Q. I am a medically retired Purple Heart recipient with a 30 percent service-connected disability rating. I served three years active duty and 16 1/2 years in the National Guard. I was deployed to Desert Storm and also Iraqi Freedom and all totaled have credit for about seven years of active-duty service time. In 2008 I was hired as a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) for the USPS, which is a part-time position that fills in for permanent carriers when they are on vacation, sick, etc. My question is this: the post office I work in has five rural delivery routes.…
Browsing: military buyback
Q. I am currently retired from active-duty military and receiving military retirement pay. If I now accept a position with the USPS, I can forgo my military retirement pay and have those military years credited to my USPS time When I reach retirement time with the USPS, can I retire and draw both the USPS retirement and resume receiving my military retirement pay? A. You’ve got it upside down. You can make a deposit to get credit for your active-duty military service — and the earlier you do that, the less interest you’ll pay — and you can continue to receive your…
Q. I am a medically retired veteran with a VA rating of 100 percent and military rating of 60 percent. I had seven years and seven months of active-duty time before I was medically retired from the Air Force. If I started working as a federal employee, can I buy back my military time; if so how much will it cost and what will the benefit be? If I buy back my military time, will I lose my VA disability compensation? And lastly, if I can buy back my time, does that mean I would only have to work 13…
Q: I served in the Marine Corps on active duty from January 1968 to October 1969 and received my statement of earnings after requesting a statement from the Marine Corps Finance Center. I was also activated while in the Marine Corps Reserve from December 1990 to September 1991 in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm as a Marine reservist. I sent the Marine Corps Finance Center both of my DD214s for both active-duty tours but it only sent me one statement of earnings for the initial active duty and did not get one for the active duty performed as a reservist.…
Q: I served in the Army for 6 1/2 years and later joined the Air Force Reserve for an additional three years. I am a federal employee and understand I can buy back the Army years, but what about the Air Force Reserve time? A: Reserve time isn’t creditable, and you can’t make a deposit to make it so.
Q. I am a GS employee and sent in the forms with a quote on my military buyback. The total is $4,900 and it appears monthly on my LES. Do I need to pay this back while I am a federal employee or can I leave for the private sector and then send in a check? A. You must complete the deposit while you are a federal employee or, if you retire, before the final adjudication of your retirement application by OPM.
Q. What are my chances at an appeal next February when the Office of Personnel Management tries to reduce my CSRS by eight years since I didn’t buy back my military time. I have conflicting emails from OPM legal — one saying I would get another opportunity to buy back and one saying no. I was ill informed by my agency and advised against buying back my military time as I was told most of it was junior enlisted time and would not add much to my retirement. I think my agency failed me in properly instructing me on the…
Q. I entered active duty Jan.1, 1981, and exited July 15, 1983. I have 10 months of previous active duty. I worked up until Dec. 29, 1986, when I resigned and went to the private sector. I re-entered government service Sept, 29, 1988, and have been in the government since. I have bought back and paid for 40 months of my military service. How can I determine myservice computation date so I may prepare for retirement in July 2012. My HR support seems to be a bit clueless on this. A. Round up any records you have, go to your…
Q. I know that after serving 20 years as a law enforcement officer, I can change to any other agency and work until age 50 and retire as a LEO. After 20 years in a LEO position, I can retire as a LEO. I could also work 25 years of service and retire as a LEO. My question is: I have 20 years as a LEO. I also have six years of military service that I bought back. I am 46 years old. Can I retire now or does the 25-year rule have to all be in a LEO position?…
Q. I did a military buyback for my three years’ active military duty quite a long time ago. I am under FERS and there has never been anything entered in Box 21 Military Deposit on my Earnings and Leave Statement. Is this anything to be concerned about as I near retirement age? If so, what would suggest I do? A. There probably isn’t anything to be concerned about. However, to be sure, take any paperwork you have that shows you made the deposit to your payroll office and show it to them.