Q. I retired from the Navy in 2001 after 20 years of service and then took a position at the Postal Service, which I have been at for 10 years. I am 53 years old. I have been collecting my military pension since I retired from the Navy and want to know what my options are for retiring from the Postal Service. Can I collect a separate pension from the USPS? If so, at what age can I retire and can I get full pension benefits from both the military and the USPS?
A. Yes, you can collect a separate pension from the military and the Postal Service. Each would be based indepentdently on your earnings, age and service requirements. To receive an unreduced FERS annuity, the earliest you could retire would be at age 62. Of course, you could retire at your minimum retirement age, which is 56; however, your annuity would be reduced by 5 percent for every year you were under age 62.
