Q. Twenty years into FERS, I bought back my all military time, but now I’ve learned that I have to waive my military retirement. Is that true? If it I get my deposit back, can I collect civilian and military retirement checks at the same time? FYI, I’m a disabled vet with a 90% rating.
A. Unless your disability was service-connected and either incurred in combat with an enemy of the United States or caused by an instrumentality of war and incurred in the line of duty during a period of war, you would be required to waive your military retired pay when you retire from your civilian job. If you don’t waive your military retired pay, your deposit would be returned to you with interest, and your civilian annuity would be based solely on your actual FERS service. Of course, you would have to have the right combination of age and actual civilian service in order to retire.
