Q. I made a monumental oversight when I went to work for AAFES in 1992. I was in the belief that I would qualify for a pension. Come to find out I won’t, because I am a regular part-time employee (34 hours per week) even though I frequently worked 40 hours a week. Then, another AAFES employee told me of someone else who was leaving AAFES after a lengthy employment, to take up a civil service job and that his time with AAFES would be counted when qualifying for federal pension. I have not yet been able to verify this. Is this true? Where can I verify this?
A. Under certain, limited circumstances nonappropriated fund employees can get credit for that service if they become regular civil service employees. Because I am only qualified to answer questions about federal civilian benefits, I don’t know if you would be eligible for a pension based on you service with AAFES. You’ll have to talk with someone in your local personnel office.
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I worked at Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange Facility Maintenance Shop under AAFES from 1982 to 1992. I was never told about a pension that I may be entitled to after I resigned with 10 years of service. I ran into a co-worker who I use to work with at Pearl Harbor NEX and he said you only have to work 6 years of service to be entitled to a pension. I called the Human Resources Dept. NEX and they had no records or information of my job history with Pearl Harbor NEX. Can I get some kind of answers that will help and benefit me for my 10 years of service.
You’ll need to go to the National Personnel Records Center at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center, scroll down to Personnel Records, Quick Find: Civilian Personnel Records, and click on “after 1951.” Follow the directions and you’ll be able to get the information you need. If you didn’t receive a refund of your retirement contributions when you left government, you’d be eligible for a deferred annuity at age 62. Three months before that date, you’d need to fill out a Standard Form 3107, available at https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf3107.pdf, and send it to OPM. The address is on the form.