Q. I am a Navy reservist with over 12 years of active military service. As I understand it, under the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (retroactive to January 2008), any active-duty service over 90 days in one calendar year allows reserve retirement 90 days earlier than age 60. With over four years of active service since 2008, it appears I can retire from the military at age 56.
I’ve been offered a GS job, under which I understand I can convert my active-duty time into FERS. If I elect to retire from the military at age 56, will this affect my minimum five-year service requirement to receive a civilian retirement? Or will I have to wait until age 60 to receive both? I was born in 1962.
A. FERS employees who have five years of actual FERS service can retire at age 62. With 20 years of service (actual and military service for which they made a deposit), they can retire at age 60. Looking at your age and service numbers, it appears that you’d be retiring at age 62 with a combined service of 18 years.
While making a deposit would have no effect on your entitlement for reserve retired pay, I don’t know when you could receive it. That’s a question for your branch of service to answer.
