What is the most time you can stay in the marines?

Answer 1

There are a number of ways you can be forced out of service early, mostly regarding health or legal troubles. There are also limitations for enlisted Marines based on rank:

• Corporals and below cannot reenlist at 8 years
• Sergeants and below are forced out at 13 years
• Staff Sergeants must retire at 20 years (the soonest a Marine can retire)
• Gunnery Sergeants must retire at 22 years
• Master Sergeants and First Sergeants must retire at 27 years
• Marines of the highest ranks of Master Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major cannot stay in past 30 years without special permission
• Also, there is a limit at age 55.

These limitations are designed to weed out those Marines which are no longer competitive with their peers and unlikely to get promoted, which would stagnate promotions for Marines of lower ranks. Enlisted Marines traditionally (re)enlist in four-year blocks, though many can negotiate for two or six years. Additionally, Marines can opt to extend their current contract to execute orders (such as a deployment or a recruiting tour).

Restrictions for officers are different. Upon earning a commission, officers are usually obligated a minimum of four years, after which they can opt to resign at any time they choose. The minimum for officers to retire is 20 years as well. There are service limits for officers, which I do not have available at this time; however, virtually all officers past thirty years are one of the four general ranks.