MARADMIN 450/26 - Overseas Tour Extension Incentive Program (OTEIP)

Scope

MARADMIN 450/26 publishes clarifying instructions for the Overseas Tour Extension Incentive Program. A Marine assigned to an eligible OCONUS location who volunteers and is approved to extend the OCONUS assignment for at least 12 months elects one of three incentives. The message cancels MARADMIN 202/09 and MARADMIN 259/99 effective on release.

Incentives

The Marine elects one.

• Financial incentive. 2,000 dollars, paid in 12 equal installments of 166.66 dollars per month. Taxable unless otherwise exempted, such as by the combat zone tax exclusion.
• Special rest and recuperative (SR&R) leave. A single consecutive period of nonchargeable SR&R leave, not to exceed 30 days.
• SR&R leave with travel. A single consecutive period of nonchargeable SR&R leave not to exceed 15 days, plus round-trip transportation at government expense to the nearest CONUS port of entry. CONUS means the 48 contiguous States. An extension of 13 months or more adds 5 days, for 20 consecutive days. The leave and the travel are taken concurrently, and executing only one forfeits the other.

The incentive belongs to the Marine, not the Marine's dependents.

Eligibility

• Any Marine, any MOS or pay grade, entitled to basic pay and assigned to an eligible OCONUS location.
• The initial tour is complete, including previously approved extensions. The initial tour length complies with the JTR supplement Tour Lengths and Tours of Duty OCONUS.
• The Marine executes an agreement to extend overseas for not less than 12 months. Multiple extensions of less than 12 months summing to 12 months or more do not qualify.

Overseas extensions add to the end of the Marine's current Rotational Tour Date (RTD).

Eligible locations

Effective 1 November 2026, the Director, Manpower Management Division designates every OCONUS location as eligible except the State of Hawaii and every country within the Marine Corps Forces Europe area of responsibility. OTEIPs approved before 1 November 2026 keep the incentives available at the time of approval. A new MARADMIN publishes any change to the eligible locations.

Removal from the program

A Marine who becomes ineligible for further overseas duty during the extension leaves the program.

• Ineligibility caused by actions taken by or under the control of the Marine forfeits any portion of the incentive not yet taken. Payments and SR&R leave or travel already received are not recouped.
• Ineligibility caused by Marine Corps action keeps a prorated financial incentive through the day of departure from the OCONUS location. SR&R leave or travel already executed is not recouped. The right to execute SR&R leave or travel ends.

Execution

• Enlisted. The Marine requests the extension through the career counselor. The request routes to CMC (MMEA) in the Total Force Retention System (TFRS). The approval states whether the extension qualifies for OTEIP, the number of months, and the new RTD.
• Officers. The Marine submits a written request to the PMOS monitor by AA Form, endorsed by the first O-5 commander in the administrative chain. Lieutenant colonels and colonels add an endorsement by the first O-6 commander. MMOA answers with an AMHS message stating whether the extension qualifies for OTEIP, the number of months, and the new RTD.
• RTD reporting. The Marine provides the RELM or AMHS message to the servicing IPAC for unit diary reporting of the updated RTD.
• Election timing. The Marine selects the incentive at the time of execution, not at submission or approval. The first installment of the financial incentive, receipt of a travel line of accounting (LOA), or crediting of the SR&R makes the election final. Marines with OTEIPs approved before this message who want to change the approved incentive request the change from CMC (MMIB-3).
• Travel LOA. A Marine electing the travel option requests a funding LOA from CMC (MMIB-3) at smb_manpower_mmib_3@usmc.mil, no less than 30 days before the desired travel date. The request carries the AA Form, an endorsement from the O-5 commander or higher, the approved RELM or AMHS extension approval, the CTO or DMO cost estimate for the flight to the port of entry, and the CTO or DMO cost estimate to an alternate location if applicable. Travel runs through the Commercial Travel Office or Distribution Management Office where available.
• SR&R leave. One continuous period, never split. A shorter period forfeits the remaining days. Where multiple OTEIP leave periods are erroneously approved, one period counts as SR&R and every other period is charged as annual leave. OTEIP leave processes through the Marine Online Leave and Liberty module with the OTEIP approval documents attached.
• Window. The incentive executes during the extension period, never before its effective date. The extension starts the day after the original RTD. It ends on departure from the OCONUS location on PCS, on the effective date of a new overseas extension, or on the effective date of an in-place consecutive overseas tour (IPCOT). A Marine who does not execute an incentive during the extension period requests payment of the financial incentive within three years after the extension ends. The change is not retroactive.
• Restriction. OTEIP travel or SR&R leave is not used in conjunction with PCS or separation or retirement orders.

Relationship to IPCOT

OTEIP is separate and distinct from the IPCOT leave travel entitlement. The two incentives are not interchangeable. DoDM 1315.21 Volume 2, the Joint Travel Regulations, and MCO 1300.8 govern IPCOT.

Records

The approved overseas tour extension files in the Marine's OMPF. MMEA and MMOA keep records of every approved OTEIP extension, retained by monitored command code, including requests received and requests approved, for two years. CMC (MMIB-3) keeps appropriation data issued for the travel option for five fiscal years.

References

• DOWM 1315.21 Volume 2, Military Personnel Assignments: Outside the Continental United States Duty and Dependent Travel, dated 21 May 2026.
• Joint Travel Regulations, dated 1 September 2026.
• MCO 1300.8, Personnel Assignment Policy, dated 10 May 2021.
• MARADMIN 202/09. Cancelled by this message.
• MARADMIN 259/99. Cancelled by this message.

Points of contact

CMC (MMIB-3), smb_manpower_mmib_3@usmc.mil, telephone 703-784-9236.

Status

Released 25 September 2026, DTG R 251335Z SEP 26. Originator CMC Washington DC MRA. Release authorized by Lieutenant General William J. Bowers, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. The eligible-location designation in paragraph 8 takes effect 1 November 2026. Every other provision takes effect on release.