PAA 06-13 - SBP Election for Single Retired Marines on the DD Form 2656

Scope

PAA 06-13 addresses a recurring error on the DD Form 2656 (Data for Payment of Retired Personnel) affecting wounded warriors being medically retired. IPACs were missing the "No Eligible Dependents" block in Section IX, Block 26.g, which left the form blank and triggered automatic SBP enrollment at the full amount. The advisory directs IPACs to mark Block 26.g for single Marines being retired to prevent unintended full SBP enrollment.

Audience

• IPAC retirement processors and the IPAC pay clerks completing DD Form 2656.
• S-1 chiefs auditing retirement packages.
• Wounded Warrior administration teams.
• Single Marines undergoing medical retirement.
• 0102, 0111, and 0170 admin specialists.

Content scope

• DD Form 2656 Section IX, Block 26.g completion requirement for single Marines without eligible dependents.
• Automatic SBP enrollment trigger when Block 26.g is left blank.
• DFAS auto-enrollment in the full SBP amount when no DD 2656 is received.
• Specific impact on Wounded Warriors being medically retired.

Connection to higher policy

• DD Form 2656 Data for Payment of Retired Personnel. The portal's DD forms index carries the current form PDF from esd.whs.mil.
• Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) statutes under 10 U.S.C. Chapter 73.
• DFAS retirement pay processing rules.

Connection to Marine Corps policy

• MCO 1741.11D, the Survivor Annuity Program order, governs SBP election documentation on the DD Form 2656, spousal concurrence, and submission to DFAS. It resolves in the portal citation registry.
• The IGMC functional area checklist for MCO 1900.16 verifies submission of the completed DD Form 2656 to DFAS at least 30 days before retirement, FMCR transfer, or TDRL/PDRL transfer, with TTC training code ZW reported in MCTFS.
• The portal's officer and enlisted retirement processing pages build the DD Form 2656 into the application package per MCO 1900.16 Appendix H.
• The portal's Survivor Benefit Plan page for reserve administration lists this PAA among its references.

Status

Released 2013 by CMC Washington DC MRA MI. Historical record but the underlying rule applies whenever a single Marine without dependents executes the DD Form 2656 today. POC at MI was CWO5 David W. Howell. Repo evidence shows no cancellation. The block reference follows the form edition at release. Verify Section IX, Block 26.g against the current DD Form 2656 edition before executing the instruction.