Q: I served in the Marine Corps for more than 13 years, entering Dec. 27, 1979, and leaving active service in November 1987. I re-entered the Corps on Dec. 7, 1989, and was involuntarily but honorably discharged in the middle of 1995 as part of force reduction after the first Gulf War. I did not retire, but I did receive a separation allowance, all of which I have paid back. I paid back the money by not receiving any disability pay for about 12 years (20 percent disabled for service-connected foot and back injuries). In the spring of 2001, I…
Browsing: active duty
Q: I have 31 years in the Army, six years of which is active duty, and I’m still on reserve status. I’ve been working at a Veterans Affairs Department hospital for more than 20 years and plan to stay there until I have 30 years of service. I’m presently buying back the six years of active-duty time, and it is going to cost $12,000. First of all, is it worth it for me to buy back this time? I have heard when you retire from the federal government, you will only get either your federal retirement with your active-duty buyback…
Q: In May of 2002 I retired from the U.S. Army Reserves. At that time I had 29 years of military service, almost five of which was spent on active duty from 1972 -1977 and the remainder was in the Active Reserves. I will collect my military reserve pay in two years at age 60. I have just recently taken a job with the Department of Justice and am in FERS. My question is: If I buy back my active duty military time within FERS (approximately five years) will these same five years be factored into my Reserve Retirement Pay calculation…
Q: I provide financial services to federal employees and have been posed with a question I have not had before. My client has recently retired under Federal Employees Retirement System and has been an Army reservist for 20-plus years. Will his reservist earnings count against his FERS supplement earnings test? If he is called to active duty, are there any other considerations? And lastly, am I correct in understanding that military or reservist retired pay does not count as earnings against the FERS supplement earnings test? A: The Social Security earnings test applies to earnings from wages or self-employment. Having…
Q: I was in the Air Force from May 1980 to June 1993. I took a separation incentive. I have been in Federal Employees Retirement System from 1993 to present. What do I do to get the best possible retirement pay? Buy back time? Would I have to pay back the separation incentive? I am 48 years old. A: If you want to get credit for your years of active duty service, you’ll have to make a deposit to the civilian retirement fund. In your case, that would be 3 percent of your basic military pay, not including any allowances…
Q: I have nine years of military service that began Nov. 28, 1980, and ended Dec. 3, 1989. My federal service began Dec. 4, 1989, and I am still employed by the Federal Aviation Administration. I am under the Federal Employees Retirement System. On Nov. 27, I will have 30 years of continuous service if you include the military time. Does that qualify me for the any-age minimum retirement age under FERS with 30 years of government service? A: Because you are covered by FERS, those years of active-duty military service would only be considered to be creditable service for retirement purposes if you have…