Q. I served on active duty from Sept. 30, 1984, through May 15, 1989, and then was hired by the Justice Department where I’m still employed. I bought back my military time and am in the FERS plan. Was I eligible for CSRS given my start date on active duty?
A. No. Your starting date in the military was irrelevant. What determines your retirement system coverage is the date of your entry on duty in your civilian position. While making a deposit to get credit for your active-duty service makes that time creditable for retirement purposes, among other things, it doesn’t have any effect on your retirement system coverage.
