Q. I am trying to figure out if my personnel office has computed my creditable service for active duty performed under Title 10 and USEERA statutes. I am a career Postal employee who was activated for 15 months and then returned to my present job. I understand that under USEERA, the time I was away is counted as creditable time like I never left the Post Office, but I did submit a request to buy back this time and paid for it. I was expecting my creditable service time to increase because of this buyback, but am I wrong to assume that since the service was counted as time never away under USEERA guidelines that I would be trying get double credit for this creditable service? What is my course of action?
A. Because you made the deposit for that period of active-duty service, you’ll get credit for it in determining your length of service and have it used in your annuity computation. Making the deposit and getting that credit will have no affect on any military benefits to which you are entitled. For the rules in military deposits, go to https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/publications-forms/csrsfers-handbook/c023.pdf. As for the effect on your military service, your personnel office has no role in making that determination.
