Inactive Duty Overview - ID, IDT, MD, and FHD

What Inactive Duty Is

Per MCRAMM Chapter 3 Section 2, inactive duty is everything a reservist does does not meet the threshold for active duty. The reservist is not in an AD status during inactive duty. Inactive duty consists of IDT, Muster Duty (MD), and Funeral Honors Duty (FHD).

This is the bread and butter of SMCR reserve service. Most reserve duty is inactive duty.

Four Categories Under Inactive Duty

Inactive Duty Training (IDT)

Regularly scheduled training periods. The standard drill weekend.

• 48 paid periods authorized per fiscal year per 10 USC 1014710 USC 10147
• Each period 4 hours minimum
• Maximum 2 periods per calendar day
• Drill weekend typically MUTA-4 (Saturday plus Sunday, 4 periods)
• Earns drill pay (1/30th of monthly basic pay per period)
• Earns one retirement point per period

Muster Duty (MD)

Short-duration assemblies for specific purposes.

• Less than 24 hours typically
• Used for member screening, record updates, briefings
• Pay processed at unique muster pay rate
• Earns retirement points

Funeral Honors Duty (FHD)

Performing military funeral honors at funerals of veterans.

• Minimum 2 hours (shorter than IDT minimum of 4 hours)
• Specifically authorized under 10 USC 1250310 USC 12503
• Special pay rate per period
• Earns retirement points
• Tracked separately from IDT count for paid period limits

Equivalent Duty Periods (EDPs)

Make-up training when regular drill is missed.

• Paid EDP (EIO): Earns pay and points if performed within 60 days of missed drill, same fiscal year
• Unpaid EDP (EIN): Earns points only
• Counts against the 48 paid IDT total
• Limited to 2 per day, 4 per fiscal year for paid EDPs
• Approved by unit commander or designated representative

Subcategories of IDT

The MCRAMM further breaks IDT into specific period types. Each has separate authorization and accounting.

Regular Drill

Pre-scheduled monthly drill weekends. The 48 paid periods per FY come from regular drill.

Additional Training Period (ATP)

Supplemental periods beyond regular drill for specific training requirements.

• Authorized by commander or operational sponsor
• Earns drill pay and points
• Does not count toward the 48-period regular drill limit (separate authorization)
• Common for skills sustainment, equipment training, range periods

Readiness Management Period (RMP)

Administrative or readiness work performed outside regular drill.

• Authorized for specific readiness improvement activities
• Earns drill pay and points
• Used for command admin, training preparation, equipment management
• Specific authorization required per MCRAMM

Additional Flight Training Period (AFTP)

Aviator-specific flight currency training.

• Restricted to aviation MOSs
• Earns drill pay and points
• Specific aviation authorization

Status During Inactive Duty

Per MCRAMM Chapter 3 Section 2, a reservist is in IDT status from arrival at the duty location until completion of the final IDT period. For off-site IDTs under government-funded orders, status begins at travel start and ends at travel end (portal-to-portal coverage where statute allows).

This affects.

• Liability protection during the duty period
• Workers compensation eligibility
• Travel reimbursement eligibility
• Death and disability benefits

When Inactive Duty Becomes Active Duty

Inactive duty converts to active duty when one of these triggers.

• Period is 24 hours or more and orders specify active duty
• Member is mobilized under specific statutes
• Member is performing AT, ADT, or ADOS
• Member is recalled under involuntary recall authority

The trigger drives BAH, BAS, and full active duty pay. Misclassifying triggers pay errors.

Common Errors on Inactive Duty Processing

These hit most often.

1. Regular drill submitted as ATP. Regular drill is the normal monthly weekend. ATP is supplemental. Different authorization, different accounting.
2. AT processed as IDT. AT is active duty for training, not IDT. Use AT pay codes through MROWS orders.
3. FHD missed in pay batch. Funeral honors performed but not entered in Drill Manager. Submit FHD pay code with the funeral date.
4. EDP submitted outside 60-day window. Paid EDPs must occur within 60 days of the missed drill. Late EDPs become unpaid (EIN).
5. MUTA code wrong for hours performed. Member performed 8 hours but submitted MUTA-1 (single period). Fix by correcting to MUTA-2.

Decision Framework for Pay Processing

For each duty period a member performed, walk this.

1. What kind of period was it? (Regular drill, ATP, RMP, AFTP, FHD, MD, EDP)
2. How many hours did the member perform?
3. Was the period authorized in advance? If supplemental, is the authorization documented?
4. Is the member in the correct pay group for the period?
5. Are all conditions met (4-hour minimum for IDT, 2-hour minimum for FHD)?
6. Submit through Drill Manager with correct pay code and MUTA value.

Tracking Annual Limits

I&I admin tracks these annual totals per member.

Exceeding limits requires separate authorization. Drill Manager prevents most overage but track manually as a backup.

Reporting Standards

Each drill weekend produces these admin outputs.

• Muster roster with attendance
• Drill batch in Drill Manager
• Unit diary entries via reserve UD/MIPS
• EDFR feedback verification
• Pay reconciliation against MCTFS posted amounts

Related Roles

Inactive duty processing affects every role.

• Marines verify drill pay posts correctly via MyPay LES.
• Leaders sign muster rosters and verify duty period type.
• Commanders authorize ATP, RMP, AFTP, and approve EDP performance.