Q: Can current federal employees buy back Army National Guard time? I have federal employees that did 20-plus years in the Army and Air National Guard. They have retired from the National Guard and now work for the government. Some of these employees were placed on active duty (title 10) for certain deployments and are inquiring about also buying back that time. One employee had heard that National Guard time was somehow prorated when it comes to buying back time. Any truth to this, and if so, where can I read about it?
A: As a rule, service in the National Guard is not creditable for any purpose; however, there are exceptions. For example, if the Guard member is called to active duty by the president or pursuant to the authorities of either the Armed Forces Act of 1952 or Title 10, U.S. Code. Go to www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/handbook/C022.pdf and scroll down to Section 22A2.1-2C. Under no circumstance is such service prorated. It’s either creditable or it isn’t.
