Q. I retired from active-duty service in the U.S. Army in 2002. I became a Department of the Army civilian in 2009. When — how many years — can I retire from federal service? What is the computation/formula used to determine retirement pay?
A. When you can retire is determined by your age and service. You can retire at age 62 with five years of service, 60 and 20, at your minimum retirement age with 30 or at your MRA+10 (but fewer than 30). If you make a deposit for your years of active-duty service, you’ll get credit for that time in determining your eligibility to retire, but only if you 1) have at least five years of actual FERS service; and 2) waive your military retired pay when you retire.
FERS annuities are calculated as follows: 0.01 x your highest three consecutive years of average pay x your years and full months of service. The first multiplier is increased to 0.011 if you retire at age 62 or later with at least 20 years of service.
