This rule established policy, assigned responsibilities, and prescribed procedures to encourage and assist separating servicemembers, servicemembers retiring with 20 or more years of service, DoD civilian personnel leaving the Government, and spouses to enter public and community service employment. Additionally, it encouraged and assisted servicemembers requesting retirement with fewer than 20 years of service to register for public and community service employment. However, the Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) officially expired in August 2008 (one year after the last official TERA recipient's enhanced retirement qualification period expired). TERA permitted selected personnel with more than 15 years, but less than 20 years of service, to retire and to accrue additional military retirement credits, if they gained employment with qualifying Public and Community Service organizations. New Public and Community Service applications are no longer accepted. Therefore, there is no need to continue this program.

The removal of this rule is part of DoD's retrospective plan under EO 13563 completed in August 2011. DoD's full plan can be accessed at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=DOD-2011-OS-0036.