Q: I was a former Merchant Marine cadet, and have been a Navy Reserve officer for eight years. I just started to work for the Federal Aviation Administration. I know the Civil Service/Federal Employees Retirement System handbook leaves out the Merchant Marine Academy as one of the academies eligible for military service credit, however, I have a “statement of service” in my Navy Reserve folder stating I was a midshipman in the Navy Reserve during those four years. The dates are also listed in my annual statement of service history. It does say that those dates are not creditable, but that is for military credit. Can I receive federal service credit for these years?
A: What was shown in your Navy Reserve folder doesn’t change the fact that attendance at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy isn’t considered to be creditable military service for retirement purposes.
— Reg Jones
