Bottom line: Earn 50 retirement points in your anniversary year and it counts as a "good year." Stack 20 good years and you qualify for a reserve (non-regular) retirement, payable starting at age 60.
What counts toward your 50 points
Retirement points come from more than just drills:
- Drill periods (inactive-duty training)
- Annual training and other active-duty orders
- Funeral honors duty
- Correspondence / professional military education courses
- Other authorized activities
A year in which those add up to at least 50 points is a good year — often called a satisfactory or sat year.
Why good years matter
A reserve retirement requires 20 good years. Each good year is a step toward that 20; a year under 50 points doesn't count, even if you drilled. The points you bank also drive how much your eventual retirement pays, so they're worth tracking yourself rather than assuming.
For the full rules on how points are earned and counted, see the Marine Corps Reserve manual in plain English — we translated the retirement and points sections so you can check your own math against the source.