Q. I am a 61 year-old retired reservist and a FERS employee. I’ve not yet retired from the federal government and want to buy back my military years before I retire. I believe I’m eligible to do that before I retire from the federal government. I do not plan on applying for Social Security until I’m full retirement age (66). I’m attempting to obtain my financial records so I can calculate how much I will have to deposit to buy those years. Can you help?
A. You’ll need to complete Form RI-90-97, Estimated Earnings During Military Service, and mail it to your branch of service along with a copy of your DD Form(s) 214, Report of Transfer or Discharge, or similar document. When you get a reply, take it to your local payroll office, along with a copy of your DD 214 or similar, and a Standard Form 3108, Application to Make Service Credit Payment. They can determine how much you would need to deposit to get credit for your active-duty service. You can get a copy of RI-90-97 and the SF 3108 by going to www.opm.gov and clicking on Forms.
