In Army, majority of officers who seek premature retirement are in the rank of Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel. Required Documents: 1.Retired Pay Application – DD Form 2656 and DD Form 108 – (Retirement Services will aid you in the completion of this form). Criteria for acceptance of requests from. Please submit your retirement application no earlier than 3 months before your retirement effective date. The Army has ended the Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) program. Early Reduced Retirement. If you are an active member with at least 15 but fewer than 30 YOS, you can choose to take an early reduced retirement at age 55. Premature Retirement. Army Futures Command (AFC) transforms the Army to ensure war-winning future readiness.