine approaching 12 years of service:
- Confirm whether you are enrolled in BRS. (If you entered service after 1 January 2018, you are automatically enrolled.)
- Pull your current monthly basic pay from myPay to estimate your payment at 1.0x.
- Talk to your unit Career Planner about timing and eligibility windows.
- Contact a Personal Financial Manager before you accept. Find one through the M&RA Manpower Military Policy page.
If you are an IMA or IRR Marine:
✦ Verify your BRS enrollment status and years of service through your servicing S-1. ✦ CP eligibility and administration for IMA and IRR personnel can have additional complexity. Do not assume. Ask directly.
If you are a unit S-1 or career planner:
✦ Note that MARADMIN 229/24 (CY 2025 guidance) remains in effect as the administrative foundation. ✦ Questions on execution go to MPO at SMB_HQMC_MPO@USMC.MIL or 703-784-9371/9372/9373/9374.
This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.
Want a shorter version of this? Or a deeper breakdown of how BRS Continuation Pay interacts with TSP matching and the pension formula? Let me know and I will write it.