Q. I re-entered federal service in 2004, having a short amount of temp time before that. At the time, I was placed in was the CSRS Offset retirement sysetm. During that time, I also paid in for military service at the CSRS rate then in place. Beginning in 2007, as I did not have five years in the offset system, I was automatically converted to FERS. I have requested clarification as to whether the 2004-2007 time frame will provide me a separate CSRS component to my retirement or whether it will all be under the FERS calculation. In addition, will the military component be calculated using the CSRS rate applicable when I paid in or the FERS rate? Unfortunately, my agency has told me different answers on different days.
A. Because you had fewer than five years of creditable service when you re-entered the federal service, you should have automatically been placed in FERS. Now that you have, all your time, civilian and military alike, will be FERS service. As a result, you are due a refund of the excess amount you paid to get credit for your active-duty service.
