Q. I’ve been a federal employee since 2010. I recently paid off my military buyback. I’m eligible for retirement through the Army Reserve. My human resources person just told me that if I retire from the Reserve, all the buyback time I have toward my civilian retirement (leave accrual, step increases, etc.), I lose all of that. In other words, I should not have bought back my military time because I cannot receive military reserve retirement and apply that time to my federal civilian service. Is that true? If so, can I get back the money I put into the…
Browsing: Military service deposits
Q. I plan to retire when I’m 70 years old with 10 years of civil service. I also draw military retirement for 25 years of service. Can I also draw full Social Security when I retire, which would have me receiving three government pensions?
Q. I will have 25 years under FERS once I complete the buyback of my military time and 15 years of federal time at age 56. Is it true that I have labored under the misconception of the 80 rule all these years? When I was hired, this information was in my package. I can’t believe I have been looking forward to a full retirement just to hear I will lose more than 30 percent.
Q. I was in the Air National Guard for 7½ years. I have been AD for 13½ years now with a credit of 1½ years for Air National Guard time. A total of 15 years toward retirement. Before I joined AD, I worked for the Veterans Affairs for 18 months. Would any of the time I accrued at VA count toward retirement?
Q. Due to reaching my mandatory removal date while on an Active Guard Reserve tour, I did not have the necessary active-duty time of 20 years to earn a full Army retirement. I was eligible for Army Separation Pay, which I received in 1998. Upon reaching age 60 in 2008, I began to pay back the separation pay so that I would be eligible for Army retirement pay. I have been an Army Civil Service employee since March 2004 and my organization has offered a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay. Am I eligible for it?
Q. I was active-duty military from February 1976 to February 1980. Then, from February 1980 to 1982, I was a temp employee. In February 1982, I was made permanent in the same position and placed in CSRS, where I remain today. I have paid both deposits for my military and temp time and my service computation date is February 1976. I read in your column where employees have been placed in the wrong retirement system and wanted to confirm I’ve been placed correctly in CSRS.
Q. I paid in for my military time. Can I get it back? When I retired I paid in over $6,000 for military time thinking I may be eligible for Social Security. I am not eligible (short two years). Can I get a refund of that money I paid in?
Q. I have 16 years of military service. My intent is to end my service with the military and work for the federal government. How do I get retirement credit for my military service? Does it transfer over? I am a divorcee and, if I retire from the military, I will be paying my ex-wife a percentage. How will my retirement be split with my ex-wife if I retire from the federal government?
Q. I am retiring under CSRS in February. With my three years, 11 months and 10 days in the Navy, plus sick leave, I will have 42 years and eight months CSRS and be 62 years and five months old. On advice of our HR office, I never paid my military deposit back since I was planning on retiring federal and only had 31 Social Security credits. I have looked in the Office of Personnel Management site and the Fedweek CSRS retirement manual and neither says it will not reduce my annuity if I don’t pay the deposit. Can you help?
Q. I am eligible to retire under FERS now that I am 56 years old and have 28 years of service with the Veterans Affairs Department. If I were to retire under FERS disability instead, would I still receive the special retirement supplement that accompanies regular FERS retirement? Also, would my five years of military service be taken into account for FERS disability if I have paid my military deposit into the system?