Q. I am a 52-year-old dual-status military technician with the Army Reserve. I have 32 years of qualifying military service with the Reserve, thus making me eligible to retire and become eligible to draw military retired pay at age 60. I began my FERS service as a military technician Feb. 11, 1985, and have 30 years of qualifying FERS service as of Dec. 8 as a result of buying back my active military service.
My question is this? If I voluntarily retire from my military job, does this qualify me for the discontinued service retirement with no penalties? I have been told yes when I attended a retirement seminar conducted by CPAC but want to get the experts opinion before I proceed.
A. You would be eligible for a discontinued service retirement if your agency involuntarily separated you because of your inability to meet the qualification requirements of your position. If that’s the case, your annuity wouldn’t be subject to the 5 percent per year age penalty.
